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Rocky return to vinyl

I've recently moved from an integrated amp with no phono stage (Jolida 302B) to monoblocks and a preamp with phono -- Marantz 2s with a Marantz 7 pre. I've had an old Rega Planar 3 in retirement for a long time. It has what I gather to be the less respected RB200 arm, and I got a Shure M97xE, based on recommendations here at Audiogon. Most of my collection now is CD. My LPs are mostly high school stuff, and I got the inexpensive Shure just to take a small step into the world of vinyl with my new-to-me Marantz amps. As it so happens, the one LP I have that I also have a CD copy of is Earth, Wind, and Fire -- an anamoly in my listening, but fun and the CD sounds pretty good. (I have a Music Hall CD25.) Now, when I converted to tubes a couple of years ago, I got the impression my preference for tubes probably would translate into a preference for vinyl. And it still may. But I was VERY disappointed when I put on that LP. The instruments sounded muddled and congested, especially in direct comparison to the CD. I've tried a couple of more albums, but they all fall way short of what I'm used to from my decently recorded CDs.

I'm assuming the most common response I'm going to get here involves my spending several hundred dollars. But could I just be missing something basic? Should the difference with this Rega/Shure setup be THAT different from the Music Hall CD player?
judasmac
judasmac OP
25 posts
 
All right, after having let my TT sit there in frustration for a few weeks, I went out and bought some LPs. Used, but seemingly in good shape. The first thing I put on was an album I hadn't know about -- Helen Merrill and John Lewis from 1976, i think. A big, big improvement in sound. Merrill's voice (as usual) sounded gorgeous. Most of the others sounded very good too, though there were a lot of pops and crackles on some of them.

So I'm still in the hunt. Now, the pops are quite annoying, and I assume that they are either the result of dirt or damage, and I won't know which until I clean them. Correct? Folks around here seem to strongly urge a vacuum record cleaner. Fine. I found a link to a DIY cleaner that was basically an old TT with a canister vacuum cleaner and a modified crevice tool.
http://www.teresaudio.com/haven/cleaner/cleaner.html
Any experience with this or something similar? Any reason I couldn't pick up an old TT, buy a crevice tool to fit my Sears vacuum, modify it, and save the money on a Nitty Gritty?

Now, apart from cleaning, the question is what to try next to improve the sound, which could still be improved quite a bit, I suspect. I'll try some of the tweaks and adjustments recommended in the thread above.

Why the hell does Rega make its arms without adjustable VTA??
c123666
871 posts
 
Because the arms are made to be good performers but cheap. Anyway, the RB200 might be a good arm for a lower compliance cartridge like a Denon DL103R. Or, a Dynavector 10x5 (high output).

Do a surf for "Last Record Cleaner"; their products are supposedly very good. And, no record cleaning machine. Just lay it one a nice soft towel and hand wash them. Go find the company and read the information.

Nitty Gritty has been recommended to me a several people if you do want a machine but not one that takes up a LOT of space like the VPI and Clearaudio units.
jimrick1
9 posts
 
UHF magazine had an excellent article on DIYing a record cleaning machine. Their website has an index to back issues, so you can figure out which issue to get. Their machine uses an inexpensive shop vac.

I doubt that using a turntable to spin the records will give acceptable results. The VPI RCMs run at 18 RPM. If this speed was wisely chosen, even 33 is too fast. No problem, rotate the platter by hand. I got a good deal on a used VPI several years ago because the motor unit was not rotating the platter. I turn the platter by hand, and it's no big deal - I would've ordered a replacement motor if I thought I needed one.

http://www.uhfmag.com
dan_ed
2,451 posts
 
I use a DIY RCM based on the one in the link you posted. It works great for me. I do have to spin it by hand, but I'd bet the suction is many times better than a VPI or any other commercial RCM. Probably now where near a Loricraft or Monk, but this thing only cost me $50-60.

You are correct. The pops and ticks could be from dirt or they could be from mis-treatment. As you gain more experience buying used vinyl you will learn to do better with visual inspections of LP's you're thinking of buying. Then again I have a few records that look a bit rough but play beautifully, and vice-versa.
judasmac OP
25 posts
 
Thinking about a DIY RCM, but I'm not going to do it unless I can do it cheap. Question is, how much of a vac do I need? You can get a new shop vac starting at $35 and the price of course goes up from there. Measured in "peak hp", they start at 1.5 peak hp. Regular floor vacs start at $50 and power is measured in amps - they start at 9.5 (I'm looking at the Sears website). How much power do I need to make it worth my while? Or maybe I should just decide that I'll be an air-dry guy.
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