[aa1037]

Hi,

Noob question - what is the minimum equipment needed to get into vinyl if using only headphones and space is at a premium?

It would be really helpful if in addition to a general overview, you could also provide a few recommendations or brand examples of equipment that I could use to begin my research.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Nick 214]

Turntable (Includes cartridge, arm, cables)

Phono Pre (could include head amp. The Bellari VP129 has a decent headamp, and it's small)

Head Amp

NK

 

[Zanth]

There are plenty solid starter tables from Rega, Project and MMF but don't discount older refurbished tables from the likes of Thorens, Denon, Goldman etc. Many also claim that the Technics higher end DJ tables (1200 specifically) is an awesome table and it is direct drive.

Table/Cartridge/Phono cable --> Phono if not already in a Preamp --> Headamp (unless also in the same preamp) then headphones.

Note that because headphones are quite a bit more revealing than speakers in most cases, if the records are dirty or damaged in any way, those faults will be GLARING with headphones. Some find this horrifying, others listen through the noise to get the groove of the music.

Vinyl is a lifestyle of listening. It is a grand choice and it offers many benefits but the path is far different from throwing in a nice shiny metal disc or queuing up a thousand digital files.

Just want to ensure that the expectations are spot on before you spend some cash diving in.

 

[Uncle Erik]

If space is at a premium, consider a turntable wall shelf. It's convenient and uses unused space, but also isolates your deck from footfalls.

A good place to learn about vinyl is here:

The Vinyl Anachronist

All the articles are good and worth reading before you spend anything. They should answer a lot of questions and help you make an informed choice about getting into vinyl.

As for brands, I think Rega is a great place to start. New ones are nice, of course, but a used P3/Planar 3 is a terrific place to start. Build quality is great, they hold up, they hold their value, they're easy to set up, and they sound terrific. Doesn't mean other decks are bad, but a Planar 3 completely sold me on vinyl.

Same with Grado cartridges. I love their headphones and I love their cartridges. There are many good ones, but the Black is a complete bargain. The Shure M97XE is a terrific value, as well.

You'll also need a phono stage. An affordable one I enjoyed was a NAD PP2. You might also want to consider a receiver or a preamp with a built-in phono section.

 

[aa1037]

Nick, Zanth and Uncle Erik thank you all for your help. Lots of great information - just what I was looking for!

Thanks again for taking the time to reply.

 

[Cyrix_2k]

For cheap, I'd grab an old Technics table and a decent receiver. Many old receivers drive the headphone jack from the speaker outputs and work quite well as a headphone amp. For the table, you want to make sure that it doesn't take P-mount carts... some of the newer technics belt drive models were like this. Their other models are fine. The newer direct drive tables have a -78db noise floor vs the older belt drive models such as my SL-23 which has a noise floor of -70db. However, I find even the SL-23 to be acceptably quiet. Personally, I'd look at an SL-D202 or SL-D303 which are cheap, direct drive models. Be careful with the older stuff; the speed control tends to go out with age. My SL-23 had this problem, but I fixed it with new capacitors.

You will also need a cartridge and/or a new needle. I've had good luck with stanton cartridges, specifically the Stanton 681ee. The 680 is the essentially the same, but much cheaper (it's intended for DJ applications, but internally it's the same - just not calibrated). I also have a Stanton 505 skII which is a DJ scratch cart, but sounds acceptable. If the needle is old or worn, always get a new one.

Beyond this, you'll also need some way to clean the records before playback. If the records are REALLY dirty, a one time bath usually does wonders. After that, clean/dust them with the product of your choice. I use the Discwasher system. However, I've also used a microfiber cloth and that does fine as well. The cleaning solution I use is a small (~1-2%) amount of 99% isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol, a drop of dawn dish detergent, and water. Carbon fiber brushes are also sold for a quick dusting, but I don't believe they work as well.

Overall, you can acquire all of this equipment, besides the headphones, from ebay/goodwill/yard sales for well under $100 and it should sound pretty good!