Vinyl is a fairly pricey endeavor. Not so much because of the cost of the hardware (although one can splurge here as much as one wants), but more so because of the software cost. Some folks I know have record collections that exceed one hundred thousand pieces. Just the ability to store such a collection adds cost.
Cost Incurred to Achieve a Vinyl LP Replay
As a Long Term user of the Vinyl LP as a Source, as well as being one who has ventured into discovering and experiencing how fellow enthusiasts have developed their own interest in Vinyl replays. I have got to a place where limited to my experiences only, most I have encountered have over many years have been constrained in their budgets for the Ancillaries required to replay a Vinyl LP.
A few have exceeded the approx' £30K mark for a TT > Tonearm > Cartridge, and fewer from this selection are using dedicated Electronics with a Value of more than £10K to support the Source.
My most typical experiences are of Ancillaries and Electronics used to support a Vinyl Replay with a combined cost of between approx' £6K - 16K.
I have been demo'd through being at commercial events, Ancillaries and Electronics that far exceed the above Values, but as these demo's are not from a familiar system and have been quite some time in the past these experiences have not been considered as being of importance or contributing to shaping how my present methods are I place to replay a Vinyl LP.
What I have also become quite aware of, as a result of sharing and receiving accounts of Past Experiences, is that 'dye in the wool' Vinyl Replay Enthusiasts have been active at different levels in their trying out or introducing new ancillaries to get to a place where they are believing that most contentment can be found for their own unique preferences for a produced sonic.
My own endeavours has been to remain with a Particular ancillary and look to have it overhauled, where a modern approach is used to produce a end product that has materials and electronics selected and utilised to transform the ancillary into something that is noticeably different for the better over the original. As such methods are Bespoke, it is difficult to have the methods understood by a onlooker.
My experiences shared have introduced myself to like minded individuals in the flesh and through Global Forum communications.
I do belive adopted methods to produce Bespoke ancillaries are capable of producing performance that will be more aligned to ancillaries costing much more if using a Branded Item is the guideline, as a selection of materials and adopted methods for these materials can be found in the more recent marketed products. .
For myself Vinyl Replay is a method to supply a form of entertainment The use of ancillaries to create this entertainment is a must. The learning that is to be attained as a result of using the Ancillaries creates what is more aligned with being a hobby.
The question that is a vaguery, is how much monies, from a range of approx', £3K ($3.2K) - (£350K ($400K) does one feel justified in spending/believes needs to be spent, to satisfy their hobby (lessons learned) needs and need to be entertained (enjoyment of listening to music) .
It is without doubt, there will be
fewer reading this, that will be experienced with and able to comment on the 50K and upward ancillaries, it would be good to see what is to be shared.
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@daveyf Your comments about Quantity of Vinyl LP's / Value if a LP's Collection is relevant. In most cases the investment made for collecting LP's and producing a supporting Audio Set Up, have been a long-term venture. In the past, myself inclusive, it is typical for not expressing too much constraint when collecting LP's, the individual buy the items as they please. Maybe the breaks go on a little once a collection is where on classes as useful enough for their needs. With the Audio Equipment used to replay the LP's, my experiences has shown that the individual expresses a different control on the attitude to how a purchase is made. I did not put emphasis on the LP Collection Value in the OP, I was expectant of certain individuals to declare their LP Source Material was surpassing the monetary value of selected tools used to enable the LP's to be replayed. |
@pindac While I agree that the individual cost of a record is likely to be much less than a piece of hardware to replay it, the accrued cost of a decent size collection is usually far more. So much so, that if collectors, like myself, added up the cost of the software, the combined total would typically be several times what the hardware cost is. Almost regardless of what the table/arm/cartridge is. |
I did qualify my conjecture about your condition by saying “apparent” as yes, I have not had the pleasure to converse with you in the real world. It is possible that in an actual social setting, one may behave differently than when that individual Is just sitting at a keyboard and not getting feedback from others in real time. As to the questions of music collecting and equipment, for me the priorities are first, the music (recording); secondly, the playback medium. It is possible, once past a certain price point, to achieve excellent sound in both digital and analog. For me the price point is a bit higher in analog, and of course every person has different means. My current analog set up (Technic 1200 Direct Drive, Ortofon 2M Blue mm cart, Cambridge Audio mm preamp) cost me around $2K. Vinyl is my secondary choice, and while I could afford to spend a lot more, spending less seems to lead to compromise. Digital can be excellent and around $1K, although it gets better as one ascends the price ladder. I currently use a Melco NAS, a Bryston DAC3, a CA streamer and Oppo 105 CDP, cost around $10K. On the software side it’s hard to beat the value of a good streaming service. Personally I prefer my physical media but I can totally understand why someone could be happy streaming exclusively. The lps at present are fetching what I consider to be insane prices, particularly for new issues that involve digital editing. OK, I seem to have run on here. I also have compulsive logorrhea. Mea culpa |
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