Do I need a special needle for very old 78s?

Except most players from the 80's no longer offered 78 speed. That's why I ended up with my Dual CS 5000. It was one of the few decks out there in 1989 that had three speeds. (BTW, to OP, don't buy a CS 5000, they are very finicky and hard to source parts for. Earlier DUAL's, like the 1218 and 1219 are much better bets).

 

Yes, pretty good. You will need a separate stylus for 78 for it. That is the stylus model AT-VMN95SP. That's a little hard to find right now because it is so new, but several sellers around the web have it. The stylus slides out and in easily, the cartridge stays in place.
On the same bestbuy page under "Frequently bought together" is a $150 Sony stereo receiver with Bluetooth which is pretty well liked at its price - of course you could spend more. For speakers, you have a very wide choice from $29/pair to infinity, not limited to bestbuy. Decide on your budget for a pair of speakers, and you'll get mine and a dozen more recommendations or possibilities.

 

Or buy two headshells and cartridges. Much easier to swap that way.

 

I have twice been lost in foreign countries where I didn't understand the language, and in both cases I was able to depend on the kindness of strangers to fumble along and find my way. This feels like that. I feel both completely lost and like I am also finding my way, thanks to the help of so much advice from strangers who are so warming helping out and treating this foreigner as a welcome friend. Thank you everyone. I ordered the 793-d7m needle already so I can start listening asap. I will keep the cheap suitcase for my few vinyls, and shop for the Audio Technica, and stylus, and if I understand can use it for now with my computer without buying a receiver and speakers? And will save up for the receiver and speakers. Keep sending advice my way. I am eating it up like cake.

 

I said ceramic?
Yes, sapphire, thanks for posting the correction.

 

The AT-LP120XUSB-BK will be a 100 times better upgrade for sure!
I know it looks nothing like a Victrola, but it will sound incredibly better, and your records will Thank you for it.
Yes, the AT will work fine with your computer without additional amp and speakers.
I've never used a USB turntable to a computer before, but it reads that it will.
The bonus too, it has a switchable phono pre-amp, so even if the USB connection doesn't work,
you can plug the AT into your soundcard with an RCA to 1/4" adapter cable.
You have asked some great and simple questions, you've come so far so quick!

 

@Katinka Clementsmith, let us know how you get on with the new needle.
We'd love to know.

 

Thank you!

 

The turntable looks like a decent choice, from what I can tell--I'm not at all familiar with it, however. That said, I have a collector friend who has a variant of this model and, at least as of a year or two ago, has been happy with it: "The Audio Technica is the ATLP120-USB, a lower-end model (it cost somewhere around $300), which has variable speed but only around 33, 45 and 78. I use it for all speeds (changing out headshells between 78 and microgroove carts) and it's a decent machine, has certainly given me no problems in the 5 years I've owned it. Mind you, it remains to be seen how long-lasting it will prove to be. In any case I certainly don't use it anywhere near as heavily as I would have used a table back in the 80s and 90s!"

I'd avoid the receiver. Unless I missed something, it lacks a "mono" setting, and for 78s I count that as the very bare minimum playback requirement. I also can't see any tone controls, and, again, those are very basic needs for the territory unless you want to take a long jump into a specialist preamp like my Jazz Club. For starters, bass and treble controls will do fine, but I wouldn't advise leaving them out.

 

Oh, by the way, should you go with it, the AT turntable, fitted with a suitable LP stylus, will be far kinder to your LPs than the suitcase player and should sound better, too. If I were you, I'd figure on making the AT my main turntable for all purposes and let the suitcase one do duty as a portable for parties or whatnot.

 

Thank you all so much. I just indulged myself by order the AT-LP120XUSB-SV and the
AT-VMN95SP stylus. The receiver and speaker will have to wait for a bit, but I have my laptop it will have to run through for a while. Hopefully the albums are in good enough condition that they will sound lovely with this new system. I feel like I have learned so much, and so glad to have had all the advice, but now I just want to learn more, so expect to see me around asking all these newbie questions.

 

Here's hoping they give you many hours of unalloyed listening pleasure!

 

I'm not even getting it, but I'm excited for you!!
Woop! Woop!
Your gonna notice the difference in a heartbeat!

 

OK, this is old, but one thing to know about playing 78s on newer systems. Stereo cartridges/needles have both a vertical and horizontal component that is reflected in the v groove. The needle bounces up and side to side to create the sound. Most older 78s were cut using only a side-to-side motion for the sound vibrations. So if you get a true mono cartridge with a 3 mil stylus that only has a horizontal component, that alone will dramatically reduce the noise on 78s because most of that noise (the part that isn't from minute scratching and cracking of the shellac) comes from dust and junk (lots of cigarette smoke too!) in the bottom of the groove that moves the stereo needle up and down (and generating noise on a stereo cartridge). Get rid of the vertical component using a true mono cartridge and you'll reduce the noise.

Now, one other caveat. Some "78" cartridges use a stylus without a vertical deflection component (it's rigid in the vertical plane). Not all but some. That kind of stylus will destroy newer v-cut recordings because it will plow through the vertical component of the groove. The confusion comes when old 78s were mono and only cut side-to-side, but newer vinyl "microgroove" LPs like original Beatles mono pressings are v-cut grooves. Please don't use a true 78 cartridge without vertical motion on one of these! The safe bet is to get a true mono cartridge that can play a v-groove and use that on the old 78s. It will do just fine, it won't destroy the music any more then the 100g + "tracking" weight of an old victrola. Note I own a few crank victrolas as well as mono v-groove LPs and have a variety of cartridges and needles for just these reasons. (As an aside, you can't always safely play a 10 inch 78 on a crank Victrola because later pressings (from the 40s and especially the 50s) were pressed in softer resins which don't hold up as well to the heavy steel needles as the original 78s - though they apparently sound better...on first listen.)

 

The OP bought a AT-VMN95SP stylus. Would that take care of concerns you mentioned above? I’m thinking of picking up the same turntable plus that AT-VMN95SP stylus meant for 78s.

 

The LP120-X turntable comes with the VM95 cartridge. (Be sure to get the X or XUSB model turntable, not the earlier model without the X in the model number.) That cart has vertical compliance because it is a stereo cartridge. There's no problem with that cartridge and stylus for mono or stereo 45 or 33 records.
The AT-VMN95SP stylus is only for 78s, and it replaces the standard LP/45 stylus that comes on the cart. Again there is no problem when playing 78s. To reduce left/right noise from mono 78s, (or mono LPs and 45s with the normal stylus) the first and most inexpensive step is a mono switch or a mono cable. There are choices from under $10 to over $50 for that, when you need it. But you can play mono records without the switch or cable, no damage when you use the correct stylus.
In other words there is no problem here. Get the turntable (with the X) and get the VMN95SP stylus for 78s. The small next step is the mono switch/cable for mono records of any speed but you do not "need" that.

 

I did something similar. I purchased an Audio Technica AT-LP140XP, AT-VM95SP/H, and connected it to a Parks Audio Puffin phono stage. It makes a heck of a 78 rig. The LP140 is a DJ turntable so you can vary the speed for all the out of spec 78rpm records. The puffin allows you to run the many 78 record curves, has mono settings, and can invert polarity for those old Edison records. I have been quite happy with this 78 setup.

 

That’s amazing. I have a Puffin too! It’s one of the reasons I was considering this setup. Now I need tips for convincing my wife that this is something necessary...