I’ve also got a few that I discovered I’d left at a friends place (in between marriages) that his wife has just found. Also another friend is replacing a few of his old records and has given them to me.
My maim concern based on my memories of vinyl was back in the early 80s, think I had a Rega but tbh I’m not sure. However I do remember that it seemed the more money I’d spend on stylus and cleaning products the more pop crack and scratch I heard. It was the reason I adopted and embrace CDs
This was my memory of the 80s and early 90s too. All snap crackle and pop. However, with second hand but cleaned vinyl, I’ve had almost no surface noise. I think memory has also exaggerated the past experience.
You do know there’s a whole cottage and boutique (hope that word doesn’t kick off any negative responses again) industry that have blossomed and make a lot of money from vinyls revival. I often think that it has more to do with money than SQ, but that’s just my thoughts.
Well they are losing money on me. Low end turntable. No desire to upgrade. Only second hand vinyl. Anything I discover that I really like I record to digital with my ADC recorder. Anything I discover that I really really really like, I buy in digital. Often as a second hand CD for $5 or less.
I don’t see the point in buying new. It invariably started life as digital anyway and then for it to sound better than digital, you rely on the belief that the fidelity of the manufacturer’s DAC for cutting the vinyl is vastly superior to your own DAC so much it offsets the imperfections in reconstructing the signal mechanically from vinyl.
The whole point is more about the fun of it to me. Not the fidelity.
I would wholeheartedly agree with people recommending the Technics SL-1500C. I bought one as a ‘fun’ deck, and to satisfy my curiosity about it. It is about as plug-n-play as it comes. The built-in MM phono stage is actually quite good, and it includes the Ortofon Red MM cart. Performance is better than its price would indicate. That is without a doubt. A very nice, speed-stable, no-fuss TT, and it’s built like a tank, much like the classic SL turntables (though those were quite a bit…‘beefier’).
I do agree if a recording started life digital than it’s better off staying that way.
Not necessarily. Leaving aside the different mastering decisions taken when mastering for digital release or analogue vinyl (where the latter can often sound better), and without wishing to divert the thread, bear in mind that many early digital recordings (e.g. Soundstream) had to be converted to analogue first as they were something of a closed system.
I must say I’ve been very lucky on the 50 odd vinyl albums I’ve purchased new. Great SQ, no snap crackle and pop
However tomorrow I pick up another vinyl from Red Eye Records in York St - the cost $72
If it’s not spot on my wallet won’t open
True but you can’t say that anything recorded digitally and then remastered as vinyl as the “definitive” sound. I imagine there has to be things lost and/or added along the way and I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same reversed.
I don’t want to open up the vinyl v digital argument as I think it’s really up to the individual to decide what they think sounds better. Bearing in mind a lot here have spent big money on Naim digital playback expecting they get as close to real as possible.
Agreed, just wanted to make the point that there are too many exceptions for it to be a hard and fast rule.
My advice to anyone buying a turntable would be
1 just listen to a range
2 read the brilliant “ vibration measuring machine” book by Rega. Obviously it carries some bias, but the science is compelling. A fun read too.
I don’t have any vinyl and obviously not TT. I’m fully into streaming. I run a NAS with all my ripped CD (and other Spotify, etc). But still there is something about walking to my CD rack checking them choose one and play it. It’s not like scrolling a screen.
The same way going to a music store, second hand or not, searching for something cool to buy and find a little jewel and bringing it back in hand then play it.
Vinyl are tickling me since very long time for the same reason. Maybe I’ll jump one day.
SQ same or not there’s a lot of fun with the physical real world too. It’s not to be overseen. 
It’s well documented that nostalgia is one of the most pleasurable things and is classified as an emotion unto itself. For me, it is spinning discs on a deck that has a certain look (so nothing high end or ultra modern) playing music from a certain time hits all the right notes (pun intended).
These days though, with vinyl so expensive, the most economical way is bargain basement bins combined with a moderate compact record cleaning machine (hand cranked in my case). The affordable vinyl is often in quite a grimy state so I’d say that a cleaning machine up to about $500 will pay for itself in 10-12 discs because that is how much more those discs would cost in good condition. Though I find my hand cranked one for $65 to be great. I do a batch of 10 or so discs with cleaning solution. Empty out that tank and refill with pure distilled water and then run them all through again for the rinse.
You’ve just raised and confirmed all my concerns about jumping back into vinyl. The cleaning, the stylus the quality and cost of vinyl the storage and the availablity of decent records that aren’t just cheap rip offs of CDs.
I get my new turntable next week and it’ll be interesting to see how I respond emotionally and to the practicality of handling these LPs.
Don’t fret. Hand cranked cleaners aren’t expensive. And done as a batch, don’t take much time.
You’ll get plenty of hours out of one stylus and MM stylus are not expensive to replace. Plus they also clean the groove a bit and you can then use a stylus brush to clean the stylus. Again, don’t give it much thought.
Not everything has to be a Quadraspire vinyl Cube! Though I use one and let it double as a rack for the deck. Plastic record boxes cost practically nothing and hold abut 40 discs each. Of course your floor space isn’t free but vinyl storage that is low cost and not ugly isn’t hard to find.
I don’t know anything about the second hand vinyl scene in NZ but if it is anything like Japan, then finding discs will be easy peasy. Finding time to thumb through 20K discs in a tiny closet of a shop will be the biggest challenge.
Have you armed yourself with a good brush (velvet or hair, never carbon fibre), stylus brush, and a pack of anti static sleeves? Never use the brush on dirty discs though. For removing dust and lint that they attract enroute from sleeve to deck only.
Good advice and I’m going in with an open mind (I’m in Australia not NZ).
I’m thinking of already upgrading before I’ve picked it up. 
$47k Linn should cover it 
Funny every time I talk about it he mentions an LP12, I’ve just upgraded to the next Dual and included a Rega Fono box. 2 plugs, I was only aiming for one but apparently can’t help myself.
Picking it up on Monday.
You’ll be back in time 
A $47k LP12 for him, a $47K Klimax for you, and everyone is happy 