[ruthieandjohn]

As a true auto audiofile, I eschew the in-car lossy MP3 and satellite radio music sources in favor of... VINYL!
 

 

[bbophead]

Good one!  This way you can eschew surface noise.

 

[Silent One]

  This is the year I finally get back into vinyl. My poor record collection has been sitting in boxes---neglected and ignored---taking up an entire spare bedroom. 
 
Ever since my college freshman days I've been enamored with spinning wax, much to the chagrin of my roommate at the time who thought me insane, perhaps justifiably. At the time I used a Sony turntable that cost $100 new (including the pickup arm and cartridge) from one of those megalithic electronic depots. When I entered grad. school, I likewise graduated to a Rega P2 with an Elys 2. After college I got a P7 and not long after traded up to a P9 with RB1000 and Apheta moving coil cartridge. 
 
I still hold the P9 in high esteem, both in terms of its performance and from an aesthetic standpoint, even after hearing some turntables that cost significantly more. Over the years though my listening habits changed, so I ended up swapping out the Rega gear and focusing primarily on DACs. I've missed it ever since. 
 
I've been fortunate enough to hear a lot of different turntables these past few years as well, though as always you can only glean so much when it's not your own setup. I've still got a few choices in mind though.
 
This has been one of my all time favorite threads on head-fi to lurk in, so I'm looking forward to finally contributing by posting some pictures of whatever I end up getting.

Very exciting to read about your move this year! 

 

[ProcessJunkie]

Rega RP1 and some cheap Audiolab Monitors

 

[bbophead]

I likee!
 
Maybe an overhead shot of the RP1 would be even cooler.  I'm a Rega fan.  Grados?  Phono pre?  Cartridge?
 
That's what happens when you post.

 

[ProcessJunkie]

  I likee!
 
Maybe an overhead shot of the RP1 would be even cooler.  I'm a Rega fan.  Grados?  Phono pre?  Cartridge?
 
That's what happens when you post.

I'll take better shots with my camera maybe tonight, this is was a instagram shot as soon as i got the setup re-organized.

The Grados are a pair of SR60i's, and the phono is a Soundblaster X-FI HD and the cartridge/needle is the stock one that comes with the RP1. Far, far away from a audiophile setup, but i'll get there.

 

[podeschi]

I am addicted to turntables.

 

[bbophead]

Aww, man.  Only three?

 
Great looking set up!

 

[]eep]

Rega RP1 and some cheap Audiolab Monitors

Simple but stylish. I like it.

I think I'm only somewhere in between you and Tedeshi. :blink:
I only have 1 Clearaudio with 2 arms...

 

[podeschi]

Aww, man.  Only three?

 
Great looking set up!

Thanks and they all sound different

 

[bbophead]

 

  Aww, man.  Only three?

 
Great looking set up!

Thanks and they all sound different

Of course they do!  They're different brands with different design goals, ya-da, ya-da.  You must have a lot of fun!

 

[]eep]

Oh, about sounding different... I read the German magazine Stereoplay once in a while and I saw that they had soundfiles on their server of several cartridges. Some rather expensive, some halfway affordable. Its in German and the files are 24-48 wav (?? yes I know but anyway better than mp3). Here are the files
Clearaudio Performer V2 (300 Euro, MM)
Goldring 2300 (330 Euro, MM)
Nagaoka MP-200 (400 Euro, MM)
Audio Technica AT33EV (500 Euro, MC)
Grado Sonata 1 (600 Euro, MM)
Ortofon 2M Black (650 Euro, MM)
Clearaudio Concept MC (690 Euro, MC)
Volpe Audio rosso nero (850 Euro, MC)
Sumiko Celebration II (1.950 Euro, MC)
Kiseki Blue NS (3.000 Euro, MC)
Einstein The Pick Up (4.400 Euro, MC)
Lyra Etna (6.000 Euro, MC)

I must say, listening with a headphone makes it quite difficult for me to discern any differences.

 

[analogsurviver]

Oh, about sounding different... I read the German magazine Stereoplay once in a while and I saw that they had soundfiles on their server of several cartridges. Some rather expensive, some halfway affordable. Its in German and the files are 24-48 wav (?? yes I know but anyway better than mp3). Here are the files
Clearaudio Performer V2 (300 Euro, MM)
Goldring 2300 (330 Euro, MM)
Nagaoka MP-200 (400 Euro, MM)
Audio Technica AT33EV (500 Euro, MC)
Grado Sonata 1 (600 Euro, MM)
Ortofon 2M Black (650 Euro, MM)
Clearaudio Concept MC (690 Euro, MC)
Volpe Audio rosso nero (850 Euro, MC)
Sumiko Celebration II (1.950 Euro, MC)
Kiseki Blue NS (3.000 Euro, MC)
Einstein The Pick Up (4.400 Euro, MC)
Lyra Etna (6.000 Euro, MC)

I must say, listening with a headphone makes it quite difficult for me to discern any differences.

I have listened to a few - and agree it is difficult zo (z is NOT a mistake ...) discern any differences.
 
It sounds like comopressed-to-death-digititis to me. Although 48/24 PCM is not anywhere near the end of the road, I sincerely doubt that playback of these files originally recorded is  48/24 PCM. 
 
I run across the same problem during the SQ tests with direct streaming of concerts I provide audio for. What the end user n the other side of the mouse gets to hear is a VERY pale shadow of the original - and is under no circumstances something to judge the SQ by. 
 
They should have made 48/24 downloads available - this "player" torpedoes the very purpose they are trying to achieve. ANY cart in test should fare much better than this - so how on earth they are going to discern the differences among them ?
 
All known such/similar available tests/downloads suffer from one crucial omission - they DO NOT provide reference level(s) and a test track to verify if the cartridge has been properly adjusted for azimuth. At random, a $ 100 cartridge that happens to have the perfect azimuth alignment with the arm used for the test, is going to sound better than say $ 5000 cart that is "off". Such tests should have been referenced to 1 kHz - equally loud at that frequency, azimuth adjusted for best possible result - only then would such tests truly be meaningful. Provided that they can at least be transmitted to the end user in at least 48/24 PCM.Players a la Stereoplay are plain not good enough for the purpose.
 
That "0ff" can be VERY small - all serious azimuth buseniss happens within 1/3rd ( in word: one third ) of a degree and no mater how eagle eyed you think you are, eyeballing will just not do.
 
With reference to Stereoplay - I remember the test (measurements) of a very high end ( if not TOTL ? ) Van den Hul cartridge that most obviously had its azimuth seriously out of whack. It is down to the policy of the reviewer : if it is "use the reference arm of choice and mount the cart as received from the manufacturer according to the supplied instructions" - all kinds of funny stuff can surface. If I were doing that test, I would have demanded another sample from the manufacturer - one just not write a review of say a Ferrari that obviously is steering to one side either.
 
Or use an azimuth adjustable arm instead - noting why this had to be done.

 

[]eep]

You are right about playback in 24/48. I checked what I was playing. I normally have 96 as fixed standard since it's my dac's limit. If I put my Musiland on auto is switches to 44 kHz. Not 48!:mad: I can't even tell what influence Windows XP trows into th equation (this should be nothing as foobar>usb XMos should bypass windows). But anyway; many variables in the playback system.

But 96 (2x48) should not affect sound quality. From 48>44 does. Anyway; I never understood why those 'engineers' from the 80's and 90's have had the arrogance to think that they could digitally capture the sound quality from decent vinyl playback (digitally remastered LP's from the '80 and 90's sound terribly flat). And they still do. It is the same as assuming that the equasion TT+cart + phonoamp +ADC+DAC == TT+cart + phonoamp is true. I am not saying that the effect of TT+cart + phonoamp=0 but neither is the effect of ADC+DAC=0. And certainly not if you provide files in 24/48.

I think providing these files is an exercise in futility, I just wanted to share for academic purposes.

 

[dosley01]

A little RSD blue vinyl giving my Scout the McIntosh treatment.