I need X piece of gear because I'm in this hobby

[techguy0192]

The subject says it all. Do you ever feel you need a particular piece/type of gear as a participant in the hifi hobby? Example - tubes...tape...turntables?

My situation below.......

About 12 months ago, I let go of the turntable and phono preamp I had. It was an okay setup consisting of a Rega RP8, RB 808 tonearm, with a Rega Apheta 2 cartridge connected to a Manley Chinook phono preamp. I simply wasn’t using it and felt it was all a waste. I’ve always mostly played CDs. However, I’ve switch to streaming Tidal 90% of the time. So now I’m wondering if I should even bother getting another turntable. If I did, it wouldn’t be as expensive of a setup and I’d use the onboard phono stage in my McIntosh preamp. Overall, I never really enjoyed fussing with cleaning records, stylus, etc. I do have some good local sources for records; however, I can’t really see myself being bothered with going to a store and shopping for physical media anymore. There’s also the part of me that feels as a card-carrying audiophile, I *need* a turntable. The reality is the total count of records in the collection is small…. about 70. I’m at a cross roads of selling off most of the albums I have or getting another turntable for the rare occasion I want to spin a record. Just doing some mental gymnastics to figure out if I'd simply be wasting money.

 

[JoeESP9]

I hear you. Currently I'm negotiating with someone over the sale of a mint condition Teac 3340S. I have no idea what I'm going to do with it if the deal goes through. Even so I'm blinded by the looks.

 

[cason]

This is from someone who uses a turntable for probably 80% of my listening. You do not need a turntable. If you are happy with your other sources, enjoy! And don’t worry about not having a turntable or what others think.

 

[Silentnet]

I bought a record the other day cause you lot never shut up about records... So of course now I bought a record player.

It's nothing special, but I mean... Do I feel more than a little stupid? Yes.

One. Record.

 

[SA-708]

I need my own curated collection of music. I cannot get satisfaction from streaming music from who-knows-what mastering, at their whims for choice of music. I've got plenty of LPs and 12" singles that have yet to be released digitally. My stereo equipment is a tool to play my own music, not somebody else's.

 

[quiet]

As luck would have it there is a perfectly good working turntable here. A basic Sansui from the 70's. Every few months I spin a few records, and it sounds amazingly good. But that's about it. Should it become all the rage at least I'll have something.

 

[DaveVoorhis]

I need my own curated collection of music. I cannot get satisfaction from streaming music from who-knows-what mastering, at their whims for choice of music.

That sounds like broadcast radio, not streaming.

With streaming, you can choose to receive machine or other human's selections, but you don't have to. You can also choose to strictly listen to exactly what you want to listen to, same as you do with your own stereo equipment.

But music that has yet to be released digitally is certainly a good reason to keep players around, at least as a backup.

 

[SA-708]

i cannot choose to listen to music that Tidal or whomever do not carry, either because it has not been released digitally, or choose not to because it is too obscure.
It isn't that they are picking the music, it is that there is music I want to hear that they do not have.

 

[Aspen]

I got rid of my records and turntable in the early 00s and never looked back. I am glad to not have to fuss with any of that. Now I think I do need a DAC for my Chromecast Audio to enhance my Tidal streaming. So there is always something to step up that audiophile experience.

 

[maxhifi]

No, you don't need a turntable to be interested in audio. You don't need tubes, you don't even need speakers (lots of headphone fans out there).

Soon as you buy something because someone else says so, it's not your hobby anymore.

I had a turntable in the 1990s when most people thought they were junk... I didn't get rid of it then because it was unpopular, and I don't keep it now because it's trendy. I just like records. You need to make your hobby about what you like.

 

[luckybaer]

I want to get a PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell DAC/PreAmp/Headphone Amp just to screw around.

Actually, I do like the preamp functionality - it will help my system be more logically organized, and the remote control volume, etc. are handy.

But... I really want to get it to mess around with the DAC and Headphone Amp. I want to compare it to my Schiit Gungnir MB as a DAC, and I'd like to compare it to my AURALiC Taurus MkII headphone amp.

I like dorking out...

 

[techguy0192]

i cannot choose to listen to music that Tidal or whomever do not carry, either because it has not been released digitally, or choose not to because it is too obscure.
It isn't that they are picking the music, it is that there is music I want to hear that they do not have.

I listen to some pretty obscure stuff....Tidal has literally never failed to have what I search for.

 

[Hajidub]

I bought a record the other day cause you lot never shut up about records... So of course now I bought a record player.

It's nothing special, but I mean... Do I feel more than a little stupid? Yes.

One. Record.

Don't forgot to purchase that $2000 Ultrasonic cleaner for that badboy!

 

[luckybaer]

I bought a record the other day cause you lot never shut up about records... So of course now I bought a record player.

It's nothing special, but I mean... Do I feel more than a little stupid? Yes.

One. Record.

Don't forget your turntable clamp. Also, you'll want to replace the stock mat, because... well, just because.

Oh... don't forget MoFi inner sleeves.

 

[techguy0192]

Don't forgot to purchase that $2000 Ultrasonic cleaner for that badboy!

I'm man enough to admit. About 10 years ago, I purchased some recordes before I purchased by first turntable....because I knew I would get one. It was a crappy Sony automatic. I purchased it used on a whim a year or two after the record purchase.

 

[grillebilly]

I guess a LOMC cartridge would be the one item I bought because I was told I needed to. It's still sitting on my desk. The deck it is going on could use new cables so when that gets done I'll try it out.

 

[parman]

I say get busy selling those LP's on Barter Town and we'll help you get rid of them

 

[SA-708]

I listen to some pretty obscure stuff....Tidal has literally never failed to have what I search for.

I did a short trial of Tidal earlier this year, and it failed me several times, so I quit.

They had only two Brain Donor albums, indexed under two different artist names, for instance. There were several other omissions from Julian Cope's discography, and he is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and not all that obscure.

I'm not avoiding streaming for no good reason. I've done my research.

https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4920842
https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3605582
https://www.discogs.com/artist/408550-Brain-Donor

 

[OMGCat!]

Don't forget your turntable clamp. Also, you'll want to replace the stock mat, because... well, just because.

Oh... don't forget MoFi inner sleeves.

MoFi inner sleeves are luxurious. Expensive but so nice.

I don't want any particular thing because anyone says so. Problem is, I'm easily influenced and seeing someone post about a RtR or some other source I'll likely never use inevitably ends up with me on BT or eBay just in case there's a good deal around. Just to see.

 

[techguy0192]

I did a short trial of Tidal earlier this year, and it failed me several times, so I quit.

They had only two Brain Donor albums, indexed under two different artist names, for instance. There were several other omissions from Julian Cope's discography, and he is one of my favorite singer/songwriters, and not all that obscure.

I'm not avoiding streaming for no good reason. I've done my research.

https://tidal.com/browse/artist/4920842
https://tidal.com/browse/artist/3605582
https://www.discogs.com/artist/408550-Brain-Donor

Try it again every 6 months or so with another trail to see if it has changed. I have noticed a mix up with one band - Persephone. A dance/electronic group has the same name. There's another band that with the same name spelled with an f in place of the ph. But the difference is so distinctive it's very easy to navigate. Tidal has change how I listen and open me up to music I wouldn't have found other wise.