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What's a good sounding turntable that doesn't require a Phd in engineering to set up properly?
What's a good sounding turntable that doesn't require a Phd in engineering to set up properly?
Not that headphones accentuate the unwanted bits, just that in speaker listening, the unwanted bits become less noticeable, simply because you are further away from the transducers. Highly efficient horn loaded speakers, when driven by low power single-ended triode tube amps, will emit some kind of hum or hiss, to varying degrees. This unwanted 'noise' is prominent when one places his ear close to the speakers. When you sit 7-10 ft away, this noise becomes a lot less bothersome, especially when music is playing.That's very interesting. So do you find headphones bring out more detail or is it just that they accentuate the unwanted bits?
Not that headphones accentuate the unwanted bits, just that in speaker listening, the unwanted bits become less noticeable, simply because you are further away from the transducers. Highly efficient horn loaded speakers, when driven by low power single-ended triode tube amps, will emit some kind of hum or hiss, to varying degrees. This unwanted 'noise' is prominent when one places his ear close to the speakers. When you sit 7-10 ft away, this noise becomes a lot less bothersome, especially when music is playing.
With the transducers just next to my ears when listening through a headphone, I find the unwanted bits an unpleasant distraction. Having said that, I believe a lot also depends on one's music preference and the quality of the vinyl. On the first point, if one listens exclusively to rock or heavy metal, as an example, I don't think the occasional clicks and pops would matter at all, as most times, the music itself would have masked out the noise. On the second point, the quality of the pressing does vary a lot, from my experience. I have a large collection of the original Reference Recording LPs issued in the 80's (all bought new back then). These were supposed to be top quality, audiophile products in those days (they still are,I believe). Yet, a few of them have so much surface noise that I find listening to them through headphones a big burden, despite the great music and stellar performance by the artists. I have tried to clean them with the Keith Monk record cleaner (reputed to the one of the best), and the latest ultrasound cleaner, but to no avail. I just can't get rid of the clicks and pops, so I believe these are probably not due to dirt entrapped in the grooves, but to faults inherited in the pressing.
I see why it will be an issue for some -- what with headphones clustering everything much closer together than speakers -- personally I don't have an issue with the vinyl noise on headphones. That said, I have a relatively high tolerance for vinyl surface noise, in general.Not that headphones accentuate the unwanted bits, just that in speaker listening, the unwanted bits become less noticeable, simply because you are further away from the transducers. Highly efficient horn loaded speakers, when driven by low power single-ended triode tube amps, will emit some kind of hum or hiss, to varying degrees. This unwanted 'noise' is prominent when one places his ear close to the speakers. When you sit 7-10 ft away, this noise becomes a lot less bothersome, especially when music is playing.
With the transducers just next to my ears when listening through a headphone, I find the unwanted bits an unpleasant distraction. Having said that, I believe a lot also depends on one's music preference and the quality of the vinyl. On the first point, if one listens exclusively to rock or heavy metal, as an example, I don't think the occasional clicks and pops would matter at all, as most times, the music itself would have masked out the noise. On the second point, the quality of the pressing does vary a lot, from my experience. I have a large collection of the original Reference Recording LPs issued in the 80's (all bought new back then). These were supposed to be top quality, audiophile products in those days (they still are,I believe). Yet, a few of them have so much surface noise that I find listening to them through headphones a big burden, despite the great music and stellar performance by the artists. I have tried to clean them with the Keith Monk record cleaner (reputed to the one of the best), and the latest ultrasound cleaner, but to no avail. I just can't get rid of the clicks and pops, so I believe these are probably not due to dirt entrapped in the grooves, but to faults inherited in the pressing.
I see why it will be an issue for some -- what with headphones clustering everything much closer together than speakers -- personally I don't have an issue with the vinyl noise on headphones. That said, I have a relatively high tolerance for vinyl surface noise, in general.
I don't think the physical closeness has as much of an impact on noise perception as many other factors. Obviously it's important to have transducers and amps that don't emphasize bits of the spectrum that exacerbate this noise, and there's also a significant variance in how certain cartridges and stylus profiles can minimize noise (plus record cleaning and stylus hygiene, yada yada).
A turntable set up by the dealer!What's a good sounding turntable that doesn't require a Phd in engineering to set up properly?