Still use a Turntable? - Page 3 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

yer-ol-pal · #31 05-20-2002, 03:24 PM

I too was a dj back in "the day". I have a collection of over 2000 vinyl LPs. I sold one lp that I had paid 25cents for to a collector in Japan for $300. Used that money to buy my DVD player. Now I like to tell people that I got my DVD player for 25cents! Now as for that turntable question, I am currently using an Optimus Linear Tracking Turntable. ( insert crude comments about radio shack here) Works great and I bought it at a flea market ten years ago in a sealed carton for $15! Oh did someone mention the Beatles? I am a collector of all things Beatles. I too have a pristine copy of the White Album..............on WHITE vinyl!
:p

Cap'n Carageous · #32 05-20-2002, 03:42 PM

I'll give you 25 cents for it and then you'll have gotten your DVD for FREE!!!:p :p

#33 05-20-2002, 03:44 PM

Well interestingly enough my childhood father wrote the "Yellow Submarine" both the Original screenplay and the Original story.

You would think he would be an audiophile, but actually he never gave it much thought.

I used to DJ in the Westchester County area under the name Catered Sound We used a unusual approach. We had JBL Paragons (JBL"S Attempt at high end - a good one and they were also loud) that had been made transportable and a lot of high quality amplification- good cartridges. We produced sound at high end quality at high SPL levels. I remember some of the crazy parties on the Long Island Sound and Also being driven out to the Hamptons and Flying in Surfers from California to surf at night to music while we used colored spotlights high output smoke machines and lasers to make the waves break in different colors at night from the huge beachhouse while the surfers did their various cutback and bottom turns. We lucked out in that a storm center which had been predicted had receeded along with its waves and came back with a VENGENCE just 1.5 hours before showtime!

I still have a coveted UREI 1620 MIXER and most of my DJ LP's.
My DJ business helped me aquire most of my high end gear and then I sold a bunch of it to buy my E500.

For those of you who have older turntables, Dual, Thorens, Grado, sony, etc. seriously check out teh complete Music hall set ups. Those tables are not bad- more like 1970's Impalas, but a Music hall would be like stepping into a C 280 sport. Plus like the c280 it is a bargain.

#34 05-20-2002, 03:45 PM

Unfortunately, I have LPs that will never make to CD unless I convert them myself. During the Disco era I was into Progressive Rock, yes there was other stuff going on back then, and many are imported LPs from artists like Hatfied and the North etc.

My problem is my B&O cartidge is worn out after all these years. I know this is a MB forum but I would love to find someone that refurbished old B&O catridges.

yer-ol-pal · #35 05-20-2002, 03:52 PM

Hey resqguy, good to see another Hatfield and North fan!
btw, I have found all three of thier albums on cd.........now if I could just find The stranglers - " Men In Black"

#36 05-20-2002, 03:52 PM

There are high end cartridge makers that will "retip" any cartridge. As for your LP thing.....this will sound heretical
but....

Wadia makes a great A/D converter. You can digitize your LP's. Frankly if you were to "demo" a nice turntable set up you could digitize all your LP's on a better turntable and ...surprisingly get better sound off your CD ....that is assuming that you do not have a high end turntable cartridge phono pre-amp , preamp etc.

I would never consider digitizing a analog signal unless in the end it meant better sound.

But high quality vinyl beats the best Digital, but medium + digital beats low end analog.

I am currently wrestling with the same problem as I sold my VPI and have lots of vinyl I want to listen to in my car.

Cap'n Carageous · #37 05-20-2002, 03:56 PM

Ahh... JBL Paragons!! Those things were about the size of a Nash Rambler!! I remember listening to Harry Nillson's "Jump into the Fire" on a system using a Paragon as the "A" setup and two JBL "Studio Monitors" ( size of a washing machine) for the "B" system. I haven't been quite right ever since!

Do a Yahoo on B & O. You may find some one who can help you!!

#38 05-22-2002, 01:07 PM

Benzonline,

Nice pic of your Dual turntable. My dad has a Dual 1219 that he bought in Germany in 1970--it works perfectly to this day after years of heavy use. He was a big band drummer and has a collection of thousands of LPs, so that platter was spinning constantly.
Last month I came across a complete 70's audio system at an estate sale. I gave then $125.00 for--- Fisher 500 receiver, pair of Fisher 4x walnut speakers, pristine Dual 1219 turntable, TEAC reel-to-reel, TEAC cassette, a case of unused reel tapes, miles of audio cable and accessories. Plugged it all together and it all worked! I don't think it would win any audiophile awards, but it really sounds good out in my garage. The quality of some of that old stuff is amazing, all of it being heavy and nicely finished. LPs
really sound different compared to CDs and definately sound better in some cases. I think if the engineers go back and really work on the master tapes they can get impressive results from the CD format, but your average vinyl to CD copy is usually pretty bad.
Steve Hutson-- an analog person

yer-ol-pal · #39 05-22-2002, 01:16 PM

Quote:

I think if the engineers go back and really work on the master tapes they can get impressive results from the CD format, but your average vinyl to CD copy is usually pretty bad.

Just like most of todays mainstream auto companies. The bottom line is to get the product out to the masses. I believe cd is a superior format, if time is given to the mastering of the disc. But why waste time getting all of the nuances out of a recording by Britney Spears or Billy Ray Cyrus? There are small labels who are producing some very impressive digital recordings.

#40 11-26-2002, 11:01 AM

I have two, an Akai and another unkown brand that is not working.

Right now, the Akai is gathering dust - waiting on my to get my old receiver fixed so that I can re setup the old system in the office for mixing, and digital conversion. I took the system down to simplify what had become a wall to wall system with all of the components, speakers, TV's, etc. Enough stuff that I was actually getting concerned about overloading my outlets.

Right now, everything funnels through a PC - my DVD's, satellite receiver (no not a hack job), music, games.

All of my CD's have been recompiled to MP3 format, and can now be played instantly, whenever I want. Next is the DVD's, and eventually my VHS cassettes that I cannot find DVD's to rent. I intend for my entire music and video libraries to be on my PC network. I'm having problems with the latter at the moment.

Kuan · #41 11-26-2002, 01:43 PM

Man, I just got a big box of albums from my former professor. I counted about 200 I think Lots of gems and mint Coltrane, Benny, etc. He's now retired and listens to CD's mainly now. I'm still sorting through the pile.

Kuan

rickjordan · #42 11-27-2002, 08:48 PM

I had completely forgotten about this thread. It just so happens so, that I recently purchased a new turntable, it's a Sony. Between my wife and I, we have over 200 records. Some are probably worth some money now. I have an original pressing of the Beatles "white album". It has the poster with all the lyrics and 4 color photos of each member. I also have, from my mother, an original copy of the first Beatle album "Introducing the Beatles-England's #1 Vocal Group". Also I have an original copy of the Rolling Stones album "Out of Our Heads", which has "Satisfaction" on it. Despite the hiss and pops, it's nice to hear these old albums again.

84300DT · #43 11-29-2002, 06:24 AM

hitachi turntable bought for 20.00 at a tag sale. klh 6 speakers bought in 1973 still pumping out the bass!

#44 11-29-2002, 07:40 AM

I have a decent but hardly exceptional TT with a pretty good cartridge. It's a mid-1980s vintage Bang & Olufsen RX-2 with their MMC1 cart. The TT cost me seventy-five bucks used, the cart US$500 from B&O Atlanta in Phipps Plaza.

It doesn't get too much use. The rest of the system is a Toshiba DVD/HDCD player, a Harmon/Kardon PM655 integrated amp that I use as a phono preamp, Marantz AV600 preamp/tuner, AudioControl PCA3 bass management processor, several Adcom amps, KEF Q15 and Q95C speakers, and a custom made subwoofer that beats up on the US$20,000+ Krell and Wilson Audio subs. (Building a subwoofer is the easiest thing in audio.) Wiring ranges from Esoteric Audio Artus interconnects (something like US$600/m!) to 12AWG lamp cord for speakers (30 cents a foot at Home Depot).

My next planned upgrade is to Tannoy speakers, D700 mains and D950 (I think) centre. The electronics are mid-fi but good enough. Unlike speakers, the quality of electronics does not make a massive difference in sound quality, unless something's broken. In other words, the difference between a US$1000 preamp and a US$10,000 preamp is minor at best, whereas a good US$10,000 speaker will beat down all over a good US$1000 one.

I'm a hard core audiophile, but I'm not nostalgic enough to think that LP sounds as good as noncompressed digital. My glasses have photochromic lenses, not a rose tint. Where LP excels is in the ability to find interesting music cheaply at thrift stores and whatnot.

Bill Wood · #45 11-29-2002, 11:56 AM

I have a Merrill Heirloom turntable custom made by George Merrill at Underground Sound in Memphis, TN.
Also have a Zeta tonearm fitted with a Sumiko Micro Point Special cartridge. All of this is sitting on a lead shot filled Lead Balloon turntable stand. I have 2,000 or so LP's. Most of which I bought new from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Since the 90's I have bought used LP's and new CD's.

Other components include:
Spectral DMC-20 preamp with Spectral phono module
Spectral DMA-100 amp
Genesis VI speakers
Theta Data Basic CD transport
Theta Gen Va digital processor
Magnum Dynalab FT-101a tuner
Spectral/MIT interconnects and speaker cables

I rarely even listen to this system anymore. Most of the time I listen to my home theater which also has DVD-Audio and SACD.