U
Unknown
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I think we need a sticky Audio Asylum thread on Jeebus board. Right next to EPL.
Just bought a Linn LP12 and it's everything they say it is.
- Thread starter BJ
- Start date
There is Stereo Exchange on Broadway and Sound by Singer on 16th Street near Union Square. These are the the old school audiophile places downtown. There was IIRC another place somewhere on the UES.
Vinyl is/may be entering a renaissance but I believe digital is becoming more exciting and certainly more accessible with the ongoing DAC QPR revolution.
That said I still have my old Systemdek IIx in storage ready for when the mood strikes me.
U
Unknown
Guest
would that be Innovative Audio that used to be in Brooklyn?
Innovative, at least when they were in Brooklyn, did not seem to have much in the way of vintage tube stuff. The place on the UES, as I now remember, is Lyric HiFi on Lex. They have been around a long time. The other place that seemed to have some interesting old trade-in gear is Park Avenue Audio. I have not visited their new location - still on Park Ave South. I think Sound by Singer, Lyric HiFi and Stereo Exchange would be your best bets for vintage tube stuff - although there is still plenty of new tube stuff to be had.
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
2 years or more. But google says andy moved here: http://www.soundbysinger.com.
I couldn't agree more on the DAC revolution. For folks spectating, a DAC is a digital analogue converter - it converts a digital signal into something of audiophile quality to run through a system. Imagine the circuit of a CD player that converts the digital information from the CD into the analogue signal information sent through the wire to the amp - that was a little DAC. Now you can get those as standalone components.
What I did was copy all my CD's to my laptop (uncompressed) and then I stream via an optical cable to my DAC (a Rega), which then is cabled to my amp.
What is going on with DAC's right now is that you can now get amazingly high audio quality for prices never seen in the CD era. Naim has a DAC for $2500 that is the sonic equivalent of their $15,000 CD player from 5 years ago. And there are some $200 DACs that will just blow your mind, making high level audio available for the masses in a way really never before seen. The sound is becoming much less digital and more natural.
However, I think there is no doubt that vinyl is a high quality source most of us really never understood, depending on age. I came of age in the late 70s/80s, and the turntables I knew were cheap, good Japanese units with fairly mediocre cartridges. They sounded good, but didn't show what was feasible. Vinyl is really coming back alive and then some (I don't think I would say "may be"). Rega and ProJect are putting out brand new, great tables at the entry level, but for a couple grand you can really get an amazing new or restored old table. I just listen to it more - honestly the DAC just sits there, and I'm probably going to sell the Rega and just buy a cheap Dragonfly. For me the turntable is just a whole different level than what you get with the DAC in life like sound. And on top of that, there is just so much music on old vinyl that isn't digitized.
Like many things, I think it depends a ton on what you want to do. If you just want to enjoy great music and not tweak out, a DAC is a great way to go. Running through a solid old 70s amp or receiver and good English speakers, you would enjoy something way better than what you listened to in college. But for me the WD audio equal is without question vinyl.
And bear in mind, vinyl takes up a ton of space. I have about 600 albums, a record cleaner which is larger than a turntable, all in the *********** in some 3' x 8' bookshelves. Plus the table. That versus a laptop. You get the picture. Une autre chose.
The flipside, we're waking up to a very early pressing of Santana's 1977 Moonflower, and wow, it's a delight.
The flipside, we're waking up to a very early pressing of Santana's 1977 Moonflower, and wow, it's a delight.
Robert Dentice
Robert Dentice
Still working this out. Less than a rare bottle of SQN Rosé and more than a CRB Rose.
Keith Levenberg
Keith Levenberg
Sounds like you have the gear to do the digitizing!
OK.
I think of this in terms of clusters of types of turntables.
There are vintage Japanese direct drive tables - Denon, Technics, Yamaha, Sansui, etc.. These range from around $100-250 or higher for certain premium tables. With a good new cartridge like a Denon DL110 or Ortofon 2M red (around $100-150) or even an Audio Technica, these will get you going building a vinyl collection and will sound very good. A bonus is that they are fairly bombproof - there's not a lot to go wrong and clean versions will sound good generally.
Then there are the new lower end belt drive Regas (English) and ProJects (Czech). Generally speaking, and I am biased, these are a pretty decent step up from the older Japanese tables. They have a clean, well paced, engaging, neutral sound. The Rega RP1 ($450 or so) is a solid unit, but lose the Ortofon throw away cartridge and get something better like the above mention Denon or Ortofon or Rega Bias. The $400 Project that includes an Ortofon 2M Red seems like an intriguing value.
I then turn to older suspended tables - the pioneering AR's (like Daniel's), Thorens, Oracles, CJ Walkers, etc. These can be really good and for me is when you really start to get into the magic. However, these tables are now old, and good set up is critical. They are suspended on springs, and may have had some solid knocks along the way. Their motors are old and their bearings can be quite worn or damaged. But, in top condition they will give new $1000-2000 tables a run for their money. Look upon these as you would a vintage car - you have to get into them and recognize you might be messing with them a bit. A particularly good value is the Thorens TD125, which also is a beautiful piece of 1970's industrial design to boot. This was my last table.
I would then put the Linn LP12 into a special category. You can buy rough ones for a $1,000, and I could drive to Definitive Audio a mile from here and plunk down $25k for a top flight brand new one with a nutso tonearm, cartridge, power supply, etc. A new entry level one is around $4500, and an older one that is set up well, with a decent arm and cartridge is around $2000 (this is where mine sits). The Linn is a special table and can be upgraded easily. Some people do so many upgrades over time that they literally end up with an entirely new table by the end and will actually rebuild what they started with and sell it.
There is also a pretty strong renaissance of new tables out there in the $1000-2000 range that are really good. Mid and upper Regas, lower VPIs, Roksans, Funk Firm, upper Projects, etc. If you don't want to mess around like I am with an LP12 or older Thorens these are a great way to go and the sound is really good.
There is then the whole range above that, which is out of my league, at least right now.
I say all this like I'm an authority, but honestly I'm kind of just emerging from newbiedom. I think the key is to listen and decide what you like for yourself. Like wine, your tastes will evolve. There is something too to be said for not going crazy initially and working your way up and into it. I have a fairly wealthy friend who dived in at the high end, and honestly I think some of the fun is lost. Check it out, see if it takes, and then you can go from there. It is honestly much cheaper than wine as you don't eliminate the asset - I have sold some gear for more than I paid for it, after enjoying for some time.
Final thought: A lot of audio folks are so into that the music strangely becomes secondary. For me live music trumps all, and I think a lot of BS in the audio world would disappear if people actually regularly listened to real music and knew what it sounds like. I like the LP12 because it is the first time my system really started to have the dynamics and pace of the real thing.
Robert Dentice
Robert Dentice
Thanks this is all very helpful. What has been frustrating so far is figuring out where to start. I have some friends who have built nice systems using vintage equipment for a few thousand and others who have spent six figures.
scottreiner
scott reiner
I think the advice to ease in is perfect. It is the same with wine; one doesn't start with DRC.
Eden Mylunsch
Eden Mylunsch
I've always followed the dogma of the Linn approach: start with the source of the music and work backward from there. Get the best turntable (or transporter/DAC) you can afford and then select your preamp, amplifier, and finally the speakers. Everything is upgradable, so take your time as you add each component to the system and upgrade as the opportunity arises or as you feel compelled (or inspired) to do so. Cables make a difference too, but talk to someone who's had experience connecting the equipment you acquire, as not everything is glorious with everything else.
-Eden (I've got a Rega RP3 that I like a lot. It's no Linn, but it sounds pretty good and I'm not constantly worrying about being the only one on the block that hasn't forked over for the latest upgrade)
If you have the means I think a really strong system would be something like a Linn LP12 basic (their entry table), a Supernait integrated amp, and Rega RS3's or RS5's for a larger room, and some form of DAC. $10k-12k and you wouldn't mess with it for a long time.
BTW you will find a wide range of camps out there. I am pretty solidly in the British camp. I personally don't care for the McIntosh sound. But the cool factor is very high, and you need to listen for yourself. The differences can be surprising. Way too easy to sit around reading audio reviews online. Listening to hifi around NYC would be a fun rainy day activity.
Maybe I'm anachronistic, but figure out your room and context first, then work from there. Most rooms I've been in could have done with some simple, low-cost adjustments.
Start basic and second-hand, gradually find what you prefer, and change up as appropriate.
Like wine, it's too easy to get caught up over the visible and spendy items, and not pay enough attention to the little things that matter.
Start basic and second-hand, gradually find what you prefer, and change up as appropriate.
Like wine, it's too easy to get caught up over the visible and spendy items, and not pay enough attention to the little things that matter.
U
Unknown
Guest
what means u?
You build the room once you have the audio system. And the house around it.
You build the room once you have the audio system. And the house around it.
Ben Hunting
Ben Hunting
A shout-out for the Wyred4Sound mINT (much better-looking in person than it looks online) if you're thinking of going the digital route. They sell direct. Channel D's Pure Music is fantastic, too, with very helpful customer service.
In Living Stereo on Great Jones Street is worth checking out for equipment and sometimes has discounted showroom models.
In Living Stereo on Great Jones Street is worth checking out for equipment and sometimes has discounted showroom models.