|
Post by guildx700 on Jan 4, 2020 23:31:20 GMT -5
I'm still using my Empire 698 from 1975 to spin vinyl. I have several top line Shure cartridges I use on it.
I never got out of vinyl.
I do have a lot of CD's too, as well as several high end cassette decks from their golden age,
but my Empire is usually my first go to.
I listen to a wide range of music, jazz, blues, fusion, prog, classic rock, 50's and such.
Spinning right now is Terje Rypdal, Whenever I Seem Far Away, from 1974.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 0:41:06 GMT -5
I have a few turntables these days. I've had my Technics SL-QL1 from the mid-80's and it was my main table until I bought a Technics SL-1210 GR from our friends at Sweetwater who gave me an accommodation price. I paired it with an A-T VM95ML. Wonderful table. The SL-QL-1 is paired with an A-T AT450 and is also quite good (linear arm). Additionally, I have a Denon DP-23F and Marantz TT-530 (which I gave to my son). The Denon is stored for the moment. These were two tables I bought from local fix-it shop and both came with Stanton carts.
In general, I think CDs are better sounding still but I am in an LP mode these days and have about 500 albums I've owned going back to the 60's. Playing clean records is just more fun and I can remember where and when I bought many of my albums and what I was doing in life when I got them I think of them as a bridge to my past.
I'm mostly jazz, rock, big band, swing, exotica, and Frank. But I just listened to Turandot the other day along with Greig, Bach, and Tchaikovsky.
|
|
|
Post by guildx700 on Jan 5, 2020 1:37:56 GMT -5
I have a few turntables these days. I've had my Technics SL-QL1 from the mid-80's and it was my main table until I bought a Technics SL-1210 GR from our friends at Sweetwater who gave me an accommodation price. I paired it with an A-T VM95ML. Wonderful table. The SL-QL-1 is paired with an A-T AT450 and is also quite good (linear arm). Additionally, I have a Denon DP-23F and Marantz TT-530 (which I gave to my son). The Denon is stored for the moment. These were two tables I bought from local fix-it shop and both came with Stanton carts. In general, I think CDs are better sounding still but I am in an LP mode these days and have about 500 albums I've owned going back to the 60's. Playing clean records is just more fun and I can remember where and when I bought many of my albums and what I was doing in life when I got them I think of them as a bridge to my past. I'm mostly jazz, rock, big band, swing, exotica, and Frank. But I just listened to Turandot the other day along with Greig, Bach, and Tchaikovsky. Very cool tables you have, as well as music selections. To this day I can't say I have a format that I think is better. To me all have give and takes. But when I spin good clean vinyl I'm not feeling shortchanged by any means. I have the following cartridges for my Empires, all Shures: Main cartridge used is a Shure Ultra 500, also use M97xE, V15VxMR with stock or Jico SAS stylus, V15VMR, & VST V ULTRA GROUP BLACK SE. Sadly Shure is not making cartridges anymore.
|
|
|
Post by MacDoof on Jan 5, 2020 2:03:57 GMT -5
I too, have never left vinyl. My old Pioneer PL115D is still going strong at a freinds house while the Rega Planar 3 I replaced it with has been my faithfull companion since 1982. I have owned a few Garrard tables I used for 78's
I listen to Rock folk blues Classical Opera Jazz Americana and Easy Listening. If I can get new music on lp I will.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 2:42:35 GMT -5
Being eclectic is good when it comes to music IMO.
|
|
BigBadJohn
Wholenote
I Lurk, therefore I am.
Posts: 222
|
Post by BigBadJohn on Jan 5, 2020 7:38:19 GMT -5
Thorens TD166 MkII, Audio Technica AT120E
Fully manual.
Purchased in the early 80's right when CDs were becoming the thing.
Sits on shelf mounted to wall (floor in man-cave is like a trampoline)
Rock, jazz, classical mainly.
Mainly use it for needle-drops as I am slowly digitizing some of my vinyl for portable use (car).
Attachments:
|
|
Tall-Fir
Wholenote
Liking both kinds of music—Country and Western!
Posts: 109
|
Post by Tall-Fir on Jan 5, 2020 11:27:38 GMT -5
My turntable is nothing really fancy, but it has done its part time job for me for many many years. It is an MCS which I think was a brand sold to the masses by Sears and or Penny’s back in the day. I did place a new drive belt on it recently. Whatever, I am happy with it. I use a pretty large combo set up for my cassette and CD play. I have a neat, but small collection of country music vinyl featuring guitar, fiddle and country jazz artists. Currently I have out records by Chubby Wise and Vassar Clemens for fiddle, and Eric Thompson and Dan Crary for acoustic flatpicking of guitar work. All very fine artists and musicianship.
My overall point is regarding the op is that I enjoy listening to my country flavored vinyl. There are a lot of great pickers out there and the music never seems to get old.
|
|
Bopper
Wholenote
Motor City USA
Posts: 504
Age: 72
|
Post by Bopper on Jan 5, 2020 12:37:29 GMT -5
I still have the Acoustic Research XA I bought in 1970, with a Shure M-90something cartridge. A few years ago I had the output cable, which had developed a bad hum, replaced. Otherwise going strong, although I don't use it a lot.
|
|
gilbates
Quarternote
Posts: 27
Formerly Known As: S1WGeorge
|
Post by gilbates on Jan 5, 2020 13:06:55 GMT -5
Denon DP2000
and an AT440ML/OCC
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 14:05:59 GMT -5
Denon DP2000
and an AT440ML/OCC
Nice!
Here's my Technics 1210GR spinning a little Houses of the Holy before I changed out the AT450 cart for the VM95ML:
|
|
cagey
Wholenote
My guitar doesn't have the same notes as yours
Posts: 110
|
Post by cagey on Jan 5, 2020 15:22:40 GMT -5
Technics turntable from the 70's with a Shure M95ed cartridge. The last stylus I bought was at least 10 years ago. Had to talk to a lot of clerks to find someone that knew what a stylus or cartridge is
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 15:29:39 GMT -5
You need a new stylus. Easy to find the correct replacement online.
|
|
gilbates
Quarternote
Posts: 27
Formerly Known As: S1WGeorge
|
Post by gilbates on Jan 5, 2020 15:33:09 GMT -5
quote:Here's my Technics 1210GR spinning a little Houses of the Holy before I changed out the AT450 cart for the VM95ML
Some impressively-sized pics of some equally impressive equipment!
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 15:43:18 GMT -5
quote:Here's my Technics 1210GR spinning a little Houses of the Holy before I changed out the AT450 cart for the VM95ML
Some impressively-sized pics of some equally impressive equipment! This ain't the FDP, we now have a decent quote function here!
BTW, the secret to posting photos here is to host them on Flickr then click the share button, copy the BBCode, and then once you paste it here delete everything before the boxed in img and everything after the boxed in /img. Then you get a cleanly posted photo like the two I posted earlier. The boxes look like this - []
I can't post the actual BBC as the software here thinks something weird is happening.
|
|
|
Post by guildx700 on Jan 5, 2020 16:01:24 GMT -5
Wow...I din't expect this many replies!
I heard that for the first time in many years vinyl sales have now surpassed CD sales. I know it's a fad for many who have recently got into vinyl, but even so it helps the vinyl market overall I think.
|
|
cagey
Wholenote
My guitar doesn't have the same notes as yours
Posts: 110
|
Post by cagey on Jan 5, 2020 17:53:09 GMT -5
Technics turntable from the 70's with a Shure M95ed cartridge. The last stylus I bought was at least 10 years ago. Had to talk to a lot of clerks to find someone that knew what a stylus or cartridge is XXXXX Wrong answer! I thought I was using the Technics turntable, but now that I look at it I see its actually my Kenwood KD-3070. The Technics is in storage. I did have the cartridge correct though.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 18:12:36 GMT -5
You still need a new stylus!
Here's a slightly updated photo of my main system downstairs. Got rid of the dust covered fake plant in the earlier photo. A wider view of what I see most evenings: Speakers are constantly moved depending on whether the TV is on or the music is on.
|
|
Tall-Fir
Wholenote
Liking both kinds of music—Country and Western!
Posts: 109
|
Post by Tall-Fir on Jan 5, 2020 18:45:43 GMT -5
That looks really nice. My speakers are over the counter Sony, but my speaker stands are very nice steel ones. They look about like yours, being painted black. I paid a bit for them up in Santa Monica after I had seen them on Craigslist.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 19:02:28 GMT -5
BTW, I'm playing records this afternoon. All are original pressings from the old days. So far:
Jethro Tull "Thick as a Brick"
The Who "Live at Leeds"
The Who "Quadrophenia"
|
|
|
Post by guildx700 on Jan 5, 2020 20:07:48 GMT -5
You still need a new stylus!
Here's a slightly updated photo of my main system downstairs. Got rid of the dust covered fake plant in the earlier photo. A wider view of what I see most evenings: Speakers are constantly moved depending on whether the TV is on or the music is on. Nice set up! Love the movie posters.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 5, 2020 20:43:36 GMT -5
You should see the other ones. Those two are repros. The others are B movie classics. But that is one of the original Maltese Falcons used in the movie. You believe me, right?
|
|
|
Post by wink12 on Jan 5, 2020 20:57:29 GMT -5
In my music room I have a Technics SL-1600-not working at the moment, replaced that with a SL-5200, and have a SL-D2 for my family room system all with Audio technica ATM-95E stylus. During my album purge in the 80's I also got rid of a Dual 1229-big mistake! I usually buy classic rock, some jazz-anything that looks interesting. I just purchased the latest Hendrix at the Fillmore box set.
|
|
jeffscott
Wholenote
Rickenbacker Guru..............
Posts: 137
Age: GOF
|
Post by jeffscott on Jan 5, 2020 22:37:58 GMT -5
Sony PS-X50 with GAS Sleeping Beauty MC cartridge.
|
|
|
Post by guildx700 on Jan 6, 2020 0:12:27 GMT -5
It's nice to see all these positive posts here about this topic. Keep em coming, Thanks!
Looks like Chris has the topic at hand nailed!
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 6, 2020 0:21:08 GMT -5
On the old site, a few of us would go back and forth on turntables, records, audio gear, etc. with rarely an agreement between us. I like discussing it. One of the few sites I'm on regularly is an audio forum. I've been involved with music, literally, my whole life as my parents either played or sang, listened to music, taught us music, and on through school until today. All aspects interest me both in listening and playing an instrument.
|
|
|
Post by NoSoapRadio on Jan 6, 2020 16:12:42 GMT -5
I use a mid 80s Linn LP12 and a late 80s Linn Axis. I have an AT 440MLa on the Axis and have just recently fitted the LP12 with an AT VM540ML because the stylus on the Linn Adikt I had on it inexplicably committed suicide. So far, I'm not loving the 540ML.
I listen to a lot of different music. This morning was a record I found at some point but never listened to, "Slide Show" by Ralph Towner and Gary Burton. Basically acoustic guitar and vibes -- I'll have to listen again before I settle on an opinion. "Screamin' Blues" by Elmore James. This is a compilation released in 1977 -- no idea when the tracks were actually recorded. Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow" on a CBS "Half Speed Master" -- it's the only LP copy I have so I can't say how it compares to the regular release, but I really like "Cause We've Ended as Lovers" -- which made me dig out my copy of Syreeta Wright's version next.
Right now I'm listening to the Menuhin/Furtwangler 1953 recording of the Beethoven Violin Concerto in mono on Seraphim. I've been listening to a quite a few mono recordings lately and I'm seriously looking into getting another turntable and dedicating a system just to mono.
I generally don't hate CDs -- I have at least a thousand of the damned things. I have a newish CD player in all three of my systems but given the choice, I always prefer to listen to a record.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 6, 2020 16:17:59 GMT -5
I use a mid 80s Linn LP12 and a late 80s Linn Axis. I have an AT 440MLa on the Axis and have just recently fitted the LP12 with an AT VM540ML because the stylus on the Linn Adikt I had on it inexplicably committed suicide. So far, I'm not loving the 540ML.... I'm surprised to hear you don't like the 540. That's the A-T replacement for the 440, is it not? On the couple of audio forums I participate in, the 540 has gotten pretty good reviews. Personally, I ended up with the VM95ML for the stylus collection. On my equipment, I don't think I could hope to or expect to hear better based on my personal record collection.
Would love to see a photo or two of your set-up.
|
|
|
Post by NoSoapRadio on Jan 6, 2020 16:58:44 GMT -5
Chris -- I'm not loving the 540 -- yet. As I recall, you don't subscribe to this, but some components sound better after they are run for a while. IME, a cartridge is at the top of that list. At first, the 540 sounded very thin -- the bass was anemic and the high was not pleasant. After several days, the bass has filled out, the high end has smoothed a bit, but it is still a little shrill. Tomorrow I'm going to take it out and re install it to see if a small tweak will get it where it needs to be.
Regarding photos, as I've mentioned, my system is in my upstairs office where little concession has been made to aesthetics. But I'll get a couple of snaps in the next few days.
|
|
|
Post by Chris Greene on Jan 6, 2020 17:12:11 GMT -5
The thing is, the VM95ML was an immediate upgrade from the AT450. I mostly credit the stylus. Sounded good when I installed it and tweaked it to the arm and table and sounds good now. If there's a difference, it's too subtle for me to hear.
|
|
|
Post by jazzguy on Jan 6, 2020 18:04:18 GMT -5
Just my old AR EB101 table and Ortofon X3 cartridge paired w/a hot rodded 60's Dynaco Stereo 70 tube power amp [4 EL-34's] and matching PAS tube tuner. Preamp is an old Lafayette tube model, and a pair of 80s Boston Acoustic speakers
as far as vinyl, I have a nice collection of old jazz lps [duh]
btw, I approve of that Miles comp Chris ;^)
|
|