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Post A Photograph Of Your Turntable - Page 70

post #1036 of 1773
12/22/12 at 6:12am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nelamvr6 View Post


I find it difficult to believe that scratchy vinyl would ever actually harm a stylus.

Styli are made of very hard materials, industrial sapphires and the like.

Vinyl is, well, vinyl.

It's much more likely that a stylus would harm the vinyl than the other way around.
. Take a look at microscopic photographs of used stylus and you will see wear. Ocean water is soft and you can see what it does to rocks over the years. Sorry to inform you that your cartridge days are numbered just like miles on your car. You start out with a perfect stylus then it becomes worn into a funny soft shape. Lucky companies will do a retip so you can start the process over again. A cartridge really has a number of hours, but playing better records will get you longer life.
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post #1037 of 1773
12/22/12 at 6:25am
What is the definition of a better record? I would assume that most records that have been wet cleaned would be fine. Plus, haven't the grooves of an older record been worn? Maybe they would create less friction than a new one.
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post #1038 of 1773
12/22/12 at 6:25am
DP
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post #1039 of 1773
12/22/12 at 7:11am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by dminches View Post

What is the definition of a better record? I would assume that most records that have been wet cleaned would be fine. Plus, haven't the grooves of an older record been worn? Maybe they would create less friction than a new one.
A cleaning machine is going to remove dust and oils. What ends up happening is your getting really two forms of damage both alerations(scratches) to the grooves which make pops as well as dust(small rocks/sand) which never make it completely out in the cleaning process.There is the simple natural wear of the needle by being in contact with the vinyl. New or well cared for records will be easer on the life of your needle. There are many photographs showing the used up tip of a needle which will be ineffective retrieving the signal from the groove by being lacking the physicality to simply get there due to the shape. A needle only sounds best after being worn in but before being worn out. The resulting sound is then lacking in separation as well as quality of highs at first. The big question is then weather to get a cheaper nice cart easy to replace and tip or an expensive cart which is expensive to replace or tip. Sorry for the wall of script, I'm on my Wife's IPad at the beach right now.
Edited by Redcarmoose - 12/22/12 at 8:55am
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post #1040 of 1773
12/22/12 at 7:31am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redcarmoose View Post

You may find that you like having the Scout around to play older records even after the upgrade. Some people play their older vinyl on a secondary deck where the needle is not so expensive as older scratched records can do damage to that 10K stylus. With the VPI arms interchangable a friend I know has two arm/needle combos, one for good new vinyl and one for edgy/old vinyl.
1000
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I've been collecting records from the early 1970s but still no total expert. There really is though two very basic types. They tend to be a lot like the girls you meet. Some have had hard lives and been to a ton of parties. Others have stayed at home and gone to sleep early. Some can get refinished but never really end up the same as the well cared for ones. Records can come from a cared for collection and be in mint condition. New records are fine. Other times there is just some old record that was abused at a time or just used a lot. They get cleaned up and if the cover is nice they can come off as being great. You get home to find out there not as good as they looked at first. That's the fun of record collecting as at times and even under the best judgement you still don't know what you have until you get home and play them. Each label looks and sounds different with wear too. Some Apple pressing can look pretty bad but because the grooves are deep they still play well. A better turntable will also actually reduce the sound of scratches because the tracking and better needle will allow the needle to get better set into the groove as the scratches are really at the surface at times.
Edited by Redcarmoose - 12/22/12 at 7:33am
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post #1041 of 1773
12/22/12 at 3:33pm

A bit embarassed by this after I've read all the talk discounting direct-drives, but this is my original compact disc player wink.gif sitting on top of a J75 tuner:

700

 

I've had it since brand new in '81 - Technics SL-7.  It pretty much has the same specs as the much more popular SL-10, but it didn't have the built-in moving-coil amp and was a lot less $$.  Cartridge is a Shure V-15 LT.  It still sounds better than any of my DACs.  I understand those legs are quite a collector's item, now.  The silver ones like these are very scarce.  It was an additional feature from Technics to demonstrate how these would play in basically any position.wink.gif

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post #1042 of 1773
12/22/12 at 3:40pm
Linear tracking! Cool beans!
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post #1043 of 1773
12/22/12 at 3:42pm

blink.gif

 

Whoa! 

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post #1044 of 1773
12/22/12 at 4:01pm

yosaw Yosaw YOSAW!

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post #1045 of 1773
12/22/12 at 6:22pm

Do you hear much motor noise from the tracking arm? I've heard that's a common "feature" of linear trackers.

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post #1046 of 1773
12/22/12 at 6:48pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redcarmoose View Post

. Take a look at microscopic photographs of used stylus and you will see wear. Ocean water is soft and you can see what it does to rocks over the years. Sorry to inform you that your cartridge days are numbered just like miles on your car. You start out with a perfect stylus then it becomes worn into a funny soft shape. Lucky companies will do a retip so you can start the process over again. A cartridge really has a number of hours, but playing better records will get you longer life.

 

 

I understand that styli will wear, it's an imperfect world.

 

I just don't think that scratched vinyl will wear your stylus appreciably more than non-scratched vinyl, I especially don't see the need to have two arms, one for scratched and one for non-scratched vinyl...

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post #1047 of 1773
12/22/12 at 7:33pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by calipilot227 View Post

Do you hear much motor noise from the tracking arm? I've heard that's a common "feature" of linear trackers.

None, never.  The arm has never been an issue on mine - 30+ years and counting.

 

The only complaint I've ever had is a tendency for audible rumble, especially with warped records.  There are two reasons for this, I think.  One, the turntable platter itself is quite hard.  If it was more pliable - like a rubber mat - it would probably absorb some of the anomalous record movement.  Two, the vibration isolator feet are not as quiet as they should be, and you can hear some rumble under the right conditions even wihout warped vinyl.  I think the fact that these turntables were designed to "hook into" the angled supports had something to do with it - the feet are probably stiffer than they should've been..  A rubber mat pretty much fixes it, if it's located low, horizontal, and in a piece of furniture that seems sympathetic to the floor.  Right now, I've got it up high on a shelf and on the angled supports - it's not an issue that way.

 

The only other thing - and it's a nuisance rather than a complaint - is that with the SL-7, the ground wire and the RCA jacks are soldered directly to terminals inside the case.  I've taken great care of it through the years, so it hasn't been a problem with me, but it was kind of frustrating to never be able to swap out the cables or ground because they were hard-wired.


Edited by tomb - 12/23/12 at 1:26am
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post #1048 of 1773
12/22/12 at 8:25pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nelamvr6 View Post


I understand that styli will wear, it's an imperfect world.

I just don't think that scratched vinyl will wear your stylus appreciably more than non-scratched vinyl, I especially don't see the need to have two arms, one for scratched and one for non-scratched vinyl...
Having multiple arms for playing scratched records is actually very common weather you take my word for it or not.
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post #1049 of 1773
12/22/12 at 9:54pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Redcarmoose View Post


Having multiple arms for playing scratched records is actually very common weather you take my word for it or not.

 

 

I can assure you, it is NOT common!  In fact, owning a turntable AT ALL is most uncommon!
 

If you can afford it, hell, have a different turntable for every day of the week! Have at it!  But you'll not convince me it's even close to necessary...


Edited by nelamvr6 - 12/22/12 at 9:55pm
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post #1050 of 1773
12/23/12 at 2:05am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by nelamvr6 View Post

 

 

I can assure you, it is NOT common!  In fact, owning a turntable AT ALL is most uncommon!
 

If you can afford it, hell, have a different turntable for every day of the week! Have at it!  But you'll not convince me it's even close to necessary...


Well really I think it's done out of pure common sense. You would feel funny driving your expensive new car 60mph down a dirt road. You would feel better driving your old beater around on the road. That is where the concept comes from. I just suggested this to MT just because I think he may jump down the rabbit hole in needle purchases. From what I read he buys a lot of new records so maybe he will be fine with one table. I only own one tone arm but I don't play much old ruff vinyl. The new stuff sounds so good.

 

It's just that you don't want to play a beat-up record on a $5K cart, it just doesn't feel right. It's better to play it on a cheaper cart. Much of this feeling comes from hearing really big pops, that's all. Some cringe. 

 

The other concept is say you have 3000 records you purchased at a garage sale. You don't know what 3/4 of them are. Are you going to spend 20 minutes a record and wear out your cleaning machine cleaning every record? Are you going to put every record on your main turntable and possibly ruin your best cartridge in the process? For this person another turntable is necessary. If you buy only new records one arm would be fine.

 

 If you think about it, there is a valid concept of a rough record helping wear out an expensive needle. This is where it comes from.

 

 

Actually there are more high-end turntables sold now than ever. Turntables are actually better now than they have ever been. The science of LP reproduction has continued to evolve, where tape has been left behind. Just a run though Needle Dr. will show you how big owning a turntable is. Good luck.beerchug.gif

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