Rec | PRIMER ON GETTING INTO VINYL RECORDS

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- Audio Technica turntables, I think, are some of the best entry-level record players for $200 or under. The crucial thing--as you have already done--is to avoid trash record players like most Crosley products. Cheap record players like those will have a poor stylus (the needle) and have a heavy "tracking weight" (the weight of the needle/tone arm on the groove of the record player, which will wear out the grooves and degrade your records.) Used records that sound beat up are the product of old school record players with heavy tone arms and poor styluses. However, a solid Audio Technica turntable with a new stylus isn't going to hurt or degrade your records--especially if you have a good sized collection and aren't listening to only the same record over and over and over. You are off to a good start. - If you are happy with your current turntable but want more out of it in the coming months/years, you might consider buying a new cartridge/stylus. That can really improve the sound quality of records. I really like Ortofon; they make high quality products for a good price. - Make sure to buy a stylus brush and record brush to clean your records and needle before playing - With regard to BlueTooth, it's a better idea for sure to use hard cables, but keep in mind that it doesn't really matter in the end; it's really only about what sounds "good enough" to your ears. I like high quality systems, but I think it's a bit foolish to go crazy trying to achieve perfection as some do (that is, unless you're rich). Vinyl has a particular sound (not necessarily better to all ears, mind you), and I really like that sound on a solid turntable and a good pair of speakers--that's good enough for me to really enjoy music in a tangible manner with vinyl and everything that comes along with it. In other words: don't care about what anyone thinks of your system. - With regard to speakers, what are you using? Are you using a receiver and passive speakers or powered speakers? Concerning the latter, I have cut out the use of a receiver by using audioengine's powered speakers. (A move audiophiles would boo). I really can't say enough nice things about this brand; I used four of their larger speakers and their subwoofer for my system. They sound outstanding (from my perspective). - in the future, you might look to purchase a turntable from Pro-Ject Audio. They make really high quality audio-phile products for a more reasonable price. ($400 and up roughly). I believe your turntable has a built in pre-amp, but as you go higher up the chain of turntables, you will have to buy an independent pre-amp (the quality of which can really boost your sound.) I use a Soundsmith preamplifier. - Concerning purchasing records, there are a few ways to go. Some people will not purchase a used record if it has any blemish or scratch or is anything but mint. That's certainly a way to go towards building an immaculate collection; but perhaps less fun. I am, in that regard, less discerning and more open to used vinyl for good prices. Make sure to inspect records and avoid anything that has significant scratches (especially one that will make the needle jump); also watch for warped records by turning the record around at eye level. This being said, if a record only has a few very light scratches or blemishes and no apparent warps; it will probably sound just fine after cleaning. Indeed, taking this further, I have some pretty beat up records that are noisy, and I still really enjoy listening to them; I hear the years of others' listening and enjoying them in their noise. (Is it good enough?) Keep in mind that the quality of the record may still also remain a mystery till you get home and put it on the turntable; you can't always tell whether the grooves are degraded by looking with the naked eye. This is part of the fun, perhaps in a masochistic sense. (Also, who will love beat up copies of Johnny Mathis LPs if we don't? Probably no one. Maybe just me.)

@neopsychfuzz

Feb 29, 2024

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@theclack

I totally agree with all of this. AT turntables are a great entry point, and I still haven’t found the need to upgrade after 15+ years. I will say that some of them have a built-in amplifier, so you can use any old unpowered speakers, but that will mess up your signal path from the start and introduce noise/60Hz hum. You can bypass that and find an old used receiver with a 'Phono' input which will boost that signal to where it needs to be. Keep an eye out for a grounding pin or screw on all of your equipment too - that can help with minimizing extra noise. Decent equipment from receivers to speakers to headphones don’t have to break the bank. I’m convinced high-end audiophile equipment is a scam, and of course if someone drops $5k on a setup, they’re going to have a bias on how “good it sounds.” My enjoyment of vinyl comes from the large/bonus artwork, liner notes, and the practice of putting on an album and listening intently all the way through anyway. neopsychfuzz What are your thoughts on the record cleaners that you spin around in a cleansing solution to get extra grime out of the grooves? I haven't tried one, but for old records that have accumulated dust and grime over the years, I see how that might improve things too.

Feb 29, 2024

@neopsychfuzz

theclack I have heard those work well. But I have always gone the simpler route with something like this: https://www.amazon.com/Record-Cleaner-Kit-Complete-4/dp/B07DVSTBXM?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&psc=1&smid=A273QKJ995LFL7

Feb 29, 2024

@neopsychfuzz

- With buying records, the best place to go for the most specific items is going to be discogs.com or ebay. However--though I use those outlets to purchase vinyl--the real fun is the hunt in used record stores, thrift stores, etc. The most fun is not to buy online but to see what you find randomly out and about in the world; I have also found some weird stuff in vinyl record sleeves. (This is an awesome documentary on digging in west Africa.) - As you begin your hunt for new records, ask yourself: why are you doing this? What is the purpose of listening to vinyl records when you can simply listen to much of the same music through your phone? Are you engaged in an inherently irrational process by obtaining and storing vinyl records and purchasing better sound equipment when it is ultimately unnecessary? I feel strongly about answers to these questions; but the answers--about which you will be inevitably challenged--should be yours; not mine.- This is a cool (perhaps a bit too academic) book on the history of vinyl records. If you're open to historical scholarship, I would go with this as a primer for thinking about the larger philosophical purpose of your vinyl journey. - Vinyl records, like people, ultimately die.

Feb 29, 2024

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YES AND NO

PROS: vinyl is such a great medium, it sounds amazing, the feel is great, it’s tangible and you get amazing large artwork with it. It also feels more special to have it as an item you can hold. It also looks pretty in a shelf and makes a physical space for the record, making it feel even more special.
CONS: The price - it’s a money vacuum, and depending on how you consume music, you’ll probably never ever feel like you have enough. You could literally never stop buying, and you’ll still need to listen to Spotify or buy other mediums, even if just to listen on the go.
THOUGHTS: it’s truly a quality over quantity format. its an exercise of patience and slower consumerism. it’s best for people who appreciate physical and analogue media, and get joy out of things that are visual and tangible. It can be really rewarding, but is purely for passion, rather than practicality.
I’d say if you’re saving up money for something or don’t have spare cash, don’t - however if it brings you a really great amount of joy, start small and build over time.
If you do start, start with records that you really love and that you enjoy listening to from start to finish. Ones that you know you will put on at home and can sit with. And keep an eye out on second hand shops, though be weary they’re not as cheap as they used to be and may not be a bargain, even if they seem so.
Hope that helps!

@Lizclaire

May 17, 2025

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YES, BUT…

you really gotta rethink your relationship with music. I started buying records when I was a teenager and built up a pretty decent, curated collection over the years, but it’s really only worth it if you buy the albums you truly love and want to revisit over and over again. If you treat it like an extension of Spotify, where everything is available instantly, you will be broke and disappointed.
The other thing that people don’t tell you about buying vinyl is that it takes a lot of time. Buying used records is the cheapest way to build your collection, but that means rummaging through a lot of junk. This is fun! But it is also time consuming.

@slowlytyped

May 16, 2025

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Cds>lp

This is coming from a guy that loves 60s and 70s rock and folk and owns like 100 something LPs. Get CDs instead, you can play them in cars, on stereo systems, and portable CD players. cleaner than tape with no warble or belts to worry about and easier to store than LPs, only downside is the art is small and usually no fun insert's. I’d only get your absolute favs on LP they are probably gonna be expensive (30-70 bucks compared to 5-30 for CDs) but having the big cover, often times lyric sheets or posters, and my favorite part the back cover you’ll NEVER see on steaming. Sound great and really make you feel like you own a substantial part of the music. make sure you have shelves deep and tall enough for records too if you buy them. media Trade stores are the best if you aren’t already looking there.
TLDR: CDs for practicality LPs for gems