New Turntable Owner!

[wgriel]

Well, I never expected that my audio journey would take me down this path, but after hearing an awesome TT rig in a high end store I started exploring and found I couldn't resist!

I didn't want to spend too much (I certainly couldn't afford that rig), but settled on a Pro-ject Xpression II fitted with Shure M97xE.

I've had this setup for about 3 weeks now, and I don't think I've listened to a CD since - the biggest problem is that I keep "finding" audiophile pressings and I'm going to go broke if I don't stop buying them!

I do have one question for some of the folks with experience: The table comes with a felt mat which seems to work just fine, except that it will invariably stick to any 200 or 180 gram pressings when I go to remove them. This isn't a major problem and doesn't occur with lighter pressings, but still it's a bit irritating and I was wondering if there is anything I can do about this?

I suppose I could upgrade the felt to some other material but was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on that.

Thanks!

Bill

[Feanor]

Well, I never expected that my audio journey would take me down this path, but after hearing an awesome TT rig in a high end store I started exploring and found I couldn't resist!

I didn't want to spend too much (I certainly couldn't afford that rig), but settled on a Pro-ject Xpression II fitted with Shure M97xE.

I've had this setup for about 3 weeks now, and I don't think I've listened to a CD since - the biggest problem is that I keep "finding" audiophile pressings and I'm going to go broke if I don't stop buying them!
....
Bill

I'm the proud (?) owner of a "new" vintage Technics SL-D2 with Realistic R1000EDT cartridge; I'll be replacing the Rat Shack with a Grado Prestige Red.

Perhaps you guessed: I'm not that serious about vinyl. But my old TT died and I do want to rip my LPs to computer.

[Bernd]

Congratulations and welcome to the wonderfull world of Vinyl.
Yes, it will be a good idea to replace the mat if and when. In the meantime try and get some double sided sticky tape. That will do the job for the time being.

Most of all enjoy.

Peace

Bernd

[wgriel]

Hi Bernd,

thanks - and the tape is a good idea. I'm sure I've got some at home somewhere...

Bill

[JoeE SP9]

Be advised adding tape under the mat will change the height of the LP. This will throw of the VTA of the cartridge. If the tonearm has adjustable height you may need to adjust it.

[wgriel]

Be advised adding tape under the mat will change the height of the LP. This will throw of the VTA of the cartridge. If the tonearm has adjustable height you may need to adjust it.

Ah, I hadn't considered that. I may just leave it alone for now and live with the slight annoyance.

I talked to my audio dealer about it and he says that it's due to static and likely is only going to be a problem at this time of year. Anyway, it doesn't detract from my enjoyment of the music at all.

Bill

[Bernd]

Not sure how thick the tape is where you are, but I am talking about the dark brown very thin stuff. Much thinner than the differences of various record thicknesses.
If static is the problem, some antistatic inner sleeves will go a long way to cure that.

Peace

Bernd

[BRANDONH]

Well, I never expected that my audio journey would take me down this path, but after hearing an awesome TT rig in a high end store I started exploring and found I couldn't resist!


I didn't want to spend too much (I certainly couldn't afford that rig), but settled on a Pro-ject Xpression II fitted with Shure M97xE.

I've had this setup for about 3 weeks now, and I don't think I've listened to a CD since - the biggest problem is that I keep "finding" audiophile pressings and I'm going to go broke if I don't stop buying them!

I do have one question for some of the folks with experience: The table comes with a felt mat which seems to work just fine, except that it will invariably stick to any 200 or 180 gram pressings when I go to remove them. This isn't a major problem and doesn't occur with lighter pressings, but still it's a bit irritating and I was wondering if there is anything I can do about this?

I suppose I could upgrade the felt to some other material but was wondering if anyone had any thoughts on that.

Thanks!

Bill

Hello Bill,

good to see you join the world of Vinyl... Long Live Analog!

Check this stuff out I use it and love and it will help to stop the felt from sticking to the LP when lifted from the platter.



http://store.acousticsounds.com/brow...&section=music

A Stereophile Recommended Product! Aerosol formula provides a microscopic layer of lubrication that reduces record wear and prevents static build-up. Comes in a kit with two pads. New formulation leaves no residue.

Gruv-Glide is a dry record treatment that actually enhances the fidelity of the record. Prior to its development, even the highest quality cartridge could not produce the maximum available reproduction from the phono record. Now for the first time, the use of Gruv-Glide brings out the best possible sound.

Gruv-Glide not only increases fidelity, but also reduces surface noise, removes static, and cleans the record. The treated record and cartridge stylus will last longer due to the increased tracking ability and reduced friction. One application lasts for an indefinite period of time. The kit will treat at least 200 records when used as directed, making it a most economical treatment.

[wgriel]

Hello Bill,

good to see you join the world of Vinyl... Long Live Analog!

Check this stuff out I use it and love and it will help to stop the felt from sticking to the LP when lifted from the platter.

Hey thanks for the recommendation!

That looks like it might do the job. I'm pretty sure the problem is static, though my TT is grounded. According to my audio dealer it's pretty common to get this kind of static here in the winter, but he says the problem will eventually go away.

Still I like the looks of that product and will likely order some.

Cheers,

Bill

[BRANDONH]

Hey thanks for the recommendation!

That looks like it might do the job. I'm pretty sure the problem is static, though my TT is grounded. According to my audio dealer it's pretty common to get this kind of static here in the winter, but he says the problem will eventually go away.

Still I like the looks of that product and will likely order some.

Cheers,

Bill

your gonna love it.
I use it even on brand new records before I ever play them.

[jrhymeammo]

much loved GruvGlide. I used to think this product was the greatest thing like alot of members here and Viagra.
But I really dont like this product. Here is why,

I like wet cleaning my records before I spin them (not everytime though). And I used to mark my innersleeves like "C" and "T".

"C" tells me that I have already cleaned the hell out of it, and
"T" tells me that I have treated it with GruvGlide

This is what I noticed, everytime I try to wet clean some of records marked "T", it smears everytime I scrub them. I could never get rid of that stuff completely. If you get dirty fingerprints on them, I dont think you can clean them out. But instead, I think finger grease just get spread all over my precious records. GG instruction will tell ya that if the product is not spreadout evenly, just apply a bit more apply. The way I see it, once you use GG, you have to keep on using it. There is no way out.
Also, 2 pads supplied cannot be washed much. I've tried handwashing them gentle, but it still ripped. The reason why I washed them is because those stupid things like to collect dust. Not way in hell I'm gonna use dirty pads to apply stuff you can't wash off. I dont even wanna think out inevitable airborne particles getting mixed in with that stuff on record surface.

I'm pretty anal about LP care so feel free to ignore this post....

Does it reduce surfave noise? YES!!!!!!!
btw, I used to keep those pads in a ziploc bag.
JRA

[Feanor]

....

I'm pretty anal about LP care so feel free to ignore this post....
...
JRA

I do it by rarely, soon to be never, playing vinyl. Hanging on to obsolete technology is anal.

(I'm sure you won't take me too seriously!)

[nobody]

The felt sticking sounds like static to me.

[basite]

The felt sticking sounds like static to me.

somekind of yeah, the record is charged with static electricity, this is caused by a bad grounding, i had that with my previous tt (well, not all the times, but it happened quite some times), the tt didn't have a ground cable so this explains it a little, static electricity might just make them stick...

Keep em spinning.

[jrhymeammo]

I've had this setup for about 3 weeks now, and I don't think I've listened to a CD since - the biggest problem is that I keep "finding" audiophile pressings and I'm going to go broke if I don't stop buying them!

Bill

Just my opinion......

Not all Audiophile pressings are worth your money. But I purchased MobileFidelity LP of Isaac Hayes today, and it is the most incredible thing I've heard in my life. I think the biggest key is to know which pressings to get. Also from what I've found out, crappy reissues that has been digitally/electronically remasted are the worst sounding wax. I would rather listen to CDs made in mid 80s....

JRA

[StanleyMuso]

Nothing wears them out faster than dirt and dust. I don't know if these are still available, but I used to use a product which was a hollow tube, felt on the outside with a sponge layer just on the inside followed by a plastic tube with perforations in the middle, with plastic stoppers on either end. You put distilled water inside, and wiped the record before playing each and every time. This device picked up dust very efficiently and because it was wet, also killed any static electricity. In addition, I had a device called a dust bug, which was a felt roller mounted on a metal arm, and rested on the record as it played. Despite being so paranoid and cleaning records just before playing, I was always amazed how much gunk the dust bug collected during the play.

[BRANDONH]

Just my opinion......

Also from what I've found out, crappy reissues that has been digitally/electronically remasted are the worst sounding wax. I would rather listen to CDs made in mid 80s....

JRA

I'll buy that for a dollar. lol

No but really its true the digitally remastered ones sound no better then their CD counterparts.
I received just yesterday my first jazz record from Cisco Music the:
TSUYOSHI YAMAMOTO TRIO
Title: TBM30-45 MISTY
~ 45 RPM 180-GRAM LP


Holy cow what a pressing I have never heard my speakers produce the piano so perfectly I mean whoa this album sounds amazing. I plan to get more jazz now.
Vinyl of course.

Oh speaking of MOFI have you heard the Alison Krauss and Union Station - So Long So Wrong?
What an album...even if you don't like Glue Grass this album will blow you out of your chair.

[jrhymeammo]

One of my friends has a one of those Dust Roller. I dont allow her to get that thing near my records though. Just get a cheap no name carbonfibre brush. They work a miracle. If you can afford a record cleaning machine, you shiouldnt hesitate to get one. That is the thing you can do to improve sound if you buy used records. I ended up making my own.

JRA

[jrhymeammo]

Dont worry Brandon, Bill is just angery because he knows CDs will be obsolete way before vinyl goes away. I'm just joking Bill, except for that whole vinyl and Cd thing.

Getting back to the original topic, I own a Herbie's Extreme Phono Mat. The best thing I've done for my collection. Do yourself a favor and get rid of that stupid felt mat. You wont regret it.

JRA

[Feanor]

Dont worry Brandon, Bill is just angery because he knows CDs will be obsolete way before vinyl goes away. I'm just joking Bill, except for that whole vinyl and Cd thing.

Getting back to the original topic, I own a Herbie's Extreme Phono Mat. The best thing I've done for my collection. Do yourself a favor and get rid of that stupid felt mat. You wont regret it.

JRA

Yeah, could be right about CD. I kind of hope SACD would make CD obsolete but it won't happen.

I have been enjoying my new turntable, though, especially since I replace the Rat Shack cartridge with the Signet.

[wgriel]

Getting back to the original topic, I own a Herbie's Extreme Phono Mat. The best thing I've done for my collection. Do yourself a favor and get rid of that stupid felt mat. You wont regret it.

JRA

Well, I just ordered one. I was looking at some other competing mats, and most of them are much more expensive than Herbie's.

As to the handling and cleaning of LPs, my local audio shop has a Nitty Gritty machine that I can "rent" for a weekend (it's pretty cheap, 10 bucks & includes all the cleaning solution I use). I've done that, and cleaned everything except the new vinyl.

The only other thing I've got is a simple carbon fiber brush that I use before each play. Anything else worth looking into? I'm still considering the Gruvglide, but I'm a bit more cautious about that now.

Bill

[jrhymeammo]

Hope you'll enjoy your mat as much as I do.

As to the handling and cleaning of LPs, my local audio shop has a Nitty Gritty machine that I can "rent" for a weekend (it's pretty cheap, 10 bucks & includes all the cleaning solution I use). I've done that, and cleaned everything except the new vinyl.


Bill

THAT IS THE GREATEST THING I"VE HEARD IN 27 YEARS OF MY LIFE!!!!!!!!

as for other accessary recommendation, I would say Mobile Fidelity Brush and LP solution from Record Research Lab, if you buy alot of used records. RRL product is the best stuff I've used. I would stay away from LAST products, except for StyLast. That stuff works pretty good, and will serve you for years.
Just make sure you have your cartridge setup correctly. If you dont have a cart alignment tool, then you can print one up for free(I prefer mine by Turntablebasics).

I own a 1Xpression. Going from your stock dust collector to a H's mat, you will need to adjust your VTA. It is very easy to do and is rewarding.

If you dont have a stylus brush, get a Magic Eraser from your grocery store. One should last you a life time. If you dont have a steady hand, you may want to consider Zerodust. I should've asked for this for christmas.....

[wgriel]

My Way Excellent Turntable Mat arrived this past week!

Anyway, jrhymeammo had said:

I own a 1Xpression. Going from your stock dust collector to a H's mat, you will need to adjust your VTA. It is very easy to do and is rewarding.

This is a real newbie question, but I'm not sure how I adjust my VTA. Well, I know from the owners manual what to do to adjust it, but all it says is that the arm should be parallel to the record being played. How do I determine that?

fwiw, just replacing the old mat with the new seems to have improved the SQ - the difference in thickness seems to be less than the difference between a 200gm & thin pressing, so I'm not exactly sure what I should be doing here. How does one determine the proper VTA?

Thanks!

Bill

[jrhymeammo]

That's cool Feanor.

Like you said, you dont wanna spend alot of money on this setup, but I think you should play around a bit and see what setup will give you great result for your CD-Rs.

I wish studios would stop da bullsh*t and start producing albums I like on SACD. One day Feanor, one day...........

[royphil345]

Being able to rent a Nitty Gritty would be awesome!!! Lucky you!!!

I was just about to offer wgriel a free rubber mat from an old Sony... You guys are all set with your fancy mats now though...