General Beginner's Vinyl Advice - Page 3

Worked on my Techincs 1210 with good ol dad last night.

We took the whole thing apart and de-seized the height adjustment, along with cleaning the old dried up grease and putting a coat of some high quality grease he uses in his shop (he is so impatient he pretty much did the whole thing before I could find the youtube tutorial video and even once i had it he only used it like twice lol). We also soldered (he did all the soldering) on a new ground since the other one was broken and repaired with electric tape. We also re-soldered the tone arm wires (wow they were tiny) since he said it looked like someone tried already at one point. We put it all back together and its back at my apartment waiting on a headshell and cartridge.

Anyway............

Well I guess it is me who needs to just bite the bullet. I know the shure has been suggested but I am going to spend a little extra and try the ortofon out.

I am NOT on a budget per se although buying a car is a priority in my life (I keep pushing it off). I would like to get components one by one but purchase high quality long lasting ones that I will not be switching out in 6 months time. Thus while I say I am not on a budget I am not on a cheap budget. I would like to get a component here and a few weeks later. Make a DIY amp and purchase some stuff here and there. I do not mind spending X amount but would rather spend X amount split into different time frames (hopefully that makes sense basically I budget myself spending money every month and try to stay in the target...i know im crazy)

Should I look in a receiver next?

Can one just use a phono stage and amp? I would like to DIY my components and had been wanting to make a bijou.

Would that coupled with a phono stage (maybe ss) work?

Does one require a receiver to use speakers headphones etc? I assume a different spec'ed amp would be needed for use with speakers.

Maybe for the next month I can use my receiver and plug my headphones in (I currently have my tv and speakers hooked up to the receiver)?

I guess I am a little confused on the components required/desired/beneficial to an audio system. Unsure of what to upgrade next.

Looking to order these items this very second (well when I get home from the office). Force gauge and record cleaner already owned by dad. Also his cartridge is coupled with this headshell so he did not have to calibrate his. Will it be feasible for us to calibrate mine?

last stylus brush

ortofon red cartridge (on other hand I can get the Shure for about half the price)

music hall mat

technics headshell (should I purchase a higher end headshell)

carbon fiber brush

Sorry for more questions just ready to get this on the road. Well I am 99% sure on my turntable items I am purchasing.

Thanks

Austin

I think I ask too many questions and come off as crazy (or annoying) . I am trying to learn a lot and sometimes I find reading is often better than asking, thus I do my best to do as I preach.

-I did a quick search and am wondering will it be a problem/huge hassle/deal breaker for me along with the help of pops calibrate my own cartridge and set it up?

-Would one suggest buying a special level or will any level work? Maybe the ones sold on vinyl websites are preferred because of their small sizes?

Trying to limit to a few questions at a time. I feel bad I am taking the time up of only one or two people. Thanks again for the advice.

Austin

EDIT: OK weird but my last three posts were (purely coincidence) at 2:22, 3:33, and 3:33. Now that is some twilight zone stuff!

Thanks to all the advice everyone. Been reading and reading and reading. Skimming through NEETS as well as there is an endless amount of information.

Want to start on a DIY project (been working for about a month [on the weekends] on a table for my tt vinyls etc) soon and the following is relevant:

1) GOALS (may not all be currently possible but over time and hard work)

     -eventually be able to use my turntable with ortofon cartridge (i have like 150 records now cause I could not stop buying)

     -listen via 3-4 pairs of headphones (225s, RS1s, LCD-2s, one or two others maybe)

     -ability to use eventually use a set of speakers (ole dad is trying to convince me to get klipsche heresy or something similar)

     -try and only own my turntable, 1-2[3(max)] amps, 3-4 headphones(that cover a decent enough range), and a set of speakers

     -avoid having 10 headphones and 7 amps, would be nice if i could squeeze by with only two amps that could do a great job (maybe not the best) at multitasking and not being made for one particular speaker or headphone

     -diy when possible

     -prefer tubes but can live with ss in some areas if better quality or oppourtunity

2) was thinking about building a starving student

3)decided to look into a millett hybrid mosfet max instead

     -pcbs available

     -good with grados

4)confused a little on components needed

     -a phono preamp? thinking hagerman bugle or something similar

     -a preamp? diy, is this a seperate component needed or will i have a preamp with a built in phono? diy options?

     -an amp? already mentioned but thinking of starting with millett hybrid and eventually building bijou or ehha, maybe b22 (even though it is SS)

As always any advice appreciated. I have taken others advice and will be attending a local meet in a few weeks!

Regards,

Austin

Ed your first comment made me laugh. Yes I already got the car in January, a BMW 128i. Just washed/waxed her over the weekend.

As for the audio. I think my plan is to get phono preamp (maybe the tc-750 will be good enough over the next few months until I get a diy lined up) and amp (most likely some diy tube amps, about to build a Millett Hybrid Max MOSFET) for the time being.

And for the future:

--this weekend is a headphone meet so should help with a lot there

--possibly end up with lcd-2's

--bijou, ehha, or b22

--a phono preamp

--my turntable

--something to somehow drive speakers :)

Viola! I guess so much at once and me spending so much time reading and sifting through threads was making me crazy. It is a lot to take in at once.

Thanks for the advice and help. I am getting a handling on it all much quicker. I think my first DIY project will be extremely helpful as well.

Austin

So I am bumping my old thread rather than starting a new one.

Beginning to (finally, have been out of town for 5 months) build my diy millet hybrid max and I have a few questions, I know still....I am sorry.

Currently, I have my Technics 1210 running through my Marantz receiver and to Marantz speakers. I just (also finally) bought a cartridge (ortofon red) about a week or two ago, and read all the instructions and set it up. Leveled my TT and plan on buying a cheap protractor and force gauge from needle doctor. Love it and keep asking myself why I spent probably 3-5k on 400 records and never pulled the trigger on a damn cartridge!

How do I figure out on my own to answer this question...Can Amp A run Headphone A well/even possible? Can Amp A run Speaker A well/even possible? Obviously those who know more about electronics must be able to view the output, impedance, I honestly do not even know, etc. of the headphone and amp and say yeah that will work or no way that will drive that or it will sound horrible. Likewise for a pair of speakers.

The reason I ask is because I was thinking about picking up Klipsch Heresy Speakers. Wondering if an amp around these neck of the woods will drive them, ie a Bijou, B22, EHHA, etc???

Perhaps the best advice will be to have one amp for headphones and one for speakers and not try to have one for both?

I guess I am just having trouble still on source (turntable), phono preamp, preamp, receiver, amp, headphones, speakers, etc, and how all these items work with one another. I would like to be able to look at headphones and speakers and know how to make them sing, just by knowledge and hopefully over time by experience/wisdom.

ANY help, advice, or clarification is appreciated. You guys have always been great help and I sometimes repeat the same questions, so I will go back through this thread and some others. My memory is horrible.

Thanks,

Austin