Thank you, I investigate about it!
Sensible and intelligent is overated, but the sensible answer to your question is no. If I didn’t already have a vinyl collection (mine, plus my Sister’s and my Dad’s) I wouldn’t bother with a turntable.
Having fun is important and if a new toy/hobby will bring you pleasure then a turntable could be a good option. It’s certainly a big area that will suck up as much time, money and energy as you choose to give it!
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Less than a week back into playing Vinyl, I stopped playing Vinyl after the 90’s and moved to CD replay before ripping all my Cd’s and buying online.
I had a LP12 that was my mum’s that has been in the loft for many years that I would never sell. So I thought I would bring it down from the loft, carry out a few updates and stat to use it once again.
I’ve bought about 50 new albums and only 1 is going back. A couple have brought big wow moments that sound out of this world that I couldn’t reproduce on my NDS.
I also seem to be able to play at a higher volume and now I don’t have the IPad in my hand choosing the next track but the actual record sleeve looking at the lyrics etc so it’s a more immersive experience.
So for me I will happily use both sources with the only downside in the expense of buying multiple formats and deciding which source gets the next upgrade!
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I just recently purchased a SN3/NDX2, and a Regal R6. I also sold all my CDs as they were being ripped and left in box. I hadn’t owned a turntable for 20 years. However, I hadn’t sold my vinyl either!
Digital streaming is the main way I listen to my music. However, I’m so glad I purchased the turn table and now I get the joy of going back and purchasing my favorite albums on vinyl. They do definitely sound different and in some cases perhaps better, for many of the reasons described below. Also, I feel it forces us to appreciate the music a bit more, rather than the vast amount of music we can access through streaming!
Currently have a thing for vinyl dub from the 70/80s, which just sounds great!
Have fun!
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I understand, in the UK, it is not legal to sell CDs if you keep ripped copies of them.
Or, keep CDs and give copies to others.
I think that’s the same in many countries. Some even technically put ripping your own in a grey area.
Thousands of posts have been spent on the topic over the years. I can’t fathom why. It’s not enforceable.
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…or, in fact, to copy them at all.
There is a bit of a mystique associated with vinyl, it can be nostalgic and there is almost a ritual: selection, inspection of the surface, cleaning, placing on the TT, aligning and lowering of the needle, reading the notes, lifting the needle and turning the disc, and so on.
I bought a second hand LP12 last year as I had recovered 500 LPs from storage. My streaming system cost more and is more flexible, but revisiting a loved LP is, for me, a mystical experience. Where have all those years gone since I last played it?
For that feeling alone it’s worth starting from scratch.
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But that’s not really “starting from scratch” as you already have some 500 albums. Those albums are the root of the nostalgia which they recall for you. In the OP’s case he’d be truly starting from scratch with no vinyl records and no record player. If you were in that position, would your answer be the same?
For me, I’d definitely say no. I have a relatively high spec LP12 and about 1,000 vinyl records, but I’d say it sounds nowhere near as good as my streamer when streaming from either locally stored albums or from Qobuz. I don’t particularly find any nostalgic attachment either, although funnily enough I do still remember where many of the worst clicks and pops are.
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And this is the outrageous part that is not shared by other countries.
I’m looking to get into vinyl again and about to buy a new table and phono stage.
I bought a preloved Rega RP10 recently and I’ve an offer on a good deal to part ex for a P10 which I really like. I very much enjoy playing vinyl as it offers a completely different experience to streaming. I’ve some albums not available in digital format that I would otherwise be unable to play.
I don’t buy into the view that vinyl is an inferior format. I recently bought an original pressing (Steve Hackett - Defector) which showed up better musical timing compared to the remastered digital versions.
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Short answer: no
Long answer: maybe. Depends on the music you listen to.
Do you like collecting? Many new vinyl release are terrible. The demand is too high, quality control is quite bad. It became super expensive. That is the reason i ditched vinyl some years ago. My friend who probably owns about 3000 records has to send 50% of his purchases back the stores. And he is not an audiophile.
Of course the mechanical appeal is quite fascinating. Tweaking the sound by changing cardridges also has its merits. And if the pressing and mastering is good - vinyl can sound amazing, no doubt
about it. But most vinyl bought today - depending on the genre and label - will just sound mediocre at best.
I am actually quite suprised how many people answered no in this forum. I am very happy i got rid of all the burden which comes with vinyl!
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I’ve never understood this, either. When did this idea switch?
I did not claim to start from scratch rather I returned to a past nostalgic age. As can anyone else setting up a TT today, and begin collecting LPs.
So far, I’ve not bought any new LPs, but you never know.
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When DACs got better!
And the cost of buying a decent record player and building a collection are not insignificant. Different if someone has a top whack system and no other expensive hobbies or interests, or such resources that they have all that and still spare cash, but for me I’d rather focus resources on getting the one system/source as good as possible than spread limited funds between two sources. (Except, as has happened historically, at such times as a new source becoming available either better or with music I want only available in that format.)
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Personally I’ve never found a turntable to outshine even a midrange CD player if both taken from the same master (which sadly isn’t always the case with digital sources). And I had access to a maxed out LP12 in the dem room at work for years.
But there is no denying that the act of spinning a disc (just the right disc) when you’re in the right mood is supremely satisfying. I really love it. As a primary source though, it would drive me bonkers.
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Agreed, mine is for fun, nostalgia (not what it used to be 
) and the pleasure of physical media.
My main source is now streaming locally ripped CD’s and Qobuz.
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Oh vinyl … think toxic wastewater to greenhouse gas emissions. Todays vinyl pellets are made by a company in thailand that refuse to let anyone inspect their facilities.
If you care about the environment store as files locally, streaming can be environmentally expensivewith all the infrastructure needed for distribution.
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I do. And I do. And my vinyl is for the most part ancient 40 years or older.
Having just ripped 637 (mainly classical) CDs onto my new Core, may I encourage you to reconsider?
A) The sound quality cf my Copland CD player is truly impressive. (Wirelessly to my NDX2 with XPS DR.)
B) CDs do degrade with age, I have learned. The 2.5% rejection rate was mainly from the older ones.
C) (And this is really geeky…) I quite enjoyed handling each of my CDs in turn and chasing down occasional adjustments to the metadata. Surprisingly fun!
D) It didn’t take as long as I thought it would. Each CD was a 5 minute whizz.
And you can then play with Roon if you wish!
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