Getting back into vinyl and have some questions....

I broke out my old Yamaha P-300 TT today along with a Denon 4311 (spare AVR) and Salk Song Surround Is. Setup everything in the bedroom on top of a dresser and have been listening to vinyl for a few hours. My old vinyl collection isn't in the best condition but still sounds great . I tried to use an old Yamaha R-1000 receiver but the left channel is not working. It would have been cool if it worked as it was a great receiver back in the day.

So I'm thinking of trying the P-300 in my main system but my Emotiva XMC-1 doesn't have a phono input/preamp. I was looking at the Parasound Zphono phono preamp. It's on sale at Audio Advisor for $199. Is the Zphono a quality entry level phono preamp? The RCA cables from the Zphono to the XMC-1 would be 7' to 8' long. The TT would need to be on a small table about 4' to 5' from the XMC-1. Would that length of cable present a problem?

What would be a quality TT and cartridge to replace the P-300 in the $500 to $750 range? Are there any good ones that are automatic or is manual the way t go? Is used a good direction to go with TTs?

What would be a quality record cleaning and cartridge needle system that is not too expensive?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice !

 

Do you have music that would be less than $500-$750 to replace on used CDs, and rip and load onto a media player? I would recommend that route before I would advocate a big money outlay on something that you may find quickly isn't really a thing you're going to "get back into". Actually playing records is tedious (getting up and flipping the disk, loading it back into the jacket, flipping through big boxes or shelves in your living space...), and you have to add a record cleaning system to the bill for starters, because you've forgotten how intolerably noisy and crackly dirty LPs are. Wouldn't you rather just press "random" on your remote and enjoy?

My personal and almost universal recommendation for the non-cork-sniffer is a higher-end Technics direct-drive from the 80s, ones that are on the same level as the SL1200MK2 but without the used price premium. Your Yamaha is not terrible, and an unknown cartridge can first get an upgraded stylus or complete replacement, and your upgrade can also transfer to your next turntable. I would get at least a semi-auto turntable, so you don't have the agita of having to rush over to pick up the needle after a side is over.

My keeper receiver for vinyl transfers after many others is a Denon DRA-397. A used integrated receiver like this one gets you a phono pre-amp with verifiable quality as good any separate phono at the price, and it's the whole package.

 

Glad you are enjoying your vinyl again. The answer to your question is that 7 or 8 foot cables will be perfectly OK to use. They should be shielded but most are.

 

To re-answer the question, the capacitance of phono cables is quite important to the frequency response. Casually specifying "audiophile" RCA cables of random lengths and characteristics before the phono stage will give you sonic problems. This is why most turntables have permanently-attached cables, to make them more foolproof.

 

Non-cork-sniffer. Lol. Good lord

 

There's a certain point where money is charged just because there are people that have money, and the form becomes more important than the function.

 

Kick ass! A butcher block and record spinner in one. This is definitely a candidate for that ugliest stereo component thread that's been floating around here for a while.

 

Sorry that the OP is not getting much usable advice to get going. There have been quite a few threads in the past few years about lower cost TTs and phono stages. I do think it is reasonable to start off as cheaply as you can to see if you really want to commit to vinyl for a significant fraction of your listening time. As for the cables while your length is not a problem make sure you get Phono cables rather than using generic RCA interconnects for the reasons Harby states.

Phono stage suggestions

sub-$500 Phono preamps: Are you frustrated with what's available?

Entry level turntable recommendations

Whats a good Turntable for around $500?

 

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and advice, much appreciated ! I'm definitely going to keep the budget low to see if I want to dive deep back into vinyl. I have a good size digital library of both stereo and multichannel titles which will remain my main focus. I enjoyed listening to vinyl today and going through my old vinyl collection.

The first thing on the list to buy is a record cleaner. I also realized that my preference is not for a fully automatic TT but one that has auto lift or auto return. For now I'll play with the Yamaha P-300.

 

Don't own one, but a Spin Clean is cheap and gets good reviews.

A used VPI HW19 would be a great choice. No auto lift on it. If you must have that functionality, you need to look for a used Japanese table (Sony, Technics, JVC, Pioneer, Denon, etc.).

This looks interesting: Technics Sl-1200 MKII with Upgrades | Turntables | Reading, Massachusetts 01867 | Audiogon

 

If I were you, Bill, I'd just get the preamp and see how much use it gets over the next few months. Never had the Parasound phono, but it's generally well regarded. I had their DAC from that series and it was killer for the price. Or you could go for the Emotiva XPS-1 phono preamp, Schiit, or the Lounge that a member here makes. I know some people might lose their minds for me saying this, but even those under $50 TCC phono preamps aren't bad if you're just looking to dip a toe.

If you can find something used, so much the better. That way there's less loss if you decide it's not for you or you want to go bigger if you take the plunge on a new turntable.
Cable length of 8' from the phonostage to your preamp shouldn't be a problem. If it is, I would think it's not working properly.

 

Washing LPs in the sink with mild dishwashing liquid, a brush, and a wire rack for drying is very effective and cheap.
I do own a VPI 16.5 and love it, but the above works just fine (just try not to wet the labels too much).