analog rig w/duct tape & chicken wire

[dean_martin]

My 16 year old asked me for a record player for Christmas. I thought we would experiment with some pieces I already had first. I pulled the old Technics SL-BD20 from storage and cleaned it up real good. The cart I used to use with this Circuit City special was a Shure M92E. I put the Shure on a Marantz 6100 table that I gave to my old high school band director who happens to still be a good friend and who runs a kick-ass 70s Marantz receiver that he bought new.

So after pulling out the Technics, I ordered the Grado Black from Acoustic Sounds. They're running a Grado sale right now which amounted to free shipping on the $40 Black.
The cart came today. My son has a Cambridge Audio 540A integrated. It doesn't have the built-in phono section. I dusted off an old NAD 7225PE receiver with a pretty good phono section and a not so good blown left amp channel, ran its preamp outs to an input on the CA, then mounted the p-mount Grado. The first record I tried was Southern Culture on the Skids' Dirt Track Date. When I used to run the Techincs w/the Shure cart and the NAD receiver, this record never sounded right compared to the cd. The sound was thin, weak and like it could fall apart at any time.

But man, with the Grado Black this album has balls! As usual, we didn't get started until close to bed time with everyone's crazy schedule so I'll have to spend a little more time with this setup. I was stunned at the bold, powerful sound from this cheap, thrown-together rig. I'm looking forward to listening to some classic rock like Zeppelin. I have the feeling this rig will really rock out. I'm gonna have to track down some AC/DC albums or something.

[BRANDONH]

My 16 year old asked me for a record player for Christmas. I thought we would experiment with some pieces I already had first. I pulled the old Technics SL-BD20 from storage and cleaned it up real good. The cart I used to use with this Circuit City special was a Shure M92E. I put the Shure on a Marantz 6100 table that I gave to my old high school band director who happens to still be a good friend and who runs a kick-ass 70s Marantz receiver that he bought new.

So after pulling out the Technics, I ordered the Grado Black from Acoustic Sounds. They're running a Grado sale right now which amounted to free shipping on the $40 Black.
The cart came today. My son has a Cambridge Audio 540A integrated. It doesn't have the built-in phono section. I dusted off an old NAD 7225PE receiver with a pretty good phono section and a not so good blown left amp channel, ran its preamp outs to an input on the CA, then mounted the p-mount Grado. The first record I tried was Southern Culture on the Skids' Dirt Track Date. When I used to run the Techincs w/the Shure cart and the NAD receiver, this record never sounded right compared to the cd. The sound was thin, weak and like it could fall apart at any time.

But man, with the Grado Black this album has balls! As usual, we didn't get started until close to bed time with everyone's crazy schedule so I'll have to spend a little more time with this setup. I was stunned at the bold, powerful sound from this cheap, thrown-together rig. I'm looking forward to listening to some classic rock like Zeppelin. I have the feeling this rig will really rock out. I'm gonna have to track down some AC/DC albums or something.

Glad to see the younger generation getting into Vinyl!!
Long live analog.

[dean_martin]

Glad to see the younger generation getting into Vinyl!!
Long live analog.

Yeah, I know. It's kind of funny. I TOLD HIM that one of his favorite stores, Hot Topix, carries vinyl. (He didn't know!) I suggested he pick up a copy of The Clash's London Calling because I had seen it in there. Well...he went this weekend and came back with a Sublime double album on blood red vinyl. I thought that was cool even though he didn't get my suggestion. Before the internet, I used to drive 2 hours to record shows to find limited edition colored vinyl and other goodies.

[jrhymeammo]

Hey Dean,

I was wondering if you son is still spinning records. I bought a CD there once about 5 years ago, but I had no idea Hot Topix carried records.

JRA

[emorphien]

Hey Dean,

I was wondering if you son is still spinning records. I bought a CD there once about 5 years ago, but I had no idea Hot Topix carried records.

JRA

Me neither. In fact I haven't been in a Hot Topic for quite a few years now (not since high school and I'm almost 24 now).

I'm still miffed one of the local record shops closed its closer location to me which was also better for browsing vinyl. I haven't bought any vinyl (used) in a while, I should go to their remaining location and browse the stacks but I should also really be conserving money for my new speakers which I am probably inevitably purchasing.

[tin ear]

Dean, I like the way you think. Personally, I hardly ever throw away anything that could conceivably be used for something some time down the road.

SWMBO hates that, but she is amazed at what I can make out of old junk.

Not that any of what you mentioned could be called junk.

[3db]

My 16 year old asked me for a record player for Christmas. I thought we would experiment with some pieces I already had first. I pulled the old Technics SL-BD20 from storage and cleaned it up real good. The cart I used to use with this Circuit City special was a Shure M92E. I put the Shure on a Marantz 6100 table that I gave to my old high school band director who happens to still be a good friend and who runs a kick-ass 70s Marantz receiver that he bought new.

So after pulling out the Technics, I ordered the Grado Black from Acoustic Sounds. They're running a Grado sale right now which amounted to free shipping on the $40 Black.
The cart came today. My son has a Cambridge Audio 540A integrated. It doesn't have the built-in phono section. I dusted off an old NAD 7225PE receiver with a pretty good phono section and a not so good blown left amp channel, ran its preamp outs to an input on the CA, then mounted the p-mount Grado. The first record I tried was Southern Culture on the Skids' Dirt Track Date. When I used to run the Techincs w/the Shure cart and the NAD receiver, this record never sounded right compared to the cd. The sound was thin, weak and like it could fall apart at any time.

But man, with the Grado Black this album has balls! As usual, we didn't get started until close to bed time with everyone's crazy schedule so I'll have to spend a little more time with this setup. I was stunned at the bold, powerful sound from this cheap, thrown-together rig. I'm looking forward to listening to some classic rock like Zeppelin. I have the feeling this rig will really rock out. I'm gonna have to track down some AC/DC albums or something.

I still love the sound of vinyl and to me, it just sounds more life like than CD. Yes CD is quieter, no pops or ticks, and even has more dynamics then vinyl but it just desn't sound as life like as vinyl.

I found a store that is selling used vinyl and I picked one up that I cannot find on CD; "The Secret Policemen's Other Ball". I'm not playing it until I get my new turntable .. but at least now I can ditch the cassette recording I have of it. I found a Coldplay album as well, "Blood Rush to The head" or something like that which tells me that vinyl is still very much in prioduction. It may have shruk awat from mainstream but its far from dead.

Vinyl is also way cooler when it comes to album covers *G* I was surps

[squeegy200]

I still love the sound of vinyl and to me, it just sounds more life like than CD. .....Vinyl is also way cooler when it comes to album covers.......... *G* I was
surps

I realized the same thing this past week. Recording artists once reserved the album cover as an opportunity for artistic expression. There were some very creative LP covers over the years. That seems to have been lost with the CDs and the artwork today seems to be nothing more than commercialism. One of the enjoyable aspects of the vinyl experience was admiring the creativity of the LP covers.

Check out
http://www.wanderlist.com/bestlpcover

Regarding the sound of LPs vs CDs--- for the first time, I can honestly remark that on my stereo system, the LPs sound better than the digital version played through my CD player. The right combination of turntable, cartridge, tonearm, and phono preamp really raised my vinyl playback to an entirely different level.

[JoeE SP9]

I regularly amaze people by playing the CD first and then the vinyl. Without exception everyone says vinyl sounds better. Of course this is in 2 channel mode.

[SlumpBuster]

I'm gonna have to track down some AC/DC albums or something.

What do you mean? They're not filed under "A" on your LP rack? Are you saying? You don't have any AC/DC records? What the hell is going on down there anyway? What type of example are you setting for your kids?

As for Hot Topix, they were actually a boon for record buyers before the interwebs really took off as commercial medium. Hot topix, the used stores, the college town shops and the DJ shops were the only places to really find new LPs. I got lots 'o good Punk records from the Topix, along with my fair share of "emo" belts and pants with 38" cuffs on them. We weren't happy untill it looked like a skirt!

[dean_martin]

Hey Dean,

I was wondering if you son is still spinning records. I bought a CD there once about 5 years ago, but I had no idea Hot Topix carried records.

JRA

Yes, he's still spinning records. He gave me a list of 3 albums he wants this Christmas.

As for Hot Topix, I almost bought The Clash's London Calling, and (don't laugh) Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style there. But seeing how I was the only guy in the store without girl jeans, piercings and black eyeliner I didn't stay in there too long. (I'm warming up to that group though.) They do carry some interesting stuff. I thumbed through the CBGB's tribute book there with my son and showed him pics of all the punk, avant garde, etc. acts that came through there. They used to list their vinyl on their website. I would assume they still do. They don't have a bunch of titles, but it's one of the few places in my area where you can put your hands on new records.

[dean_martin]

What do you mean? They're not filed under "A" on your LP rack? Are you saying? You don't have any AC/DC records? What the hell is going on down there anyway? What type of example are you setting for your kids?

As for Hot Topix, they were actually a boon for record buyers before the interwebs really took off as commercial medium. Hot topix, the used stores, the college town shops and the DJ shops were the only places to really find new LPs. I got lots 'o good Punk records from the Topix, along with my fair share of "emo" belts and pants with 38" cuffs on them. We weren't happy untill it looked like a skirt!

That was posted over a year ago. I've redeemed myself and did in fact aquire a copy of Back in Black on vinyl. (I still have no excuse for not having it years ago. Unfortunately, during my impressionable years when I began this musical journey the cassette tape was the preferred medium of the ignorant between the decline of the LP and the rise of the cd. I've grown much wiser over the years.)

[basite]

in the 'focus knack' magazine (belgian media magazine) there was an article about the few dedicated music shops in the country, (really, there aren't too much anymore) but it did reveal some interesting shops for me, (most of them were in brussels) but there were 2 shops that really caught my attention, the first one impressed me for 2 reasons, the fact that the lady running the shop is 76 years old, and her husband is 80, and they're still running the shop, together with their son, and they visit new york from time to time, just to buy new stock, the stock was the second thing that impressed me, she had 35.000 records in stock, many of those are old jazz and blues records,
then the second shop caught my attention too, because of similar reasons, the guy who owns the shop really lives for his records, and he haves alot of them, 400.000 to be precise, which is a quite impressive number for me...

Keep them spinning,
Basite

(time to visit brussels again...)

[SlumpBuster]

That was posted over a year ago. I've redeemed myself and did in fact aquire a copy of Back in Black on vinyl. (I still have no excuse for not having it years ago. Unfortunately, during my impressionable years when I began this musical journey the cassette tape was the preferred medium of the ignorant between the decline of the LP and the rise of the cd. I've grown much wiser over the years.)

Ya know, I even have Fly on the Wall on LP, so I'm inexcusable too. Just on the opposite end of the spectrum.

Of all the musical disputes that never seem to end: Beatles vs Stones, LP vs. CD, Punk vs. Metal, Rock vs. Rap, Roth vs. Hagar, Metallica vs. its fans -- there seems to be one constant that everyone can agree:

AC/DC ROCKS!!!

[emorphien]

I regularly amaze people by playing the CD first and then the vinyl. Without exception everyone says vinyl sounds better. Of course this is in 2 channel mode.

There are some things where I'd choose a well produced CD over the vinyl, but I do love vinyl so very very much.

Unfortunately I don't have much room for them just yet and they're a bit more of a pain to live with.

[jrhymeammo]

When I used to hang around here years ago under a different name, I had occasionally peep in the analog forum. I used to think "Whatta hell are these stupid old people talking about" and thought they were just stubburn idiots without ever hearing records in a half decent setup. My new CDP reduced the gap between my setups, but I still prefer LP over CD(no brainer).

Hey Joe. If you like listening to some newer recording, then I strongly suggest you get a good SACD player, but dont bother replacing music you already have in wax. I probably should waiting until I've heard at least 50 same albums on both SACD and LP, but not worth your hard earned retirement funds. Just my 2 cents.

JRA