I have had turntables during my HiFi life from a Garrard Zero 100, too. Michell Orb and in each case they have their own advantages and disadvantages but the current fad for them does mean that there is almost an unlimited number of parameters that can affect the sound they produce. For instance Rega P8 with a Rega MC cartridge can sound detailed but weak where the same cartridge on a Michell Orb sound detailed, and full. An expensive MM cartridge on a P8 will sound excellent. A new belt on a Michell Orb ads bass, detail and a fuller sound.
Maybe the vinyl fad is simply a way for HiFi companies to find the ultimate upgrade path for punters to buy into. What are your thoughts?
My thoughts Midgaardian? Don’t be cynical. Feel free to enjoy what you enjoy, embrace the symbiotic ( cymbiotic?!) relationship between punter, deck and dealer, and savour a little nirvana, on the way to Valhalla.
Couple of weeks ago I attended a launch event for the new £100k Linn 360 active speakers. Two sources were used. Linn’s top of the range streamer and a Bedrock plinth LP12. All of this stuff is out of my price range but it was an enjoyable evening. Anyway, to the point, the streamer was fine in its own way but the Bedrock LP12 was a level above. So I’d say yes, expensive turntables are worth the cost. At their best they still deliver the goods. I wouldn’t be without mine.
Audio/HiFi after all is a hobby, no differences from sports, models assembling etc. One just picks whatever turntable sounds right to them.
Now good example is, I have zero interest in Michell, Technics and Rega’s turntable. Michell is bulk and ugly in my eyes. Technics? Too industrial-like for my taste. And then Rega sounds like cd players. Defo need something else.
We all hearing and seeing differently, that’s why lot of options out there.
That Garrard Zero 100 (or Dual 1229) was the future!
Following those great 70-80s days, I was blown away at how improved and lifelike a simplified and relatively affordable Rega Planar3 + Elys cartridge sounded through a Fono preamp. Up from there, it has all been only refinements, not “different sounds”, in my experience.
Vinyl is such a flawed media. There is so much that can go wrong and deviate from perfection from pressing to when it reaches your speakers. It is a miracle it even works (most of the time).
The whole thing is really a damage limitation exercise.
Love it.
It’s a bit like watches, no one needs a mechanical one anymore but we still do it because we appreciate the engineering and history.
Worth spending a lot of money on it? I don’t know. I am not really in a position to but if I could I would probably upgrade to a top of line Technics from my lower of the line one and put one of those cool looking tonearms on it from this guy that started a few years ago making them in his flat and who’s name I have forgotten
Unfortunately, as with many things in life, spending more usually gets a better product. My investment a couple of years ago in upgrading my ancient LP12 to around Selekt was worth every pound I spent. Taking the TT to the next level would cost me more than I am prepared to spend. For me, the answer is yes, it is worth the cost, but after reaching a certain level, the law of diminishing returns makes the next step unaffordable to me.
I haven’t used vinyl since the early 1990’s. I thought my LP12 was a superbly musical source when it was working correctly, which was much less often than it should have been. I confess that I find the current fad for vinyl a bit perplexing. Digital sources are so good these days and superb quality can be had for not a great deal of money so for me going down the route of an expensive turntable with a cartridge/stylus that starts to wear out the moment you start using it just doesn’t make sense. Not to mention all the inconvenience, hassle and fragile nature of the medium. Having said that I haven’t heard a turntable since I last used one all those years ago so perhaps if I did I would be smitten. Can’t afford one now anyway so it’s an academic question for me personally.
Bear in mind there are a lot of recordings only available on vinyl still.
If you use it as just another way of ingesting music it makes more sense. I find things in second hand shops that are real rare gems not available to stream or on CD. Or some things that are but are suitably low cost for me to acquire them and give them a try.
So while some prefer vinyl, for others, it’s just a way to broaden the availability of music. I personally don’t even bother comparing the quality of the two. That kind of analytical listening is no fun.
This for me has always been a problem, and why I’ve really only ever wanted a single source system. I can’t avoid gravitating towards one source that I feel is superior and once identified I find it impossible to ignore this. This for me then makes any other source effectively redundant. But that’s just me and I know many people can enjoy different sources equally for their own merits.
On the right source material my current SME 12 with DS audio cartridge and energiser on a HRS rack performs way above my NSC 222. Of course a lot is down to the mastering on the LP but the deck arm and cart is able to perform at a way higher level than anything I’ve previously experienced.
I’ve previously owned LP12’s, Pink triangle and Roksan turntables of various types, and none got close to what I have now.
How is a source of musical enjoyment that has been around for decades a current fad. Expensive turntables have always existed and will continue to exist as long as people want to buy them.
