Can a cheap turntable damage records (MY 1ST POST!)

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by dennis1077, Jan 5, 2010.

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  1. IanL

    IanL Senior Member

    Location:
    Oneonta, NY USA
    I agree with you. But there is really no point in recommending gear that is outside of Dennis' budget. He made an informed decision to buy the Debut III and now it will be most helpful if we can help him maximize performance with his current system, or possibly a cheaper speaker upgrade.
     
  2. hukkfinn

    hukkfinn Senior Member

    Location:
    Delaware
    Actually it CAN be great, but it can also be populated by sketchy people. The great part of Craigslist is, you can often visit somebody and hear the stuff you are about to buy.

    Audiogon is where serious audiophiles go to trade equipment. The speakers you're considering are being offered right now for $160.
    http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?spkrmoni&1271892469&/PSB-Alpha-B1

    I note that you are concerned with the size of your Sony speakers (which need to be jettisoned from your system immediately!). These PSBs are really small. Just sayin'. But if they are bigger than the Sonys, then maybe you take a dive because $160 is not much to invest if they sound even HALF as good as all those reviews say.

    Hukk
     
  3. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Yea man, I hear that! I feel like I already spent so much money. I should be able to swing about $200. These look pretty nice.

    http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/1599175001.html

    For $70, these look VERY tempting.

    http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/1591796933.html

    Is bigger better? I'm actually happy with how my $50 Sony bookshelf speakers sound. I just began to envision larger speakers projecting that sound better.
     
  4. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    Ask to audition them. Given your space limitations, the bookshelfs might be the way to go. Also look at the Paradigms, and keep in mind, you can always offer less. I bought a pair of Linn Index speakers locally off Craigslist, paid $125 but threw in a couple of cds into the deal to move the guy off his original price, which was $250.

    Have you contacted any of the sellers yet?
     
  5. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    No, haven't contacted anyone yet. Sort of making up my mind of which one I want to go with.
     
  6. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    Contact them all. The way Craigslist works, some of them may be sold already.
     
  7. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    That's funny. I WAS sort of worried about having to deal with some shady character. Like any big city, Philadelphia has it's share of them.

    Yea, there was a bit of a concern with the size of the Sonys. Particularly when I'm playing my old 80's thrash metal records! lol. Unfortunately there are issues with space limitations but I'm trying to be inventive. I may even trash my TV. I barely ever use the thing.
     
  8. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Actually, speaking of sketchy people, can the same be said for people on audiogon? I noticed that there is no feedback on that particular seller. I realize that it's largely paranoia, but what's to keep someone from taking your money then not shipping the item?
     
  9. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    I am a fan of buying used gear face to face, local seller. Just ask to audition the speakers. If the seller refuses or if you get an uncomfortable feeling about a CL deal, you can just walk away. FWIW, I have never had a bad experience with CL, with audio or otherwise.
     
  10. hukkfinn

    hukkfinn Senior Member

    Location:
    Delaware
    Great question. Yeah I would normally be hesitant with a 0-feedback guy. He is selling several speakers on audiogon right now. That shouldn't matter but somehow makes me think he is more legit. (Yes that logic is shaky! But it does help the gut feel.) Maybe you email him and ask if you can chat on the phone. Ask him some questions about the speakers, like what he paid, when he bought them.... if you know the answers you'll be able to tell if his comments make sense.
     
  11. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I've actually sold a few guitar amps on there. I just arranged to have them drop by my old rehearfshal studio during band practice.
     
  12. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    You never know who you might find out there. Some of my transactions, like when I bought an equipment rack, were very business like. My gear purchases were different, in one case I came and auditioned gear twice. It turns out the guy had more gear than what he advertised on CL, and I wound up buying something different from what he had advertised on CL.

    In the other case where I bought the Linn speakers, the guy actually offered to let me take them home for a home audition, and I could see why he was selling. He had upgraded to B & W Nautilus 805s. In both cases, I walked away feeling pretty good about the transactions. Of course, your mileage my vary.
     
  13. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I'm not in a total rush. I may just watch the listings for a few weeks and see what comes along.
     
  14. ShawnMcCann

    ShawnMcCann A Still Tongue Makes A Happy Life

    Location:
    The Village
    I bought a pair of these last year at Best Buy for my workshop and hooked them up to a Sherwood RX-4109 stereo receiver. Sounded OK at first if a little hard, but after a couple of months and a couple of long sessions (8-10 hours) they broke in, and now they sound just fine. Still a little bass-shy so I might get a small sub at some point.
     
  15. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Yea, I don't think they're bad at all. I hear you about them being "bass-shy." I think that's what really got me considering an upgrade.
     
  16. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    I'll bet a little subwoofer would REALLY open those little Sony speakers up. I haven't heard them but I'd bet they sound pretty good. I'm running a very modest little subwoofer in my office with my bookshelf speakers and it sounds really great.
     
  17. dennis1077

    dennis1077 Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Not a bad idea. Can they be had for a modest price?
     
  18. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    I wouldn't. Good subwoofers don't come cheap, and your room may be too small in any event. Just get better speakers, then a better amp.
     
  19. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    Yes. You can probably pick up a used sub for under $50 that would add a LOT to your sound. You need a Home Theater subwoofer (not a car sub - obviously) where you can channel the speaker leads through the sub and have the sub crossover work. Something like this:

    http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/1612314357.html $75

    http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/1611735576.html $50

    http://philadelphia.craigslist.org/ele/1611233671.html $50

    You want a small sub because a big one is going to send too much sound through the walls.
     
  20. IanL

    IanL Senior Member

    Location:
    Oneonta, NY USA
    I don't feel that home theater subwoofers are fast enough for music. Gets in the way of pace and rhythm. Just my opinion.
     
  21. PhilBiker

    PhilBiker sh.tv member number 666

    Location:
    Northern VA, USA
    I completely disagree. Just another opinion. Both are valid, depending on the installation.

    I think your concern is irrelevant at the level of equipment we're discussing here. I think adding bass to the OPs speakers by Bi-amping into a woofer would be a massive improvement. According to Sony's web site those speakers don't have any extension beyond 80Hz. I'll bet they roll off significantly higher than that, and that they sound pretty good in the higher frequencies.
     
  22. misterweiss

    misterweiss Active Member

    Location:
    Maine
    Can a cheap turntable damage records?

    Does Dolly Parton sleep on her back?
     
  23. webbcity

    webbcity Confused Onlooker

    I have a Polk subwoofer that was pretty inexpensive and I really like it. My main speakers are tiny KEFs, and they work well together. Without the sub, the KEFs just don't have enough low end (although they sound great).
     
  24. mrt2

    mrt2 Active Member

    Location:
    Milwaukee, WI, USA
    This is why the OP should at least get speakers that have some bass output before trying to fix a bad pair of speakers with a cheap subwoofer. IMO that is throwing good money after bad. Even a modest pair of good modern, or even good vintage bookshelf speakers will have some output down to 45 - 50 Hz. (the main difference being that the modern speaker will be a lot smaller than the vintage speaker) If his room is really small, that may be just the right amount of bass, especially if he puts the speakers near the corners.
     
  25. Jay F

    Jay F New Member

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Any subwoofer used in a boarding house is likely going to make your housemates want to kill you. I'd wait until I was living in my own house before I took that step.

    How's the turntable sounding today, Dennis?
     
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