Vinyl record players

[Funkyfairy!]

Not at all Glastobury related, but have got an urge to dig out all my vinyl records, and buy a record player

Can anyone suggest one thats not stupidly expensive, but makes vinyl sound as good as possible.

I have a load of the old StreetSounds Albums from the 80's and looking forward to spinning those again - does anyone have an old vinyl they do or don't play and would love to get all nostalgic about again :-)

[Mardy]

I got mine set up last summer, or maybe the summer before, as I bought a flat in the UK after about 20 years abroad. All my vinyl from my teenage years had been packed up for all thta time. Unpacking and playing it all again was pretty wonderful.

Since then, I've been buying a lot of vinyl and gone back to it as my main aource of music, well, when I"m back in the UK anyway. Love it.

[Mardy]

Have you already got an amp and speakers? just looking for a turntable? entry level options are Pro-ject or Rega. I got a Rega and it's lovely. Very very happy with it.

[Tdiz]

All the music I physically purchase now is on Vinyl and always on the look out for records in second hand shops and record shops. Much prefer playing a record on my turntable find I defiantly sit there an actually listen to and appreciate the whole album rather than just flicking through songs on iTunes or Spotify, Also most new records now either come with a download code or a cd copy so you can stick it on your generic mp3 device which is always a bonus.

Depends what you mean by stupidly expensive. this is the record player I have and I can recommend it, simple to set up and very minimalist in style.

http://www.richersounds.com/product/turntables/project/essential-2/proj-essential-2-blk

You do need a pre amp for it though.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Tdiz

[The Nal]

Mardy works off Russian money. Hes all about the Rega decks and the oxygen free cabling wired into his jacuzzi room so he can listen to smooth sounds while the giggling tyolki feed him grapes. Most of which he aggressively refuses as he lazily gnaws at a moist turkey leg.

I've a Project Essential turntable, Cambridge pre amp, Cambridge amp and Wharfdale 9.1 speakers. All in for about £450. Decent setup.

A good way to start is to use a current hi-fi as a pre amp, amp and speakers if it can and build from there.

[Mardy]

hehehe, cheeky fucker, the rega wasn't expensive, same speakers as you, and a marantz amp that was about 150. Mine probably didn't cost too much different to yours, reckon it came in about the £500 mark

[tjamest]

Probably not at all suitable for you, but when i was having one of several mid life crisis' about ten years ago along with a 70's Dansette style record player I also bought a 1977 Rockola Juke box for about £400.

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/woodztream/sets/72157622702141639/ To be fair the one here looks in better condition to mine, but it does sound great and can go very loud.

It also kickstarted a good few enjoyable years searching the second had shops for my teenage 7 inch single memories.

[Mardy]

http://www.whathifi.com/rega/rp1/review

£230 and a lovely bit of kit

that's what I got, but I think with an upgrade for another 50 quid (better needle etc)

[The Nal]

hehehe, cheeky fucker, the rega wasn't expensive, same speakers as you, and a marantz amp that was about 150. Mine probably didn't cost too much different to yours, reckon it came in about the £500 mark

Good stuff. Yeah back into vinyl in a big way now and my new job means Ill be working from home a a bit. "Working".

Also have Orphans by Tom Waits on vinyl now. A beautiful thing.

[Mardy]

Nice, my Tom Waits on vinyl at the moment is pretty limited, Nighthawks, Closing Time and Heart of Saturday Night. Nothing newer than that. Man, if I had the cash, i could properly go into a vinyl collection.

You off to Birmingham in a fortnight?

75000 records for a quid each

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-28776646

[windy_miller]

I can also recommend the Pro-ject essentials turntable. Make sure your amp has a "Phono" input, or you will need a pre-amp.

It's also worth readying though this thread

http://www.efestivals.co.uk/forums/topic/172758-the-vinyl-thread/

[Mardy]

Good stuff. Yeah back into vinyl in a big way now and my new job means Ill be working from home a a bit. "Working".

Also have Orphans by Tom Waits on vinyl now. A beautiful thing.

Ah man, Just had a look at that, 7LP set? Looks fucking incredible.

[The Nal]

Ah man, Just had a look at that, 7LP set? Looks fucking incredible.

Yeah. Sounds lush!

Dublin to Birmingham flights are being investigated immedietely. Surely the place will be mobbed though? Like parents battling over the last playstation in Dixons at 5.55pm on xmas eve.

[Winslow Leach]

I have a Soundlab, which does its job perfectly well. To be honest it was a present so I couldn't be too ungrateful but given the choice I'd have probably gone for the Pro-ject or Rega.

[Funkyfairy!]

Have you already got an amp and speakers? just looking for a turntable? entry level options are Pro-ject or Rega. I got a Rega and it's lovely. Very very happy with it.

Yes already have an amp and speakers, will check out Rega, I think an afternoon at Rough Trade yesterday got me totally in the mood for vinyl again - can't wait to get back there :-)

[Winslow Leach]

Mardy works off Russian money. Hes all about the Rega decks and the oxygen free cabling wired into his jacuzzi room so he can listen to smooth sounds while the giggling tyolki feed him grapes. Most of which he aggressively refuses as he lazily gnaws at a moist turkey leg.

I've a Project Essential turntable, Cambridge pre amp, Cambridge amp and Wharfdale 9.1 speakers. All in for about £450. Decent setup.

A good way to start is to use a current hi-fi as a pre amp, amp and speakers if it can and build from there.

You use the AM1 amp? How does that work for you? Considering getting a new amp for myself.

Edited August 19, 2014 by Winslow Leach

[Mardy]

It's a totally different relationship to music. Completely reinvigorated how I feel about it.

I've got sonos and spotify for when I'm away. It's great, I love it and am very happy to use it, incredible thing. I've got vinyl for when I'm at home. Perfect combination really. CDs are neither one thing nor the other. Not the convenience and access of mp3, nor the tactile beauty and immersiveness of vinyl. Buy a record player, you won't regret it. Even now, you can pick up some cracking stuff in charity shops etc

[Winslow Leach]

BarryBarrycars

Best one yet!

[Gnomicide]

I recently dug out my old vinyl, great afternoon looking through the boxes especially finding the stuff I forgot I owned. At least until I played them, then I remembered why I'd forgotten them*.

*Does that make any sense?

[danceonfire]

I've got this http://www.whathifi.com/pro-ject/essential-ii/review it's ace. Recommend it. Can't believe how much vinyl I've got in the short time I've owned this. Buying vinyl is very addictive. Charity shops are great and Picadilly records in manchester is becoming a regular hangout for me. Getting poorer though.

[dan8k]

Carboots for vinyl, you will have a field day with whats there. 10p etc, for some great stuff.

[Mardy]

Online that kills me. Discogs, eBay, bandcamp. Buy them when I'm away, they get delivered to my folks, then, I come home and there's a dozen albums I've no recollection of ordering waiting for me.

[The Nal]

You use the AM1 amp? How does that work for you? Considering getting a new amp for myself.

Yeah. Its decent. Very simple, no additional setting controls. Just volume really!

Ill probably upgrade at some stage but for 80 quid or whatever you wont get better. Lovely crisp sound.

[zero000]

Mardy works off Russian money. Hes all about the Rega decks and the oxygen free cabling wired into his jacuzzi room so he can listen to smooth sounds while the giggling tyolki feed him grapes. Most of which he aggressively refuses as he lazily gnaws at a moist turkey leg.

I've a Project Essential turntable, Cambridge pre amp, Cambridge amp and Wharfdale 9.1 speakers. All in for about £450. Decent setup.

A good way to start is to use a current hi-fi as a pre amp, amp and speakers if it can and build from there.

Bit of a stupid question, but what wires do you need to hook up the Wharfedale speakers to the amp / pre-amp?I'm still a massive newbie with all of this stuff.

[Mardy]

Just normal speaker cable, twin wires, wrap them round the contacts on the speakers, and round the corresponding contacts on the back of the amp. Absolute piece of piss