Last year, I spent the equivalent of about $15,000 on acquiring a used Klimax LP12 and bringing it up to the then current spec. This included a new plinth, Karousel bearing and Radikal 2 motor/power supply upgrade. All in, that’s about half the cost of buying new. Just as good sonically and visually, but with the downside of not knowing how long the cartridge will last. I can’t see me ever changing anything else about it, given the cost of Bedrok.
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-Thorens TD125 MKII/SME 3009 Non-Improved - $225/shipped/used -OEM replacement rubber footers for TT - $20/new + shipping -Musical Fidelity V-LPS - $99/shipped/closeout -Grado Prestige Silver - $80 + shipping/new/discounted -Grado Prestige Gold - $110 + shipping/new/discounted -Grado replacement styli 2 x $65 + shipping/new/discounted -Neuance custom shelf for TT - $225 + shipping (thanks Ken) All purchased prior to sales tax being charged on interstate Internet transactions. Not a whole lot, but it sure sounds good.
DeKay |
Oy vey. A lot. My main system is in my system profile here. A lot of that turntable equipment was purchased back in the aughts, when I moved to Texas full-time at the beginning of 2017 I needed to use the big Minus K bench top isolation platform, added a second arm pod and arm, more cartridges, had a custom compressor silencer box built to my specification, and retubed the phono stage with true NOS tubes. But the biggest "investment" (I’d call it an outlay, none of this is an "investment" in financial terms) is the record collection, which reflects 60 some years of buying LPs. Most of those were purchased before the Big Bump™ in vinyl pricing, but some were rare, others sought after in the collector market and expensive even at the time (now worse, and hard to find at least in top playing condition). So, yeah, I should be "committed" but have loved every minute. |
Let us put this question into a more enlightened perspective. Commitment is not just about dollars and cents. So no one thinks I am trying to dodge the bullet, my most expensive turntable, a VPI HW 40 now sells for north of $20K, the cartridge, SoundSmith Hyperion is now $9K(?), the phone stage Conrad Johnson ART Phono is $28K or some such. and that is just one. I also have an Technics SL1200GAE, several cartridges for it and in a second home another VPI TT, SME arm w/AT20 and PS Audio phono stage all worth a bunch. All that has nothing to do with my commitment really. I am looking at a record collection that started with some Dizzy Gillespie and Sarah Vaughan and Jimmy Smith and and and all bought with paper route money when I was 14 years old. I am now 77. That is commitment. It is not about money, it is about passion. It is about goose bumps. In another thread the question was asked what was your first concert experience. Mine was in the 6th grade band. I was one of the drummers. That is commitment. Guys that spend 7 figures on new systems don't impress me at all. Money has nothing to do with it. |
Commitment isn’t only money. I slowly upgraded and collected albums for nearly 60 years. My commitment was to vinyl because there was no alternative. Then a few years ago I was able to upgrade my digital rig to sound as good or better than my vinyl rig... so now it only a very expensive dust collector. |
I couldn't agree more. It's either a passion, or it isn't. It isn't about money. |
Live in a studio apartment, so vinyl is not an option. Have invested in streaming. When I was a younger person an album was about the same as a month subscription for Qobuz. I now feel like a kid in a Tower Records store, with no one stopping me from taking whatever I want. Makes the guy inside of me that wants to be mischievous, feel like he’s gotten over on them. |
Somewhere north of $30K with custom build Technics SP10 MKII, highly modified Thorens tt's, Thoress and Modwright phono stages, Audio Technica AT-Art9xa, modified Rega arm on Thorens, Jelco TK-850L arm on Technics.
So many other items really required for vinyl which should also be included in determining one's money commitment, things like record cleaning machine, fluids, specialty component stands, cartridge alignment tools, cabling. And then we have the vinyl, I have over 3K albums.
And the shame of it all, rarely use my vinyl setup, streaming has replaced the vinyl. I've been spoiled by new listening modes which don't require listening through an entire album, but I still can if that's my desire. |
Bergmann Galder with Odin Tonearm - $35K Sumiko Palo Santos Cartridge - ~$5K McIntosh MP1100 - $6K All prices when purchased, so that’s just shy of $50K. And I love the set up. Amazing sound. The Bergmann is a technological wonder with the vacuum hold down, air bearing tonearm & platter. According to Discogs my LPs are worth $38K on the low end and $155K on the high end. Still have another thousand or so LPs to put into Discogs, so numbers will go up substantially. |
First, I must thank everyone who has participated in this thread. I am so impressed with the quality of the responses and the impressive components our community have assembled in their systems. That comes only with hard work, research, passion and commitment. Bravo! I've been an audiophile for 40 years. I have a collection of ~60 albums and ~250 CD's. Crazy as it sounds, 20 years ago I tried to sell my vinyl but couldn't get $20 for it. Now, I cherish every album. 3 years ago, I offered to donate all my CD's to the local library. They had a pretty good selection (maybe 500) of CD's. After a couple months, they politely declined. Fast forward... I have a nice Rega rig, NAD M66, NAD M23, Zesto Audio Andros and TEAC PD 505T CD Transport, Focal Sopra No. 2, and am ABSOLUTELY loving my music. So happy nobody wanted it when I was willing to give it away. Thanks to all of you who responded. I was especially moved by stories from those that have been collecting vinyl for decades. My very small collection is largely from 1980-1990 with some recent high quality additions. I'm very happy to be part of this hobby(obsession?) and forum. I thoroughly enjoy the conversations and enthusiasm we share for high fidelity music. Thank you. Matt |
I did the same, but came to regret it. I am back into vinyl again now and have never been happier listening to music. The truth is we need both digital and vinyl to get the most out of it. They both have their pros and cons and complement each other. With my current setup, I prefer the sound of vinyl. Nevertheless, digital can sound great too. |
Way too much for what vinyl delivers in my instance. Regardless of the Technics sl1300, hana sl MC low, Gold Note pre amp and 50-75 high quality and expensive- $40 - $60 average cost- records I'm intolerant of the inferior sound, surface noise, and mechanical care of vinyl. It's exactly what I thought it'd be- an expensive and finnicky walk down memory lane I no longer care to take. Streaming sounds way better, is totally convenient, laughably inexpensive and allows me endless choice, the ease of changing tracks and artists from my chair instead of getting up every 2o minutes to flip a record and clean a new one only to have surface noise anyway. |
Your choice, of course. Whichever way you chose to enjoy music is fine by me. Although I am a little saddened that you’re missing out on so much of the pleasure. But why the need to present such an over the top and one sided justification for it? Reality isn’t as polarised as some people try to make out. I am reminded of my young daughter who saw everything in extremes - for example, her food was always either boiling or freezing. Fortunately, she grew out of that. These days there are a lot of people around who haven’t. |
When you say commitment. I think of what percentage do you listen to your vinyl rig. I grew up listening to my uncle’s records. I remember distinctly hearing the warmth that vinyl brings to the table. But when I was in High School CD hit the market and was hailed as the new King in audio. I sold all my records, which was not many and went all in on digital. Is Digital better? For me it is. I prefer the sound of digital to vinyl so my commitment to vinyl is ZERO. I know a few guys that think vinyl is so superior they will not listen to digital. That is commitment in my book. To each his own!! The only thing that matter is you enjoy the music!!
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I hope you are correct. Then I will buy all the records I want at a third the cost. On the other side, I will probably be drooling on the covers. $15,000 , Acoustic Sig. Calypso turntable, Schroeder #2 arm, Mutec cartridge, and Esoteric E-02 phono stage. 2000 records, more than that in cd's. I like streaming, but analogue sounds, just so real! |
SOTA Star Sapphire III $1700 ET-2 tonearm 570 Monster Cable AG1000II 400 (decomissioned) Lyra Kleos 2600 Hegel V10 phono preamp 1350 DH Labs Silver Sonic tonearm cables 350 vdH Thunderline interconnects 280 TOTAL: $7250 Interestingly, my current digital front end cost about the same, but it is in current dollars, whereas much of my vinyl front end was in late 1980s dollars. However, if I were to count all the CD players and DACs I’ve bought, I’ve spent more during the same time period on the digital gear, which I suspect improved more dramatically over the decades than record-playing gear. I also suspect the analog gear has retained its value better than my old digital gear for this reason. |
I think I will always be improving my system. I guess that is my commitment. Love my vinyl, like my cds, am currently not streaming Today: Dr Feikert Volare (would love to get the Blackbird) OL Silver Arm (will replace with the Conqueror or Kuzma 4point 9) Soundsmith Zephyr Star MMIC (will replace with the Paua) Decware Phono pre (with Cryotone tubes) and SUT (I'm Happy)
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hmmm - I guess it would be HIGH - zero CD's only vinyl..... +1 chuck Just a sidebar.... about 15 years ago, I was fooling with an old Dynaco PAS3 pre. I replaced all caps, wire, resisters, and power supply, added a new Alps vol control and bypassed all tone controls. Replaced tubes with a bunch of cheap new ones, probably Chinese. In any case, I thought it would be interesting to replace the SS pre I had at the time and listen for any difference. For me, that was the game-changer. I thought that old Dynaco sounded GREAT!!! Which got me back into vinyl.... |
My commitment under the meaning " The state or quality of being dedicated to a cause, activity, etc.: " With this meaning in mind, over more than 30 Years I have had the Vinyl LP as my source of choice and within the interest, have developed a very keen interest in Mechanical Interfaces with a TT, where correct lubrication and extremely low coefficient of friction was the objective for designs being considered. The Interest and learning lead to avoiding metal on metal contact at sacrificial part interfaces. Materials selected which are non metal are very very stable in the environment they are to be used and during the role they have to function as. As this knowledge evolved, the gateway was discovered to enable extremely tight machining tolerances between sacrificial parts at interfaces where non-metal and metal parts interface. Lubricants not seen discussed in a TT exchanges are fit for purpose in the above design that is able to be produced today. . Knowledge of TT Mechanical Interfaces lead to discoveries being made where similar design intent was being put into Tonearm Design. Along with this and still continued today as mainstay subject, is the designs for Isolation / Separation of the TT and Tonearm, especially where supporting structures is the concern. Experiencing designs evolve and comparing to established designs resulted in established design Tonearms be put on the Sub's Bench and New Design Concepts for Tonearms being explored and ultimately adopted for main use. This lead onto a keen Interest in Cartridge Design to the point I have my own bespoke built Cartridge as the main Cart' in use. Additionally there are more Donor Cart's owned with alternate designs for them as personal Venturesome ''To Do's ' Running Parallel has been the Interest in TT Drives and I have started with and still own, but very infrequently use BD Designs. For many many more years than I lived with using the BD Design. ID Designs followed and with this type, extensive investigations have been undertaken of Platter Bearing Designs and Plinth Designs for these, through owned ID's and ID's from others. For longer than BD usage but less than ID usage I am a Vintage Japanese DD user, with a large collection of these models. Models are used OEM and having undergone modifications relating to ones mentioned above. The most recent personal Venturesome ''To Do' ', has resulted in the Vintage Japanese DD that I am a advocate of and class as my First TT, has been redesigned substantially. All Electronics are Off Board in their own casing and the Power Supply is a design change. The OEM Chassis is removed and the Bearing Housing / Stator Assembly are embedded into a Resin Impregnated Densified Wood Chassis / Plinth. The New Design and OEM Design are being compared, with the conditions referred to below. At the current time intensity is not attached to the comparisons as of yet. Fortunately the same Tonearm > Headshell> Cart' and systems can be used when things really heat up. During the same duration of the above, the electronics also took hold of me, and I was to have my first commission built Phonostage in the 90's There is plenty of posts on the Gon where my journey with discovering a multitude of Phon's is shared, along with Commission Build at different times. I am Wed to the LP Source and all that brings betterment. |
@whart Is spending time cleaning records a chore? Maybe. Although personally i get some amount of pleasure from the simple task of running the record through my cleaning protocol, US and vacuum, and then seeing the result. ( and hearing it too). Spent several hours doing exactly this yesterday, was quite pleased with the results. |
