Vinyl revival

[walkerwek1958]

After approx 10 years in storage my old Thorens turntable is now back up and running, I’m now an official vinyl revivalist!

I bought the Thorens (TD160s mk iv) in late 88 so it’s definitely got sentimental value. Having bought new furniture I now have somewhere to put it and that’s what’s prompted me to dig it out. First impressions are favourable, but the wallet’s already taken a hit in the form of a phono stage........my Arcam amp doesn’t have one so an external one has been purchased and our local hi-fi dealer persuaded me to buy a decent one rather than the cheapest.

If I’m to become a fully- fledged vinylist I guess I should look at upgrading the tone arm and buying a better cartridge.......I’ll wait till the novelty value has worn off before spending more £££, I’m still at the ‘nostalgia trip’ phase .

The obvious next move is to start buying records again, it must be almost 30 years since I bought the last one!

Paul

[Mick P]

After approx 10 years in storage my old Thorens turntable is now back up and running, I’m now an official vinyl revivalist!

I bought the Thorens (TD160s mk iv) in late 88 so it’s definitely got sentimental value. Having bought new furniture I now have somewhere to put it and that’s what’s prompted me to dig it out. First impressions are favourable, but the wallet’s already taken a hit in the form of a phono stage........my Arcam amp doesn’t have one so an external one has been purchased and our local hi-fi dealer persuaded me to buy a decent one rather than the cheapest.

If I’m to become a fully- fledged vinylist I guess I should look at upgrading the tone arm and buying a better cartridge.......I’ll wait till the novelty value has worn off before spending more £££, I’m still at the ‘nostalgia trip’ phase .

The obvious next move is to start buying records again, it must be almost 30 years since I bought the last one!

Paul

I am also a bit of a vinyl junky and it is a bottomless pit for money but well worth it.

Your Thoren is fine, but you will want a MC cartridge and that will require the right amplification and PSUs.

Also a good arm is essential, look for either Naim Aros or SME 1V or Vs.

Also a decent wet record cleaner is necessary to get rid of the snap crackle and pop.

Once you play vinyl, you are hooked.

Best to buy 1970s vinyl and earlier as the quality of the 1980s and later stuff went into nose dive. Also the modern 180 gm records are, in the main, ropey.

I hope you enjoy it.

[ALindsay]

Seems like a good opportunity to try to upload a picture for the first time. This is my Rega Attachment 12821
Planer 3 which I bought in 1985 and still giving my Naim CDS3 a run for its money. Glad I never sold it or any of my vinyl collection


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[wildheart]

After approx 10 years in storage my old Thorens turntable is now back up and running, I’m now an official vinyl revivalist!

I bought the Thorens (TD160s mk iv) in late 88 so it’s definitely got sentimental value. Having bought new furniture I now have somewhere to put it and that’s what’s prompted me to dig it out. First impressions are favourable, but the wallet’s already taken a hit in the form of a phono stage........my Arcam amp doesn’t have one so an external one has been purchased and our local hi-fi dealer persuaded me to buy a decent one rather than the cheapest.

If I’m to become a fully- fledged vinylist I guess I should look at upgrading the tone arm and buying a better cartridge.......I’ll wait till the novelty value has worn off before spending more £££, I’m still at the ‘nostalgia trip’ phase .

The obvious next move is to start buying records again, it must be almost 30 years since I bought the last one!

Paul

My Thoren's lays in the garage I doubt I will ever use it again, I gave my Kef speakers away recently, still have my Yamaha Amp. I bought the Thorens new in 1976. Enjoy the sound Paul

[Wolfie]

I’ve got loads of vinyl! I just need to dig out my old Naim deck and maybe plug in a new cartridge (I think it’s a moving coil cartridge to go with an old amp) and set it up again…. I miss my records, but, do enjoy the convenience of MP3

[cf31bloobird]

I got up and running last year, nothing too spectacular in the hardwear department but great to hear all my old records again ... I can remember where and when I bought most of them so a lot of nostalgia , they have so much more character than any other format although changing album sides every 15 minutes is a bit of a pain!

Enjoy Paul!




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[snowman]

Funny how people see vinyl as an expensive obsession, as there was a time when it was just how you listened to the music you liked (for most anyway).

I've got a B&O Music Centre in my loft (low end model, I couldn't afford an expensive one back then!), but it's not been used in 15+ years (probably more!).

Interesting that modern vinyl isn't rated as I'd assumed its high cost equated to high quality (in fact, someone recently told me just that!) - I'd agree that vinyl went down hill in the later 80s.

Most of my vinyl is late '70s to late '80s and the latter ones are almost like flexidisks! (Remember those? )

I'd agree about vinyl (LPs really) being so much more characterful than CDs or (Shudder) downloads.

Some of my favourite LPs are such because of the cover art or the package, rather than the music, a microscopic leaflet in a CD packet or a downloadable PDF really doesn't have the panache of a gatefold album!

I almost (only almost, though) wish I'd not taken Dazzle Ships by OMD back as the original was an awesome sleeve (obviously to hide the fact that it's a truly horrible album!). Latterly, it was a just a printed sleeve, but the original folded in all sorts of strange ways.

Luckily I still have my original "floppy disk" Blue Monday, the cost of the sleeve famously eroding any profit from the 12" single!

M

[Skyman]

Another fully fledged revivalist here. It has been a mere month, but I have already bought over thirty LPs and a good load of Rega hardware and PMC speakers. The whole experience is proving to be a real joy (and my new, non-watch-car-motorcycle obsession).

[Mick P]

Rega really is a bloody good product, you chose well.

[Skyman]

Rega really is a bloody good product, you chose well.

I think so too - RP8 turntable with Apheta 2 MC, Aria phonostage, Elicit-R amp, Ear headphone amp, and a pair of PMC Twenty25.23s are all working terrifically well together. Great service from AudioT also.

[ktmog6uk]

i sold all my vinyl about ten years ago and regretted it! after buying a Linn Axis through this esteemed forum i'm back up to about 1500 lp's now, the disease is worse than watches! regarding modern vinyl, do your research on the pressings, they vary from excellent to very ropey. I even have one that has cd skipping noises on one side. This place is excellent to get a decent overview of classic reissues: search artist and "best pressing"
http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/forums/music-corner.2/

for reissues keep an eye here- delivery is expensive for one item but if you buy a few shipping stays at one flat price- and it often has clearance sales with some hefty deals to be had especially on box sets.
https://greatofferstore.com/*/Vinyl/...803B25B739E.t1

Second hand vinyl is a minefield but often building up a relationship with a dealer leads to less of those nasty gravel chewed surprises. a good friend at Birds Nest Records in scunthorpe and hull sources a lot of rarer stuff in good nick for me, also if you have to have perfrct first pressings etc Minster Records in Beverley seems to have found a seam of superb rare vinyl in really superb condition. prices can be high but his condition reports are truthful and conservative. Bargains are still to be had on ebay but study photos and look at previous listings and feedback on the same seller. some are not great at descriptions but if the feedback is good worth a punt for rare albums. I'm sat listening to King Crimson In The Court Of The Crimson King first pressing on pink island which i picked up this way for £12, dealer prices can be north of £500 for this lp!
Car boots and charity shops can still be good but you need to be there early at car boots, and pop up/ small local charity shops are best, oxfam and scope etc either price too high using price guides without reference to condition, or send the best stuff to nation sorting centres these days.

If you want a tour of east yorkshires vinyl mines let me know paul!

[LRB255]

After approx 10 years in storage my old Thorens turntable is now back up and running, I’m now an official vinyl revivalist!

I bought the Thorens (TD160s mk iv) in late 88 so it’s definitely got sentimental value. Having bought new furniture I now have somewhere to put it and that’s what’s prompted me to dig it out. First impressions are favourable, but the wallet’s already taken a hit in the form of a phono stage........my Arcam amp doesn’t have one so an external one has been purchased and our local hi-fi dealer persuaded me to buy a decent one rather than the cheapest.

If I’m to become a fully- fledged vinylist I guess I should look at upgrading the tone arm and buying a better cartridge.......I’ll wait till the novelty value has worn off before spending more £££, I’m still at the ‘nostalgia trip’ phase .

The obvious next move is to start buying records again, it must be almost 30 years since I bought the last one!

Paul

Bought a vinyl set up a couple of years ago but divorce retired it all back to boxes and thought I was going to loose it at one stage, your thread has reminded me that I need to get this up and running again as the sound was sublime compared to cd/streaming

What phono stage did you invest in Paul

[trident-7]

Vinyl sounds far better than CD's or other digital media to me. There's also something about getting the record out of it's sleeve & the process of putting it on which I love.

I'm listening to it on a full Michell Gyrodec. Watching the turntable go around with the gold weights beneath it is rather hypnotic.

[number2]

With around 350 cd's I can't see me buying a turntable any time soon however nostalgic I might feel.

[cf31bloobird]

With around 350 cd's I can't see me buying a turntable any time soon however nostalgic I might feel.

I boxed up my 100s of CDs a while back after getting Spotify and various bluetooth/wifi speakers ...... I wonder if there'll be a CD revival in ???? years time? :)

[EchoSevenNine]

I got up and running last year, nothing too spectacular in the hardwear department but great to hear all my old records again ... I can remember where and when I bought most of them so a lot of nostalgia , they have so much more character than any other format although changing album sides every 15 minutes is a bit of a pain!

Enjoy Paul!




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Nice setup.

Your bottom hinge adjustment screws need... adjusting, though.

[cf31bloobird]

Nice setup.

Your bottom hinge adjustment screws need... adjusting, though.

Haha! .. I shall put it at the top of my list for the weekend :)

[SimonH]

Seems like a good opportunity to try to upload a picture for the first time. This is my Rega Attachment 12821
Planer 3 which I bought in 1985 and still giving my Naim CDS3 a run for its money. Glad I never sold it or any of my vinyl collection


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Funnily enough I have a Rega Planar 3 my father bought me in 1985 for my 21st birthday which I have in my office. He wasn't delighted about my choice as he wanted to get me something "to keep". 32 years later I still have it! It has the upgraded motor as the original died and the better drive belt but otherwise it's as it came :)

In the lounge I have my beloved Thorens TD125 from the 70s which is a truly magnificent sounding beast

[ALindsay]

Funnily enough I have a Rega Planar 3 my father bought me in 1985 for my 21st birthday which I have in my office. He wasn't delighted about my choice as he wanted to get me something "to keep". 32 years later I still have it! It has the upgraded motor as the original died and the better drive belt but otherwise it's as it came :)

In the lounge I have my beloved Thorens TD125 from the 70s which is a truly magnificent sounding beast

You might like to know that I had the arm rewired on mine and it made a world of difference. Apparently Rega never used to spend much on the wiring, even though the arm is a very capable bit of kit. (also had the motor upgrade several years ago but didn't really notice much change)

[Slamdoor]

Would like to post a photo of my tt but don’t know how. Can I have a link to some instructions please?

[EchoSevenNine]

Upload Your image to Imgur or the likes, then resize it to about 1024 x 768ish at the biggest, then copy the image code and paste into your reply.

[eagletower]

I have a Linn Axis bought from Nick here in my study, also have an Ariston RD40 gathering dust at mums.

I love Vinyl. My 3 year old daughter loves coming with me to second hand shops, and charity shops to buy vinyl. I discover a lot of music this way, more fun than just looking up playlists on spotify,

[cf31bloobird]

Would like to post a photo of my tt but don’t know how. Can I have a link to some instructions please?

Use that Tapatalk app ..... or the TZUK app come to think of it :)

[SimonH]

You might like to know that I had the arm rewired on mine and it made a world of difference. Apparently Rega never used to spend much on the wiring, even though the arm is a very capable bit of kit. (also had the motor upgrade several years ago but didn't really notice much change)

I did contemplate it but then the Thorens came along which frankly is in a different class albeit the Rega is still a good turntable. I've only recently recommissioned the Rega in my office and TBH it's more than good enough as is for what I need in there. For now at least...!!

[Wolfie]

Use that Tapatalk app ..... or the TZUK app come to think of it :)

TZ UK App seems to have gone up the Swanny when it comes to posting pics of late.. I’ve no idea what’s happened, but, it just embeds a link to crappy resolution pic

[cf31bloobird]

TZ UK App seems to have gone up the Swanny when it comes to posting pics of late.. I’ve no idea what’s happened, but, it just embeds a link to crappy resolution pic

Ahh right I didn't know that ... I use tapatalk all the time anyway

[trident-7]

Imgur's a piece of cake

[doctorj]

I've always made sure I have a phono input on my amps just in case I dig out the old vinyl, but like most of the sensible population I realise that decent rips of CDs or quality downloads sound better and are a hell of a sight less hassle. Even the youtube app on my telly has decent audio. I don't enjoy the music better because I have to change the rubber band over to the correct pulley every time I put a new song on.

[bambam]

Nice setup.

Your bottom hinge adjustment screws need... adjusting, though.

You got to love the OCD on this forum! That comment really made me laugh.

Nice set-up though, regardless of the hinge.

[magirus]

I've always kept my record deck plugged in and available for use on the rack, as well as a Yamaha KX-390 cassette deck. There's also an Arcam 8SE cd player and 7R amp, all going through Dynaudio Audience 40 speakers. Our own Rod sold me the speakers when he ran a hi-fi shop in Darlo, long before I knew him from the forum. My son, who's 25 next month, likes his vinyl and has done for several years.

[bambam]

In a similar vein, we bought our teenage daughter a turntable and Denon system separates system last year. She loves her vinyl and is slowly building her own collection.

Might have to mess about with the cables a bit as she gets a humming sound from the turntable connection every now and then. Seems to go away when you adjust the RCA cable at the amp end.

[cf31bloobird]

You got to love the OCD on this forum! That comment really made me laugh.

Nice set-up though, regardless of the hinge.

Thanks! ... it's really bothering me now too!! haha

[72bpm]

A fairly recent ( 6 yrs) user of a turntable. Like walkerwek I have a Thorens too but a 190 (the price was good!) plays
33 ^1/3, 45 and 78. It has been gathering dust for the last 1.5 years, love it but changing sides ever so often is a pain. I love the album art part of vinyls. This thread is a reminder that I need to listen to my vinyls more often. Mine are all new 180 gram ones. Looking for a Jethro Tull album Heavy Horses if anyone can find me one!

[peterv]

Just seen that Rega are bringing out a new turntable for Record store day , looks very nice too .

[sean]

Hi-res needle drops are my preference. All the convenience of digital without losing the vinyl sound. Especially handy when listening to 45RPM LPs that only have two or three songs on each side.

[Bannon]

Vinyl LPs are analog, thus a warmer and more appealing tone. Digital can never capture the magic.

The next step will be for folks to pull out their old Nakamichi cassette decks and record their LPs saving wear and tear on the records.

[gerard]

Always been a vinyl fan. Still only buy vinyl and listen to vinyl. Like my TTs too of which I have a collection. Usually have 3 on the go, different arms an cartridges on each. Vintage Japanese direct drive statement TTs. sound is superlative IMHO.

[bwest76]

I got up and running last year, nothing too spectacular in the hardwear department but great to hear all my old records again ... I can remember where and when I bought most of them so a lot of nostalgia , they have so much more character than any other format although changing album sides every 15 minutes is a bit of a pain!

Enjoy Paul!




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Now that I like,I have all my Jam singles in a separate case.
Seen them at reading in 1978.
Did you go to the exhibition in London?

[lordloz]

I got up and running last year, nothing too spectacular in the hardwear department but great to hear all my old records again ... I can remember where and when I bought most of them so a lot of nostalgia , they have so much more character than any other format although changing album sides every 15 minutes is a bit of a pain!

Enjoy Paul!




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I just replaced my aged technics with a new audio technica, just need more storage boxes now too....& I have just got that slipmat too cf31 via the Jam Society Facebook group! Love the album frames see you are a fan..... my old friend from youth cub days is Russell Hastings now with Bruce in FTJ so met him couple years back again

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[JonRA]

I don't miss vinyl. I bought a new deck about 10 years ago to listen to my 70's albums - Bowie, Stones, various prog rock, John Martyn and loads of others. I couldn't be doing with turning records over every 20 mins so back it went in storage. When I moved house my collection went to auction and raised a tidy sum (completely unexpected as I was going to give to a local charity shop but it got swept up in my mother-in-law's house clearance).

I now mainly use Google Play and a reasonable quality Bluetooth speaker - music sorted, though I still feel nostalgic fir the vinyl sometimes.

[fordy964]

My house is a homage to vinyl. There has never been a period in my life (since about 10 years old anyway) when I have not been obsessed about it and my hifi, especially turntables. My TT history is very long. Much much deeper into the subject than watches.

My advice to the OP is to just enjoy what you have initially but ensure its been really well set up. Invest time in learning about all the aspects of turntable setup with good tools otherwise upgrades would just be throwing good money after bad. Unless you offload such tasks to a dealer of course.

The TD160 in all guises is a very capable record player (I've had a few...)and it could stand a tonearm upgrade eventually. Rega mount armboards are easily available and the Audio Note Arm is hugely respected and a bargain. Beyond something like this you are better off upgrading the whole deck.

Someone earlier mentioned SME's as an upgrade but these are now getting hyper expensive and are often outclassed by things like the Audio Note. Unipivots like the Naim Aro previously mentioned (rare now and an anachronistic setup nightmare, I had one on an LP12 - it was OK) are right faff on a wobbly sprung deck.

Also with respect to cartridges it might be worth trying to remember if it was already long in the tooth when the deck hung its boots up last time because the last thing you want to do is wear out any of the expensive vinyl! I disagree with the earlier comments about MC cartridges for this deck because they are really expensive, require a top notch tonearm and downstream components to get the benefit and require either different phonostages or step-ups and other associated fuckery. It becomes a very tweaky and detailed subject from there on in. Truth is, there are some fantastic moving magnet cartridges that at their best perform equally as well as low end MC (upto a grand) without all the hassles. I've done a lot of comparisons recently of some top MM's vs MC's and there is less in it than 20 years of the hifi press would have you believe. The law of diminishing returns kicks in hard with MC carts. I do personally use exotic MC's but am very heavily invested the whole thing but on a TD160....nah.

Good luck anyway. Records just sound better than anything else!

[Wolfie]

Always been a vinyl fan. Still only buy vinyl and listen to vinyl. Like my TTs too of which I have a collection. Usually have 3 on the go, different arms an cartridges on each. Vintage Japanese direct drive statement TTs. sound is superlative IMHO.

That looks amazing... I hope you have great taste in music to go with all that kit!

[bwest76]

It doesn’t cost me much, I have all my original records [we never called it vinyl].

I occasionally buy something in a charity shop when someone off loads their collection or people give me stuff like this almost mint original kinks.

My Record decks old I can’t hear the difference with these pricey set ups,my records are now stored in ikea bookcase Billy’s, so for me there’s no real expense.

In the end it’s the music not the hardware that’s most important to me.

[MrSmith]

Also with respect to cartridges it might be worth trying to remember if it was already long in the tooth when the deck hung its boots up last time because the last thing you want to do is wear out any of the expensive vinyl! I disagree with the earlier comments about MC cartridges for this deck because they are really expensive, require a top notch tonearm and downstream components to get the benefit and require either different phonostages or step-ups and other associated fuckery. It becomes a very tweaky and detailed subject from there on in. Truth is, there are some fantastic moving magnet cartridges that at their best perform equally as well as low end MC (upto a grand) without all the hassles. I've done a lot of comparisons recently of some top MM's vs MC's and there is less in it than 20 years of the hifi press would have you believe. The law of diminishing returns kicks in hard with MC carts. I do personally use exotic MC's but am very heavily invested the whole thing but on a TD160....nah.!

and what cart would you recommend for when i re-commision my Rega P3 it’s an old un modded one and needs a new belt, it has a sumiko blue point special which i really like but i can’t remember how old it is? i’m guessing 8-10 years but i didn’t use it heavily, not at all in the last 3 and sporadically before that. how do you tell if its worn out?

i have what i think is a high output MC board in my naim 90/92 i certainly don't have to give it loads of gain and i guess i should check what the loading is? from memory it’s a ‘K’ board

budget around £300?

[Slamdoor]

My little turntable.

[fordy964]

If the Sumiko wasn't heavily used no reason why there isn't life in it. You could send it for inspection to Northwest Analogue, Goldring or The Expert Stylus Company for inspection (for about 20 quid). Otherwise a 20x loupe with the right light can be enough to see if you can discern wear on the stylus. Hard to gauge though without expertise. I'd work on roughly 1000 hrs for cart life. Can be ore or less depending on how dirty your recs are.

For a replacement the Audio Technica AT150MLX is very good value and has surprised me recently. Supeceded by the very similar. VM740ml.

My favourite moving magnet series though is the Nagaoka MP series. A few years ago the top model MP500 was steal at just over 200 and is quite special but the crashed pound and the appreciated Yen have put paid to that. The best MP you can get for 300 would be a good idea though.

Also just to add that Naim 'K' phono cards are for MM or high output MC's like your Sumiko.

[jools]

Always been a vinyl fan. Still only buy vinyl and listen to vinyl. Like my TTs too of which I have a collection. Usually have 3 on the go, different arms an cartridges on each. Vintage Japanese direct drive statement TTs. sound is superlative IMHO.

Very nice gear, not sure about the cushions though ;-) What's that atop the shelves on the right please?

[SimonH]

On the subject of cartridges, my Thorens came with a Shure v15 mark iii, a classic of the era. When I got it I replaced the stylus not being sure how old it was and it sounded very nice. I then read about Jico styluses that have some fancy shape and were supposed to improve the sound. Now I'm generally quite cynical of hi-fi advice but the investment required wasn't huge so I thought I'd give it a go. Wow. What a difference!

I suspect therefore that a big factor in a cartridge's performance is the quality of the stylus cut, and that for those of you for whom it is an option something like a Jico stylus may improve your cartridge's performance quite cheaply.

[ktmog6uk]

and further on carts, any pointers on a reasonably priced replacement for a Linn k9 (axis with Basik Plus arm), i'm currently using an Audio Technica AT110E but not totally happy with it....or a good replacement stylus for a K9, i have two carts but no styli!

[SimonH]

and further on carts, any pointers on a reasonably priced replacement for a Linn k9 (axis with Basik Plus arm), i'm currently using an Audio Technica AT110E but not totally happy with it....or a good replacement stylus for a K9, i have two carts but no styli!

Don't the AT95E styluses fit the K9? In which case something like this: https://www.jico-stylus.com/product_...oducts_id=1602 would probably really bring it back to life!