arguments against starting a vinyl collection?


Hi,

I have a pretty elaborate setup for cd playback. I use the emmlabs cdsd transport and emmlabs dcc2se dac with the dartzeel amplifier and the wonderful evolution acoustic mm2 speakers with powered woofers.

I own roughly 2600 cds and about 175 sacds.

The vinyl crowd still swears of course that great digital playback cannot equal vinyl so have been somewhat tempted to dip my toes into analog and get a turntable and phono preamp. Here is what is holding me back!

Please note that I would not get vinyl to find obscure vinyl only vintage or otherwise recordings.

It would be mostly targeted at recordings that sound better on vinyl than cd.

Here is the arguments against:

1. hard to find a turntable and phono preamp that is class A and thus as good as my emmlabs cd equipment without spending serious bucks?

2. Even if I could find a reasonably priced class A turntable, the best sound requires more skill than a newbie like I would have? In other words, the better turntables are harder to setup and use?

3. A lot of heavy weight albums are double albums so you need to switch sides three times?

4. You need to clean the vinyl before every listen?

5. If you listen 15 times to a particular vinyl album you will likely begin to hear some deteoriation?

6. Even with a good setup, you will probably still hear pops and hiss on many vinyl albums even some well mastered ones?

7. I will not hear for modern recordings a big difference between vinyl and cds given that my emmlabs equipment is so good and I cannot afford a $10,000 phono preamp and a $25,000 turntable/cartridge....

thanks

Michael
128x128karmapolice

Showing 1 response by joe_in_seattle

I don't think #5 is true, but #6 definitely IS true. I've been at this hobby for 45 years + (since I was about 16 and started building). I have nowehere near the total number of media you do if I added LP's and CD's and SACD's and DVD's together. I'd certainly give you permission to give vinyl a pass.

I'd also suggest that, if you wanted to give it a try either ask local audiogoners for an audition of their systems, or buy a used $2K turntable and a used $1K preamp and have a listen to a dozen albums new and used. You can then sell your media, TT and preamp here for at least 70% of what you paid for them so your total investment in seeing what it's all about would be less than a grand.

It would seem that you love music, so either way you won't lose.