Vinly Revelation.

[Pimpin']

I am sure the regulars on this forum have noticed i humbly asked for anyone who had a TT to give away to send it my way. Initialy i had mediocre expectation of what performance i would get from which ever unit i get and anyway my experience though very faded were nothing to write home about, mediocre to irritating at times. Dirty records was what i was exposed to added to and  that the TT's were often not properly set up didnt help issues. Most of the music i listened to then was riddled with crackling sounds which distracted me from the music and i suppose it would be understandable i would be a little apprehensive in going back to this medium. i took the plunge out of curiosity. When i listened to vinly in my early days of music enthusiasm the vinlys werent mine, the hifis werent mine and the upkeep of the vinyls wasnt my responsibility. to cut a long story short, i got the Garrard SP25 MKIII and was pleasantly surprised.

The records that i had inherited where as mentioned above riddled with crackling noises and were minimally enjoyable but the one's i got recently from a friendly guy in Midrand were nothing short of superb. i sat up all night changing one record after the other. The vinlys i listened to i also had CD originals thereof. I can say this much, CD has nothing on vinly eccept convinience. To my ears vinly just sounded so much better. Realism was like nothing i have ever heard before, but best of all i wasnt so concernd as to whether the music was imaging correctly or whether the timber was correct or not it just sounded like music to my ears. Sibilance was non existant, purcussions didnt sound splashy like they do on CD, imaging was wonderful, the sound was just better than CD. I know it can also be argued that sounding different does not necessarily mean it sounds better but in my opnion the sounding different most definately sounded better to me. I can now comfortably say i am a Vinly convert. Thanks Gawie.

[Shonver]

Nice one, Simphiwe! What cartridge do you have fitted?

[Pimpin']

Dont know what cartridge.

[Mike M]

The vinyls i listened to i also had CD originals thereof. I can say this much, CD has nothing on vinyl accept convenience. To my ears vinyl just sounded so much better. Realism was like nothing i have ever heard before, but best of all i wasn't so concerned as to whether the music was imaging correctly or whether the timber was correct or not it just sounded like music to my ears. Sibilance was non existant, purcussions didnt sound splashy like they do on CD, imaging was wonderful, the sound was just better than CD. I know it can also be argued that sounding different does not necessarily mean it sounds better but in my opnion the sounding different most definately sounded better to me. I can now comfortably say i am a Vinly convert. Thanks Gawie.

I also only recently decided to investigate what all the fuss regarding vinyl is all about. After buying a modest turn table and entry level phonostage, I can only say that I wholeheartedly share your experience.

A/B'ing CD to Vinyl, the difference is nothing short of remarkable in my opinion. The fullness/richness of the sound is what I enjoy. I also find the small nuances like the echoing of the room and the decay of the notes are more evident and hence the music more realistic with vinyl.

IMHO, the medium has some major flaws. The snap, crackle and pop sometimes drives me crazy. Many record that appear to be in good condition with a visual inspection are virtually unlistenable, even after a good cleaning. Even more frustrating is that the snap, crackle and pop is even evident on new 180 g "audiophile" pressings. While second hand records are cheap (and some very good purchases can be had amongst the plethora of poor quality second hand stock) new vinyl is expensive (R300-R500) and often flawed.

I believe that both digital and vinyl have there strengths and have a place in a hi-fi system.

Regards
Michael

[Vertigo]

Some very interesting points shared by Simphiwe and MikeM. Glad to hear simphiwe!
Yes, I have the same experience wrt the sound quality of some records. It all depends on the quality of the vinyl pressing. Some sounding absolutely fantastic while others not so great. I also think the more transparent set-up one has will further reveal shortcomings in bad quality recordings.

MikeM, I have listened to your analogue set-up and it was sounding fantastic! I can just imagine how good it is going to sound once you received your new Whisper phono stage   

[Pimpin']

i decided not to concern myself with the snap crackle and pop, this can spoil the vinyl experience. I know its near impossible to avoid it but i concerntate on the ones that are good plus if you know where to look and are patient you can have vinyls for next to nothing.  Try Salvation Army/ Flea Markets etc, I do it as a fun thing nothing serious at all.

"The fullness/richness of the sound is what I enjoy. I also find the small nuances like the echoing of the room and the decay of the notes are more evident and hence the music more realistic with vinyl." - Took the words right out of my mouth Mike M.

[Mike M]

Vertigo, thanks for the thumbs up for SQ of the setup.

I often wondered why rock (and other "loud" music) was so successful in the 70's and it popularity started to wane with the release of CD

After venturing into vinyl it became clear. It's because, with every Rock band member trying to outplay (overpower) the others with the notes (volume) his/her particular instrument could produce (including the human voice), the shortcomings (snap, crackle and pop) of the medium of the day simply were not evident. Other genre's were simply outplayed by the vinyl itself . With the advent of CD, the other more subtle genre could finally be heard  

Regards
M

[Sabby]

I too am a recent vinyl convert. Managed to snag an old AR in very good condition and had a Moth (Rega) RB251 arm installed fitted with a cheap Ortofon cartridge. I can also relate to the frustrations of listening to the clicks and pops inherent in vinyl playback. But what I found was that when the pressing was good, nothing could touch vinyl in the natural reproduction of music. No digital harshness, just pure music! But finding a good pressing seems to be a bit of a hit or miss affair. If anybody here has managed to source good quality vinyl consistently, please share with us.

[Mike M]

I too am a recent vinyl convert. Managed to snag an old AR in very good condition and had a Moth (Rega) RB251 arm installed fitted with a cheap Ortofon cartridge. I can also relate to the frustrations of listening to the clicks and pops inherent in vinyl playback. But what I found was that when the pressing was good, nothing could touch vinyl in the natural reproduction of music. No digital harshness, just pure music! But finding a good pressing seems to be a bit of a hit or miss affair. If anybody here has managed to source good quality vinyl consistently, please share with us.

Hi Sabby

Glad to hear that the AR is up and running. How is she sounding?

Regards
M

[Sabby]

Hi Mike

The AR really is an excellent t/t. The sound is extremely good considering what I paid for it, smooth and relaxing with no harshness. If there is a critisism it is that the sound is a bit too laid back and lacks dynamics. But I think this is entirely due to the very basic Ortofon cartridge that I had installed. A better cartridge will definitely lift the sound to a different level I am sure. Considering the Ortofon 2M Red which I am told will give me the extra bite and dynamics that is now lacking. Any thoughts on that?

[Larry]

Just my two cents 

My experience with vinyl has been very similar.

I’m very happy with the sound created:

30 year old Pioneer SL-200 TT
Ortofon OM5E cart and stylus
Project Phonobox II

Was added to my current setup.

After some initial hassles, I’d identified that I’m NOT going to waste money on 2nd hand LP’s.  Most that look to be in good condition, still have dramatic noise in the groove.  Even after a good and careful wash.

Find the sound to be warm, mid level base much improved and far more realistic.  My best experience so far has been some classical LP’s that got very little use.  Thus to complete my personal experiment into LP’s, I’m off to buy a few brand new LP’s this weekend. 

I suspect that I’ll be very happy with the sound.

I also feel that LP’s and CD’s are both good mediums.  I certainly can’t see myself selling off the CD collection and investing all further sound equipment money into LP’s.  I put it down to a great addition to what I’m already enjoying.

Turntable is also sooooooooo not user friendly after a few bottles of wine with the wife.  Thus over the weekend we tend to hear more CD’s
 

[Sabby]

Hi Larry

Difinitely agree with you, turntable is very inconvenient to use but the sound quality makes up for that. Also agree that I won't be giving up my CD player anytime soon, just too convenient. Imagine skipping tracks on an LP! What a chore. As a matter of interest where can you get new vinyl in the JHB area? All I have managed to get so far are fairly heavily used 2nd hand.

[Pimpin']

Try this link: www.dustygroove.com

[Sabby]

Thanks for the link simphiwes, but I actually meant are there any outlets in the JHB area where I can actually go and buy vinyl off the shelf.

[Mike M]

Hi Mike

The AR really is an excellent t/t. The sound is extremely good considering what I paid for it, smooth and relaxing with no harshness. If there is a critisism it is that the sound is a bit too laid back and lacks dynamics. But I think this is entirely due to the very basic Ortofon cartridge that I had installed. A better cartridge will definitely lift the sound to a different level I am sure. Considering the Ortofon 2M Red which I am told will give me the extra bite and dynamics that is now lacking. Any thoughts on that?

Hi Sabby

The AR was a good buy at that price . I agree on the Cartridge as I am sure that it has been around the block a couple of times and an upgrade should make a world of difference. In general, I find that the dynamic of vinyl is much better that redbook CD