You guys are FREAKING me OUT!
- Thread starter spazus
- Start date
Pio1980
AK Member
Good then, one less thing for him to hassle.
Pio1980
AK Member
Snip--Don't step over a dollar to pick up a dime! It's one thing to be frugal, and another to waste the money you spend by being cheap. You have invested some decent money into this, and you need to spend just a bit more to see it through.
1. Buy a good cartridge. Don't break the bank, but don't waste money by buying something you are going to upgrade from shortly.---snip
That can be risky without knowing what you're getting and if you'll like it. A Shure V-15 type-who-cares was the biggest disappointment of my career, a total waste of time and money. I'm not crazy about the Audio Technica MM sound either but it was better than the Shure. I still can't think of a better lo-risk good entry-level investment than 3 Digitrack 200 NE carts from jettsales. They sound more like an Ortofon moving coil than a cheap cart and come with 1st class nude elliptical stones. You need 3 to assure getting one good one but the extra stylii are worth each at least 5 times the cost of one. A better sounding cart will run you somewhat more than $140, mebbe much more.
1. Buy a good cartridge. Don't break the bank, but don't waste money by buying something you are going to upgrade from shortly.---snip
That can be risky without knowing what you're getting and if you'll like it. A Shure V-15 type-who-cares was the biggest disappointment of my career, a total waste of time and money. I'm not crazy about the Audio Technica MM sound either but it was better than the Shure. I still can't think of a better lo-risk good entry-level investment than 3 Digitrack 200 NE carts from jettsales. They sound more like an Ortofon moving coil than a cheap cart and come with 1st class nude elliptical stones. You need 3 to assure getting one good one but the extra stylii are worth each at least 5 times the cost of one. A better sounding cart will run you somewhat more than $140, mebbe much more.
markd51
Nyuk Nyuk
Xacto-Mundo!
Mister Pig
Pigamus Maximus
Well I tend to look at cartridge recommendations with this thought in the back of my head. Analog playback has the most variation in the hobby. There are so many mechanical variables affecting the retrieval of information off the records that there cannot be any absolute statements made about analog components.(Yes I know I think the regular series of Grado cartridges suck...and thats as close as I can get to an absolute) Unless you are feeding reference quality electronics and speakers, there is another variable to contend with.
Given this context I can understand you not liking the Shure V15. Actually the V15 is a polarizing product, people seem to love it or hate it. There are very few people who feel ambivalent about it.
But unless you have the same turntable, phono stage, and set up parameters as another person, then there is a large window of variation that must be accounted for. What phono cartridge that works well in one system may not shine in another. It may be that the V15 was not a good fit for your system.
Personal preference is going to be a major factor, since every cartridge has a distinct personality. Someone may gravitate to a certain sound, such as the Ortofon which you prefer. I have owned several Ortofon cartridges such as the X1,X3, MC20 Super, and MC30 Super. They were good products, and I enjoyed my time with them.
Many people recommend the products they like, and expect others would feel the same way if they were to hear it. This is a natural inclination, but it may not be the best course of action for the potential buyer. The plain truth is that the buyer is going to have to spend the money and experience the product before they can form an opinion. There are no "can't miss" recommendations.
Now the crux of my opinion (and thats all it is) is not to go cheap. I am not saying to spend the kids inheritance mind you, but consider cartridges that are a step up from entry level, and look at the level of performance versus price. I gave a list of companies to consider, but really didn't recommend one particular model. Its up to the buyer to do their research. I just suggested concentrating the dollars on a well designed and built cartridge. Also spend the money needed to maintain it and the records. Use the free protractors, and source an inexpensive tracking force tool.
Once again, these are just the musings of a barnyard animal. The farmer doesn't let us get out much, so we ponder these kinds of things during our free time.
Regards
Mister Pig
drknstrmyknight
Addicted Member
That means when you print it, in the print dialogue box of Adobe there is a SCALING setting, set it to NONE and turn off center and rotate.
I think an inexpensive stylus scale is a good investment to sanity check the stylus pressure, even if you can borrow one for an afternoon, would be a good thing. The Shure is $18 on Amazon. There used to be a thread here that was passing around a couple of Michael Fremer's DVD and a Sure scale, search for that and see if it's still going or maybe someone close to you can lend it to you.
Free: LEVEL that turntable! Set it on somthing solid to avoid it bouncing around, not on a speaker. The speaker will feed back through the cartridge.
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bobrown14
Super Member
Funny you mentioned borrowing coin from the bank to build a stereo system. I did just that in 1977 to build credit so I could buy a car (1977 Z-28) - bought the stereo, and BTW still have the complete units - ESS AMT-1b speakers and still demanding a decent re-sale price. Car is long gone.... Stereo is still in use. Bang for the buck - yup a good investment. Bought my first home with the credit I got from the stereo nut. On and on.. got some major audio upgrades since then. None of which would have happened if I didn'tborrow to buy my first system. Hmmm sheesh - maybe there's an economic lesson there for the current times. Probably not able to get a loan to buy a stereo nowadays, which is what I did back in the day. Went to the bank and told them I wanted a stereo. They gave me $$ and a payment schedule. Paid it off in 6 months then bought the car. Two years later - bought my first home. The stereo fit nicely in the living room too!
With what I know from experience - buy a good quality used vintage kit. Separate and amp - spend coin on the pre and upgrade as funds arrive for the amp. Oh and of course you need GREAT speakers. The good sounds start with good speakers. You can always upgrade amps and gear but with crap speakers the good stuff still sounds like crap. Find the best speakers you can afford and go from there.
Cheers,
Bob
I started on the road to Audioholicism just over a year ago but I always liked music and such stuff.
Then I found AK again and started collecting and have found this.
If you buy used gear you can pick it up for much less than new. I would never pay more than half new price no matter how new the gear is if that makes sense. Most of what I bought was a fraction of new price. That way you won't take a big loss if you decide to move it on and many on here actually make hefty profits. Or you can use it for a while then sell it for what you paid.
So be on the lookout for used turntables, amps, speakers etc.
Read all you can about what is good with what and what is the best to buy.
If you can, listen to what others have and compare.
Try not to take small steps, the biggest bargains are with the high priced stuff. My amp cost well over a thousand new twenty years ago, it works like new and I paid less than two hundred.
If you have thrift stores in your area you can go to them also, others find fantastic bargains, sadly the thrift stores in my area only seem to have old vcr's and the like.
Don't spend a fortune at the start but buy decent stuff and see how you like it.
You never know it could be the start of a hobby that will bring you into contact with many wonderful knowledgeable people and bring you endless hours of enjoyment, like it does me. :thmbsp: