[Pm@c]

Ya these looked like old albums too, so perhaps just age was the issue.
 
I am a little worried about reading that vinyl can only get about 100-200 plays before it reduces quality significantly.
 
I suppose at 30 bucks though, I wouldn't mind replacing my favourite albums every couple years or so.
 

 

[Manyak]

It also depends on the stylus and tracking force. A fine line stylus with a 1.5g tracking force will wear out records a lot less than a spherical stylus with a 4g tracking force.
 
Quote:

Ya these looked like old albums too, so perhaps just age was the issue.
 
I am a little worried about reading that vinyl can only get about 100-200 plays before it reduces quality significantly.
 
I suppose at 30 bucks though, I wouldn't mind replacing my favourite albums every couple years or so.
 

 

 

[Pm@c]

Is it maybe a good idea to record the vinyl to wav to store on my PC as sort of a permanent copy. I know that sort of defeats the whole point of going vinyl, but then I essentially get the best of both worlds.
 
This place I was at, he said he could get me the RP1 for $400 (CAD). I thought it was a pretty good deal. Think I may just go with it, my first foray into vinyl.
 
Who knows, I may end up loving it, investing more down the road.
 
I could sit here and ask questions for weeks on end, but until I just jump head first into it, I'm only going to be taking the opinions of others into account and not even asking myself what I think.
 
Think I'm gonna pick one up as soon as I can.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Pm@c, yes, you can record vinyl. That's usually referred to as a "needledrop."

Done right (and it is a hobby in itself) a needledrop is about as good as spinning a disc. You can also use software to remove clicks and pops, too.

It's something I'd like to get into one of these days when things slow down. I have some records that aren't on digital and would love to have them on a music server. (A music server is yet another one of those things I need to get around to. )

 

[Manyak]

You probably already guessed this but I want to point it out anyway - if you don't have a high end ADC and high end DAC, you'll get a big loss in quality. I tried recording to 192kHz/24bit and I could still hear a significant loss of "analogue-ness" and treble detail vs playing it directly - this is when recorded through an EMU 0204 and played back through a Benchmark DAC1 Pre. It still sounded better than CD quality, but it wasn't worth the time/effort/disk space/etc.
 
Either way, 24-bit or 32-bit recording (and therefore an ASIO compatible card) is a requirement if you want to be able to record the full dynamic range of records. The noise floor of 16-bit is too high to do it.
 
Just a heads up.

 

[Pm@c]

Im running an Asus Xonar Essence STX into my PC. 
 
I am pretty sure its ASIO compatible. I would probably just record through that.
 
And actually, now that I think about it, wouldn't I technically be able to use it as a pre amp as well? It has an amp for the headphone jack that can support up to 600 ohm headphones, and it has RCA line in. 
 
If not, I was thinking about the Azur 640P, since it supports MM/MC, and I would probably end up picking up an MC cartridge down the road.
 
For now, the stock cartridge on the RP1 would probably suffice in getting me into vinyl.
 
Now I just need to find a place that has good solid vinyl albums for the music I love. I called all the local places and they don't seem to have too much of the stuff I listen to.
 
 

 

[Manyak]

The Xonars don't support ASIO natively. You need to use the ASIO4All driver, which is limited to 48kHz IIRC. Keep in mind that any card, if not ASIO, won't actually record past 16-bit even if it says that it does, because Vista and Win7 limit it in the background.
 
You could use it as a preamp, but:
 
- You'll still need to use a step up transformer to bring the TT output to line level.
 
- You'll still need to apply RIAA equalization in software, which digitizes it in the process.
 
So it's not really worth it.
 
You can find tons of records on ebay, amazon, gemm.com, and...crap I forget . Also check craigslist and garage sales, you'll often be able to pick up hundreds of records for like $50 or so. Many people are just trying to dump their old vinyl collections and just want them gone.

 

[Pm@c]

What about the 180g or 200g vinyls?

 

[Pm@c]

Ok so what are your thoughts on the Azur 640P to go with the RP1? I plan on using the stock needle for now, and then probably upgrading to an MC cartridge down the road, thats why I am thinking the 640P, since it does both MM/MC.
 
Then I'll probably want to invest in a better headphone amp, so any suggestions on something that would power some DT770 Pro's (64 ohms) nicely?
 
Probably going to be getting all this stuff in the coming weeks, so I need to make sure I don't get buyers remorse afterwards .

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

What about the 180g or 200g vinyls?

What about them?
 
Quote:

Ok so what are your thoughts on the Azur 640P to go with the RP1? I plan on using the stock needle for now, and then probably upgrading to an MC cartridge down the road, thats why I am thinking the 640P, since it does both MM/MC.
 
Then I'll probably want to invest in a better headphone amp, so any suggestions on something that would power some DT770 Pro's (64 ohms) nicely?
 
Probably going to be getting all this stuff in the coming weeks, so I need to make sure I don't get buyers remorse afterwards .

 
Yeah that's a good choice for a preamp, and a good plan with the carts.
 
Unfortunately I can't help you much with headphone amps, I've only ever heard and researched the low end portable stuff (i.e. Fiio E7) and high end full-size stuff (i.e. HeadAmp GS-X). You're probably looking for something in between, which I have no experience with.

 

[Paranoid31]

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I am very new to vinyl equipment (and audio equipment in general). I was just wondering if I could use my audio-gd nfb12 dac/amp and a preamp with a turntable. It would go [turntable] > [preamp] > [dac/amp] > [headphones] correct?

 

[Manyak]

Quote:

Don't mean to hijack this thread, but I am very new to vinyl equipment (and audio equipment in general). I was just wondering if I could use my audio-gd nfb12 dac/amp and a preamp with a turntable. It would go [turntable] > [preamp] > [dac/amp] > [headphones] correct?

The output of the TT's preamp is analogue, while the NFB12 only has digital inputs. The component order is correct, but your specific amp won't work.

 

[Pm@c]

I mean where can I find some good 180g and 200g vinyls?
 
Also, my Xonar has Line-in (RCA) so I could use that as a headphone amp right?
 
Go:
 
Turntable > Pre amp > Xonar > Headphones
 
That would work right? I plan on listening to my TT right at my desk anyways.

 

[Manyak]

Yup that setup will work .
 
You can find 180g and 200g vinyls on those sites that I linked (like this for example). I also just remembered another site, musicdirect.com. Just watch out for which label they come from because some of them like Back On Black and Simply Vinyl often master their records off of CDs. Those sorts of labels don't press their records for audiophiles, they press them for DJs and people who just want the whole nostalgic experience and/or fancy artwork. The quality of the master makes much more of a difference in sound quality than the thickness of the record. If you intend on buying any older music (like from the 80's or earlier) you're usually better off looking for a near-mint early pressing than buying a new remastered 180g one.
 
Quote:

I mean where can I find some good 180g and 200g vinyls?
 
Also, my Xonar has Line-in (RCA) so I could use that as a headphone amp right?
 
Go:
 
Turntable > Pre amp > Xonar > Headphones
 
That would work right? I plan on listening to my TT right at my desk anyways.

 

 

[Pm@c]

What are some good cable brands? Dont trust myself making my own.