AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › 2 Channel Audio › newbie advice for getting into turntables and vinyl
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

newbie advice for getting into turntables and vinyl

post #1 of 5
3/3/13 at 8:51pm
Thread Starter 
Hello all, my first post here, long time lurker first time member. I have done a bit of research as I am wanting to start playing around with vinyl and just wanted to get my thoughts out and get some feedback as I am not really sure about how vinyl turntables work these days (only ever seen my old man's about 25 years ago, broke his needle and he never let me forget it).

I have some money to spend but at the same time, as it is a new interest, I would prefer to go cheaper first and perhaps have another look at replacement in the future (the boss says I waste my money on 5 min fads).
Reading on here I have decided to get the Audio Technica LP120 turntable. From there it gets a little hazy. Also, as I may be ordering online I might get a new cartridge at the same time. Is it best to go with a Shure M97xE?

I currently have an Onkyo 515 receiver with Jamo speakers. My receiver has a powered zone 2 output so I was thinking of getting a pair of KEF LS50 speakers just to listen to the music from the second zone. Is this advisable or should I just stick with existing speakers?

I am confused with the connection from the turntable to the receiver, as the turntable has a preamp built in, do I need to buy anything else to go between the turntable and the receiver? Further, is a 7.2 channel home theatre receiver suitable for listening to vinyl? or should I get a dedicated amplifier? (That would call in a whole new round of research).



conclusion
to summarise my rant:

1. at the bare minimum can I just buy the turntable, connect it to my receiver and listen? Is replacing the cartridge immediately recommended?

2. Do I need to buy other things to connect it?

3. Would it be best to get a dedicated amp and speakers and set it up in another room?

4. on a side note, does anyone know if the arm on this turntable returns automatically at the end of a record?


thanks in advance for any advice.
Reply
Reply
post #2 of 5
3/4/13 at 8:55am
Quote:
Originally Posted by darpy View Post

Hello all, my first post here, long time lurker first time member. I have done a bit of research as I am wanting to start playing around with vinyl and just wanted to get my thoughts out and get some feedback as I am not really sure about how vinyl turntables work these days (only ever seen my old man's about 25 years ago, broke his needle and he never let me forget it).

I have some money to spend but at the same time, as it is a new interest, I would prefer to go cheaper first and perhaps have another look at replacement in the future (the boss says I waste my money on 5 min fads).
Reading on here I have decided to get the Audio Technica LP120 turntable. From there it gets a little hazy. Also, as I may be ordering online I might get a new cartridge at the same time. Is it best to go with a Shure M97xE?

I currently have an Onkyo 515 receiver with Jamo speakers. My receiver has a powered zone 2 output so I was thinking of getting a pair of KEF LS50 speakers just to listen to the music from the second zone. Is this advisable or should I just stick with existing speakers?

I am confused with the connection from the turntable to the receiver, as the turntable has a preamp built in, do I need to buy anything else to go between the turntable and the receiver? Further, is a 7.2 channel home theatre receiver suitable for listening to vinyl? or should I get a dedicated amplifier? (That would call in a whole new round of research).



conclusion
to summarise my rant:

1. at the bare minimum can I just buy the turntable, connect it to my receiver and listen? Is replacing the cartridge immediately recommended?

2. Do I need to buy other things to connect it?

3. Would it be best to get a dedicated amp and speakers and set it up in another room?

4. on a side note, does anyone know if the arm on this turntable returns automatically at the end of a record?


thanks in advance for any advice.

1. No need to upgrade immediately. The cartridge will probably be the first upgrade, but listen to the stock one first. It's not bad, and even if you upgrade sooner rather than later, good to have a baseline for comparison. If you get the upgrade itch, check out the Ortofon Red and/or Blue.
2. No. The AT has a built in preamp, so just turn the preamp on and connect to any input on your receiver.
3. Not really. The Onkyo is a fine receiver, and even if you end up setting up in another room with new speakers, the zone 2 will do fine.
HT receivers generally do a great job with stereo, and are often at a cheaper price than a comparable stereo receiver because the production volume of HT receivers is so much higher these days. If you're a stereo purist, find the 2 channel mode and just use your fronts (and sub I assume). The receiver should also have a 7-channel stereo feature that uses all of the surround speakers, but doesn't muck around with any surround effects. 7 ch stereo is the mode i use for music on my Yamaha 90% of the time.
4. Pretty sure it doesn't. The Denon DP-300F is a good entry level TT with that feature - retail is 330, but can be found for less than 300.

Enjoy!
Reply
Reply
post #3 of 5
3/5/13 at 5:20pm
Thread Starter 
thanks alot for the reply, I really appreciate it.

To be honest I am a little confused with the cartridges. I know this one can be replaced, so I might just follow your advice and stick with the stock stuff initially.

I was looking at a Denon player (dont recall the model) but the cartridge couldnt be replaced. From what I read, this is an important feature to look out for.
Reply
Reply
post #4 of 5
3/5/13 at 6:19pm
Quote:
I was looking at a Denon player (dont recall the model) but the cartridge couldnt be replaced. From what I read, this is an important feature to look out for.
Bottom-of-the-barrel turntables often come with fixed cartridges, but the cart on the model JD mentioned can be upgraded.
Reply
Reply
post #5 of 5
3/5/13 at 8:20pm
Those kef speakers require serious, hefty watts. Good luck!
Reply
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: 2 Channel Audio

AVS Top Picks

AVS › AVS Forum › Audio › 2 Channel Audio › newbie advice for getting into turntables and vinyl