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Hi Fi confusion

SpinninTimmy

SpinninTimmy

Active Member
I am a musical product of the 60's and 70's, grew up on rock and roll all the way from a.m. radio top 40s to the evolution into 70's f.m. free form radio and albums.

Recently, I happened across some Chet Baker and others from the late 50s and after hearing that, some Ten Years After came on, one of my favorites.

It was like cold water in the face. Alvin Lee was lightning fast, but as far as pure musical excellence, there was no comparison.

Apples and oranges, I know, but hearing Baker, and an Italian "Beat" singer named "Mia" from 1960 left me wanting more.

This music deserved to be heard on hi fi, not on the stereo I listened to in the day.

Furthermore, I have learned that not all hi fi records are the same.

Anyone care to explain the differences re hi fidelity stereohonic (which I suspect isn't true Hi Fi), Hi Fi mono, and I even read there are early hi Fi records you need a totally different needle for or you will trash the record.

And is there a low cost record player to look for that I can get to listen to this stuff as it was meant to be heard, without breaking my bank account?

I mean vintage gear. A hi Fi record player, not components or a modern.audiophile system.

I liked the look of the old RCA Orthophonic, but all of them seem to be parts sets

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me how to get started if I want to start listening to this stuff, and particularly the differences in types of records, players and sound.

Thanks!

This is what got me started - Daddio!

Chow!


 
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We’ll see how this plays out but as far as I know there’s mono and stereo anything else is just audio-jargon. As far as a mono cartridge or a stereo cartridge being used on a record of not their type and ruining the record, that would be a new one on me, but I’m all ears. I’m not sure I’ve ever owned a mono record to be concerned.
 
You've asked an ambiguous question at best, wherein the answer would change, depending upon who you asked about what "true Hi/Fi" really was.

In your post, you've indicated that it depends upon the record, and how well it copied and reproduced the original sound, with minimum distortion, and related factors that lessen the unwanted end results.

Listening is a very individual event, and subjective in assessment that we call appreciation.

Over the years, since the early 60's there's been much change in the technologies, which has greatly affected the copy/store/reproduce both in the studios, and in the audio gear that has resulted in better sound on the home front.

In order to help you in your "journey of sound", I'd have to hear and see what you have in equipment, what genres you listen to most often, and try to understand what is your ability to hear. And even with these variables, we still not agree on what is the better sound, and how it could be arrived at.

So, I'd probably say, do your due deligence as to what the different audio terms mean. What others say about what others say about what they think beings about good sound. What changes in audio reproduction is carried out as compared to the past, and maybe understanding how storing of sound has changed over the decades, to what we have today.

Bottom line...It's really your ear (subjectively) that will tell you what is good, average and not so good the quality that YOU want to end up with.

"True high-fidelity" is at best a personal and elusive term!


Q
 
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You haven’t listed any of your audio equipment in your profile. This would be a great place to start, so that people know where you are currently in your journey. From there, you can go basically anywhere—including down and, often, sideways.

There are various sound qualities of records (from great to horrible; both vintage and contemporary). (I generally find that vintage Living Stereo vinyl in good shape is great.) Different turntables and arms and cartridges and phono stages play their parts. And you can buy a decent new TT now for a few hundred dollars. Of course, it will only sound as good as your speakers and room (and amp, preamp, albums, phono stage, etc.).

List your current system; what you’d like to achieve; and your budget. Knowledgeable and helpful (or at least opinionated) AKers will chime in with plenty of options. Don’t fret. You’ll get there!
 
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Extra, extra thanks to you!​
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I looked up Cenlentano, he was one of the guys who brought rock and roll to Italy!​
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And the guitar is an amazing classic!​
 
celentano.jpg
MEAZZI-Xtra3.jpg


Antonio "Wandrè" Pioli was an artist and a luthier. He designed probably the most psychedelic guitars ever...

Wandres.jpg


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If you don't want components, best I can think of is turntable with phonostage and powered speakers. The suitcase tables that are sold by big box stores and not very good.
 
@SpinninTimmy

SpinninTimmy said:
.... is there a low cost record player to look for that I can get to listen to this stuff as it was meant to be heard, without breaking my bank account?

I mean vintage gear. A hi Fi record player, not components or a modern.audiophile system.

I liked the look of the old RCA Orthophonic, but all of them seem to be parts sets

I would appreciate it if anyone could tell me how to get started if I want to start listening to this stuff, and particularly the differences in types of records, players and sound.
Click to expand...

Musical artists aside, back to your initial question, this seemed like a pertinent question in order to help with answers.

Bushikan said:
You haven’t listed any of your audio equipment in your profile. This would be a great place to start,.

There are various sound qualities of records (from great to horrible; both vintage and contemporary). (I generally find that vintage Living Stereo vinyl in good shape is great.) Different turntables and arms and cartridges and phono stages play their parts.

List your current system; what you’d like to achieve; and your budget. Knowledgeable and helpful (or at least opinionated) AKers will chime in with plenty of options. Don’t fret. You’ll get there!
Click to expand...
 
Also some good info here that seems kinds of similar to your current questions

SpinninTimmy

Post in thread 'Can someone explain stereo lp and hi fi lp differences'

tubeactive said:
The original mono "microgroove" LP, EP and 45 rpm discs, from 1948 (45s began in 1949) thru the late mid 1960s, were made for playback with a 1 mil wide stylus tip. 1 mil = 25 microns. Stereo discs were made with playback of a .7 mil (18 microns) wide stylus tip.

Original mono 45s can sound better with a 1 mil stylus, depending on disc condition. IME, playing the wider microgroove discs with a .7 mil wide stylus tip causes more scratchy sounding playback with average condition discs. With very decent condition mono discs, a rare, mono elliptical stylus can elicit more high frequency...
Click to expand...
 
Dswankey said:
Also some good info here that seems kinds of similar to your current questions

SpinninTimmy

Post in thread 'Can someone explain stereo lp and hi fi lp differences'

tubeactive said:
The original mono "microgroove" LP, EP and 45 rpm discs, from 1948 (45s began in 1949) thru the late mid 1960s, were made for playback with a 1 mil wide stylus tip. 1 mil = 25 microns. Stereo discs were made with playback of a .7 mil (18 microns) wide stylus tip.

Original mono 45s can sound better with a 1 mil stylus, depending on disc condition. IME, playing the wider microgroove discs with a .7 mil wide stylus tip causes more scratchy sounding playback with average condition discs. With very decent condition mono discs, a rare, mono elliptical stylus can elicit more high frequency...
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
Yes, 6 years ago and it slipped my memory!
And it answers my questions, thanks!
 
SpinninTimmy said:
And is there a low cost record player to look for that I can get to listen to this stuff as it was meant to be heard, without breaking my bank account?
Click to expand...

I'd recommend a Dual 1229 if you don't mind some elbow grease and a few hours of taking things apart, degreasing and reassembling. It's a relatively inexpensive idler turntable and I thing should give you that pace and energy. Fully reconditioned ones are available too, but a bit more expensive (maybe $400 vs the $50 - $150 these go for) but leagues less expensive than anything in the same ballpark that's new. Oh, and don't forget a decent cartridge/stylus, which might be $50-100.

Pair that with a Sherwood 7xxx solid state receiver (very inexpensive $100-200) and some vintage Wharfedale speakers ($150 - $200) and it's an impressive matchup for any analog sources without being crazy expensive and going to be pretty hard to beat sound wise.

Just an amusing anecdote, I played a Dual 1229Q turntable Fisher 500B receiver (sound is very similar to the Sherwood 7310 I fixed up for someone) and Wharfedale Rosedale speakers for my ex GF, who had just bought a $200K+ 911 GTS cabrio and was slightly annoyed at her dealer because the "old stuff" I'd fixed up sounded "just like" the Burrmester stereo in her car that she had paid an additional $7k for, lol.
 
Lux Man said:
As far as a mono cartridge or a stereo cartridge being used on a record of not their type and ruining the record, that would be a new one on me, but I’m all ears.
Click to expand...

This is true: Early phono cartridges (which were all mono as Stereo did not yet exist) had styli that were compliant *only* in the horizontal direction because that's all that was needed. Then came stereo records, which created two channels by introduing *vertical* compliance also. So using a mono cartidge (which was incapable of moving vertically) on a stereo record would destroy the vertical portion of the record. Some modern mono cartridges eletronically cancel the stereo part of the signal and can be used with stereo records. And of course a stereo stylus can safely be used on all mono records although there may be some extraneous noise.

I have many mono pressings and they play just fine using a stereo cartridge. Early Columbia mono stuff (red or grey labed 'Six Eye' pressings) are really good.
 
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