There are some great comments here for and against starting a vinyl collection...and some not so much.
- IF your decision to explore vinyl is from an audiophile’s perspective (vs. whether or not you like fussing with records), then don’t start at entry-level as suggested above - you will be bitterly disappointed
- The cost of a good analogue source that will exceed digital is exponentially more expensive. I just upgraded my digital system and it is starting to sound really good, but will not replace my TT for deep listening sessions. My ratio is $3,200 : $14,000 (details in my profile). Not saying you need to / should spend anything near that much to get started, but $345 wont cut it (pun intended)
- There are a TON of great new recordings out there, great sources have already been mentioned. The converse is also true. The poor recordings won’t get played much.
- I just picked up Janis Ian, Breaking Silence and Nora Jones Come Away With Me (both re-releases) - they sound fantastic
I am constantly amazed by the fact that I’m listening to a 100 yo medium picked up by a vibrating needle generating a magnetic field that a couple of magnets send downstream. I embrace that rather than criticize it.
Lastly, disregard the naysayers about vinyl from digital sources. They can sound great. No DAC required to enjoy. So the question becomes: Is your DAC better than MOFI’s? If yes, maybe skip the vinyl journey.