Do I still need my turntable if I can just get much higher quality needle drops?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by predatorxg, Dec 11, 2017.

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  1. predatorxg

    predatorxg New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    I have an entry level turntable (Rega Planar 1 with the carbon cart that came with it), a 1980's JVC receiver with a built in phono stage as my amplifier and usually listen to my records through headphones (Sennheiser HD650). I have some needle drops that have been produced using high end equipment, costing far more than I could ever afford in a lifetime, from the best pressings of albums. From a purely sound quality perspective (not the sitting down and listening to a record experience), is it worth continuing with my turntable if I'll never be able to anywhere near match the high end audiophile gear used on the needledrops I have? Do those needle drops sound the same as if I plugged my headphones into the person's amp who produced them?
     
    stef1205 and jamiesjamies like this.
  2. mahanusafa02

    mahanusafa02 Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Has everything you’ve ever wanted on vinyl been needledropped by someone else and uploaded to the internet for your access?

    Will everything you’ve ever wanted on vinyl be needledropped by someone else and uploaded to the internet for your access?

    I would think the answer to both questions would be no, so keep your turntable. Even budget needle drops can sound great (not talking Crosley here); the condition and cleaning of the actual record is the most important factor IMHO. Beyond a certain budget, you’re probably getting into diminishing returns territory anyway.
     
  3. alchemy

    alchemy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sterling, VA
    The other half of this answer is:

    Do you enjoy or want to search out pressings of LP''s you would like needle drops of?

    Do you enjoy cleaning up LP's, ripping them, indexing the tracks and then tagine them?

    Vinyl is fun, but I get tired of the ritual of cleaning the LP''s, careful handling of your precious vinyl or records as we use to call them. Placing the needle on the platter carefully and making sure you properly store the record when done.

    I love the LP graphics in the large size.

    .
     
  4. Nightswimmer

    Nightswimmer Forum Resident

    Location:
    Germany
    How are we supposed to know what you need?
     
    bamaaudio, eddiel, 2trackmind and 2 others like this.
  5. BradOlson

    BradOlson Country/Christian Music Maven

    To each his or her own but I would not dump your turntable.
     
  6. While needledropping is a fun hobby for me, nothing compares to the experience of seeing / hearing the physical contact of the stylus with a spinning record getting a sound quality that is satisfying enough for me not to think about the better things that can be found out there.
     
    Lucca90, c-eling and Summerisle like this.
  7. Guitarded

    Guitarded Forum Resident

    Location:
    Montana
    Needle Droppings are useful, but can be tricky to rely on...

    What may look like fresh droppings could actually be weeks old and merely rehydrated from recent precipitation.

    I find it best to just follow the cord back from the wall outlet or phono input.
     
    stereoptic, showtaper, nosliw and 2 others like this.
  8. Strat-Mangler

    Strat-Mangler Personal Survival Daily Record-Breaker

    Location:
    Toronto
    My digital setup isn't half as good as my analog setup. When doing direct comparisons between playing an LP and having the same pressing playing back through my digital setup, my analog setup wins every time.

    Maybe if I spend 2-3K on a great DAC, I might feel differently, but until then...
     
    SirMarc and dbsea like this.
  9. H8SLKC

    H8SLKC Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    I think you should get rid of your turntable. Would you like my address to send it to?
     
  10. gregorya

    gregorya I approve of this message

    Really well done "official" needle drops would be a nice option for digital download services to offer.
     
    Lucca90, SirMarc and timind like this.
  11. Newton John

    Newton John Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cumbria, UK
    Leaving aside whether all that messing around with LPs is fun or troublesome, one thing to take in account is whether you could use the proceeds from your turntable to improve other parts of your system.

    I have a considerable sum tied up in my turntable that, if released, would enable me to make a vast improvement to digital playback. Just another 200 or so needles to drop before I decide whether or not I am prepared to dispose of my turntable. If I do so, I'll lose the ability to buy more vinyl or take advantage of any future improvements in the technology of turntables, cartridges, etc.

    At present, I am leaning towards sacrificing the flexibility and pleasure of owning a turntable for an immediate improvement in sound quality and simplicity. I've had the turntable in one form or another since 1982 so it'll be an even bigger wrench than when I exchanged my much loved CD player for a DS.

    One further thought on the subject by way of analogy. Should I sell my guitar because I can buy recordings by people like Martin Taylor who are much better players than me?
     
    Last edited: Dec 12, 2017
  12. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Keep your table, and if possible, try a new cart, and or phono pre-amp. You may be surprised how even modest upgrades bring the pleasure of
    listening to your own records back. I will probably never have the "high end" stuff that is available, but part of what I do enjoy is the progression
    of sound quality that comes with making improvements to the system I have. I rediscover my music collection
    each time I "upgrade" something.
     
    nosliw likes this.
  13. Chris Schoen

    Chris Schoen Rock 'n Roll !!!

    Location:
    Maryland, U.S.A.
    Ya, it's a matter of how "involved" you want to be in your music, isn't it?
     
  14. Locutus67

    Locutus67 Forum Resident

    Keep the turntable.
    I love and am grateful that there are others who can afford the time and money to offer transfers better than I could do as well.

    I'm also glad there are others who are willing to risk money on a new release where the overall quality/mastering ect. is unknown.
    Sometimes if the quality is exceptional, I'm inspired to buy myself a copy just to have it.

    Making your own is fun too esp. if it stuff that's not likely to find it's way into those needledropper forums.
     
  15. Banco

    Banco Member

    Location:
    The Netherlands
    There is something very relaxing and comforting about going to a rack choosing an album , reading the sleeve, smelling the paper etc, taking it out , placing it on the turntable, cleaning cuing ........dropping the stylus, adjusting amp etc, sitting listening and then taking it off at the end........just wondering for a second if the new cartridge would this.........or that........mmmm needle drop......not the same karma somehow,
     
  16. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    No, other people's needle drops are not the same as listening to the same albums on their equipment. Not even close. They're just really good digital copies of those albums.

    If your turntable sounds good to you, you should keep it.
     
    Lucca90 likes this.
  17. Higlander

    Higlander Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Florida, Central
    You are saying, when you do a needle drop, the resultant digital file, sounds far worse then the vinyl itself??
     
  18. dkmonroe

    dkmonroe A completely self-taught idiot

    Location:
    Atlanta
    I don't see why that would be so surprising. If your analog system is better than your digital system, it pretty much stands to reason that your needle drops aren't going to equal your LP's.
     
    Higlander likes this.
  19. Pastafarian

    Pastafarian Forum Resident

    There are a number of reasons why needledrops are going to be much harder to find from now on, never mind if one has even been done for an album you want. Even the ones which have been out there have been but a fraction of those which have previously been available to a minority. So I'd say don't ditch you Rega but try making some needledrops to see how they compare to you playing the lp.

    I don't imagine there be much income from selling your deck and then what would you'd do with your lps.

    You don't list your CDP, which obviously is going to be the main factor in how a needledrop will sound compared to your Rega.
     
  20. c-eling

    c-eling They're made of light,We never would have guessed

    I get that feeling every time I do my own transfers Hail :)
    Not a fan of stealing music so I do my own as I know the source and there is a sense of accomplishment and joy knowing I did it. Fun hobby!
     
    Hail Vinyl! likes this.
  21. Higlander

    Higlander Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Florida, Central
    I misread his post thinking he said his needle drops sounded only "Half as good", that was where my dismay came from.
     
    dkmonroe likes this.
  22. predatorxg

    predatorxg New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    United Kingdom
    Thank you for all the replies, they've actually helped me to decide that it would be silly to get rid of my turntable, I've invested time and money in collecting certain (mostly all-analog) pressings of my favourite albums that were recorded pre-digital recording and I do think I would miss the "sitting down and listening to a record" ritual which is how I ended up buying a turntable and collecting records in the first place.
     
    Carl Swanson, Banco and dkmonroe like this.
  23. Spin Doctor

    Spin Doctor Forum Resident

    Foo Fighters "Wasting Light" LP had needle drop digital downloads. They were pretty good, but mine are better, yup...
     
    gregorya likes this.
  24. Spin Doctor

    Spin Doctor Forum Resident

    duh... ;)
     
  25. rischa

    rischa Forum Resident

    Location:
    Mt. Horeb, WI
    I don't get it. Playing records is fun! I think my setup sounds amazing, but if it wasn't fun, I wouldn't bother.

    Digital files sound great--but they're just not as fun to play as records. Sure, that's my opinion, but it's the correct opinion.
     
    Dennis0675 and Jimi Floyd like this.
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