I'm thinking about buying a record player...tips?

Question

I have a TON of really sweet vinyl records that were my dad's, and i want to be able to play them, so--

First, what do I look for, and where can I find one that's not to expensive.

Second, what are the benefits to having one-- i understand that the sound quality is better, but can you elaborate?

Thanks!!

Answer 1

The sound is different, not always better.  Some people say records sound "warmer" or "fatter".  Also, in theory a good record contains high frequency content way above where CDs cut off (22khz).  This is above the range of human hearing, but there is a possibility we can sense these super high frequencies because they interact with the stuff we can hear, and the thought is we miss them when they are not there.  

A lot depends on your ears and what you notice or don't.  I can tell you one example where I noticed the record sounded better than CD.  A Chuck Mangione (jazz) album... I think Land of Make Believe.  There is a passage where a flute riff goes from one speaker to the other.  On CD it sounded ok.  Playing the record it literally sounded like the flute player jumped out and the sound was coming from somewhere in front of the speakers.  The only explanation would be those missing frequencies we can't hear that you don't get with CDs.

But, you do have to deal with pops and crackles if the record is dirty, scratched, or has a lot of static.  And not all records were well-recorded depending on the skill of the engineers.  And, some 70s records were made with really crappy vinyl that did not hold up well over repeated plays.  And, you have to treat your records gently and clean them regularly.

There is something kinda cool about taking the record out of the sleeve, cleaning it with a record cleaning brush, putting it on the platter, etc.  You are more involved with the process of making the music happen in your space.  And you get the big cover art.  Anyway...

Your best bet is to buy a used turntable from a person, not getting one at the thrift store.  This is not to say you can't get a good turntable at a thrift store.  But by the time they hit the thrift store shelves they usually have been bounced, dropped, and otherwise not treated so nicely.

For lowest maintenance get one that is Direct Drive.  This means the motor directly turns the platter (the part you put the record on).  Audiophiles like belt-driven ones better but you can have issues with the belt stretching and breaking.  How can you tell?  It'll say Direct Drive, or Servo, or Quartz etc.  Or try to remove the platter.  Take off the rubber mat, lift up on the platter while rotating it counterclockwise.  If the platter comes off and you see a belt (like a big rubber band) you will know it is belt drive.

Make sure the turntable uses a magnetic cartridge, and the tracking force (how hard the needle presses down on the record) can be adjusted to be as low as possible without causing skips).  A good turntable should be able to track at between 2 and 3 grams of force.  An anti-skate control should be there too, and you set it to the same number you set the tracking force too.

You'll probably need to buy a new cartridge, or at the very least a new needle for the existing one.  Try needledoctor.com, or Radio Shack.

Brands:  don't get hung up on them too much.  But avoid BSR and anything that is a record changer (can play stacks of records) as they will damage your records.  Best bets - look for Technics, Sony, Sanyo, Fisher, Toshiba, Hitachi, Kenwood, Pioneer.  Lots of these were made and are available.  For your purposes a linear tracking turntable would work well as they are almost always automatic (they sense where the record groove starts and will put the needle down or up automatically for you).

If you don't have a receiver or stereo system with a phono preamp you'll need to buy a separate phono preamp.  The signal out of a turntable is much weaker than one out of a CD, DVD, iPod, etc.  Try eBay for the phono preamp.

You can buy a new turntable with a built-in preamp, but the ones I have seen are pretty low quality.

If you were planning on dubbing stuff to CD using your computer I'd say don't bother.  Unless your parents had really eclectic tastes, or were way into jazz, most of the stuff on record is available on CD.  You'd be better off hitting used CD shops or pawn shops and buying the CD version then ripping that via iTunes or whatever you use.

You ought to be able to get a good quality used turntable, new cartridge, and phono preamp for $80-100 total if you shop around.

Good luck!

Answer 2

Parts Express has some relatively decent turntables if price is of major concern.  But if you want a really good turntable, you will need to start at about $450 and work your way up from there.  Music Hall Audio has a host of choices.  I will include a couple of dealers than can help you in the selection process...

Answer 3

Sweet! I have all my moms old vinyls and I wish I could play them for my kids. I would look online and then I would check to see what type of existing system you will be listening to these on. If you just want a record player I would might go to your local thrift store or swap meet. I know those sound not so good but I don't even know if there is a store that still sells record players. Check with Tweeter or Best Buy they might be able to help you out! Good Luck and happy listening!