New To Vinyl

Hello everyone,

I am new to collecting vinyl and have been reading your forum voraciously searching for the best pressings to purchase.

About a month ago I picked up a copy of ‘Is This It?’by The Strokes (original cover) on vinyl as a birthday present for my wife. Years ago, I had lost her CD version of the album and thought it would be a nice surprise for her.

Almost as an afterthought, I realized I should probably get a record player too! And speakers! I did some research for beginners and settled on an Audio-Technica AT-LP60x-BK paired with Edifier 1280DB speakers.

So far, I’m satisfied. However, I can’t help but feel I can do better. I want to get the best sound I can from my vinyl.

Where can I go from here? What’s the next step (or two) up for me? I would appreciate any help the forum can offer.

Here’s a list of vinyl I have purchased:

Jimi Hendrix - Electric Ladyland and Axis Bold as Love (2010 - Sony Legacy)

Love - Forever Changes (50th Anniversary LP)

The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds (2015 Stereo - Analogue Productions)

Tropicalia: A Brazilian Revolution in Sound (2005 - Soul Jazz)

Simon & Garfunkel - Bridge Over Troubled Water (1999 - Classic Records)

Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon (2016 - Pink Floyd Records)

Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2008 - Nonesuch)

And of course the aforementioned Stokes - Is This It?

Thank you so much!

 

First: Welcome!

Second: You picked some nice pressings right out of the gate. So much so that, in my opinion, your turntable is incapable of reproducing the nuances waiting for you in the grooves.

No one likes to be told that the fun thing they just bought is sub-par. So, in the interest of incremental improvement, my first suggestion is to upgrade the cartridge/stylus... Except, it doesn't look like you can replace the cartridge? And apparently there aren't many meaningful stylus upgrades for the LP60 either...

Here is a thread from a different forum giving some advice about your table:

Can I upgrade cartridge for AT LP60- Vinyl Engine

Sorry, this is a long way of saying that I'd recommend you upgrade to an entirely different table. You're going to be handcuffed from making any serious upgrades or changes if you stick with the LP60. I personally get a lot of enjoyment out of restoring (usually light repair/troubleshooting) "vintage" tables from the 70s and 80s. You can find them for free or up to whatever your budget allows and sort out any issues (usually just neglect/user error). I have had really good luck with 80s Harman/Kardon tables, for example. Models starting with a "T" (T-60, T-35, T-55, etc.) are simple to use and service and inexpensive generally.

It's somewhat fruitless to suggest particular styli, cartridges, preamps, etc., until you figure out where you really want to go with your turntable. Please ask more questions and hopefully others will chime in and we can make this a productive thread for you!

 

Here is a "kit" to upgrade your table, but it's half the cost of finding a decent used model...

Upgrade Kit for Audio-Technica AT-LP60 AT-LP60X AT-LP60USB AT-LP60-BT AT-LP60XBT turntable

 

The preamp is very weak. Get an external preamp. Almost any will up the sound in a good way.

 

My suggestion would be to move towards a "proper" hifi, that is get an amplifier, a better pair of loudspeakers - active or passive are options -, and a better turntable. Once you get the amp you can also hook your existing digital sources to it. From here it is a matter of taste and budget if you buy current new hardware, or vintage from the used market.

 

Well, nice list! By this Bridge over Troubled Water by Classic Records is a $100 dollar record I think, some other are also pricey and excellent pressings, and your are not really getting the best of them, and perhaps even slowly ruining them with your TT. As many said above - get better turntable, at least when properly setup it will not ruin your collection - while you slowly moving into pricey hell of audiophilia. )))

 

You have no budget mentioned which is where you should start.

 

Buying an LP60 and the Edifier powered speakers while you've already spent hundreds of dollars on these records is rather lop-sided.

With that amount on these records, you can easily buy a proper entry-level turntable or a used Japanese direct-drive turntable with proper adjustabilities and ability to upgrade the cartridge. The LP60 is not a good player for your audiophile LPs and it has quite a few shortcomings such as high inner-groove distortion due to its short tonearm and conical stylus, no meaningful cartridge upgrade options, skipping on challenging records (I came across a real-life situation where it would skip on the Mobility Fidelity Sound Labs pressing of Dire Straits' Brothers in Arms), high wow/flutter, and speed problems.

Be aware that some people will claim that skipping is caused due to "bad mastering" and is therefore the record is faulty merely because it skips on low-end players and yet it doesn't on better turntables. If you come across someone who told you that, disregard and ignore their opinion.

 

My main worry for you is that as you are spending more on pressings than your gear that they will not outlive your interest in the hobby.
I would mainly suggest getting a high end stylus as this will reduce distortion and wear most of all.
But as your turntable cant switch carts I guess you will have to change that first.

Now if your one and only concern is about sound improvement then Speakers will almost always be your best bet.

 

Ignore this if you want to become an audiophile and spend the SHF minimum $1500-2000. Ignore this if you imagine yourself cartridge swapping, testing various photo preamp an generally getting OCD.

However, if you just want something nicer to play records with, this is a nice little table (with internal phone preamp) at $75 off the regular price.

Pro-Ject T1 Reference Turntable with Speed Change and Pre-Amp (Black) | eBay

Best record player under $300

 

Thank you for the warm welcome and link! I believe looking at a better turntable is my best option for now. I want to improve the sound quality of the vinyl and also make sure they last.

 

Thank you for your response! I am open to suggestions

 

Haha! I can already feel myself falling deeper down the rabbit hole - it’s nice here

 

Thank you for pointing this out. I’m comfortable spending upwards to $500 - $750 including speakers. Of course I wouldn’t mind spending less if I can.

 

Thank you for the tips! And you’re correct - I completely went in opposite directions in regards to my choice of record player and vinyl. I’d like to rectify that. What would you consider an entry-level turntable?

Also, I love Al Green and would like to pick up a copy ‘Call Me’ and ‘I’m Still in Love With You’. However, with the exception of ‘Call Me’ being released by ‘Vinyl, Me, Please’ I could not locate any quality pressings of ISILWY on vinyl. If I were to purchase the ‘Fat Possum’ reissue of ISILWY, would it be wise to play it on a high quality turntable where the limitations of the mastering/pressing will be exposed or keep my Audio-Technica turntable to specifically play vinyl not mastered/pressed well?

 

I definitely want sound improvement but I also want my vinyl to last. Do you have a recommendation on speakers? I like the Edifier speakers I purchased because I am able to also connect them to my television.

 

I'm not familiar with Al Green, nor Fat Possum pressings. Some of the label's releases appear to use Memphis Records Pressing, which they are not exactly great with respect to pressing quality according to people's opinions on Discogs and on the Music Forum here. The LP60 will still have shortcomings, irrespective of if they're new or used records.

I'd consider buying a used Japanese direct-drive turntable like Technics, JVC, Sony, Pioneer, etc, plus used receiver/amplifier with phono inputs, and speakers. Or buy an Art DJ Pre phono preamp and whatever powered speakers you use, along with a used turntable.

 

I can’t deny that I already possess the obsessive traits that would lead me down the audiophile road. But I would prefer to keep things under control and focus my OCD on tracking down the best possible pressings of albums on my list and eventually A/B’ing different presses of the same album.

So I am very thankful for the recommendation of the Project T-1 Phono SB. It looks excellent and definitely a step in the right direction. When I first purchased the Audio-Technica on Amazon, I also added the following turntables to my list:

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC Turntable with Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge ($399)

and

Fluance RT81 Elite High Fidelity Vinyl Turntable Record Player with Audio Technica AT95E Cartridge, Belt Drive, Built-in Preamp ($294)

 

Thank you for the suggestion!

 

That's an understatement.

Seriously though, you'd want to consider cost and just how far you want to go....the AT-60 is an OK beginner's turntable but anything to upgrade to will likely improve things significantly. My own suggestion is a decent cartridge and consider a turntable upgrade which it sounds like you're already doing.

But you don't have to spend thousands for good sound.

 

I'd avoid those Pro-ject TTs. Lots of them have problems with hum and motor noise. Do a search if you want to confirm.

 

Don't forget to get a stylus brush to keep the needle clean. Cleaning the stylus at least once daily will reduce playback noise by ~+/-50%. The Lyra SPT is very nice!

 

Id save my money for an excellent record cleaner as soon as you can. It can make a HUGE difference

 

I would note that the Fluance is $250 at the Fluance site.

The Debut Carbon seems to be a bit of a "luck of the draw" item as to whether it is a "hummer" or not. It's cousin from Music Hall is a better table, though I'd want it to be at this open box price and not the regular msrp. You'd need an external phono preamp with this, however. (My first post was aimed at a "table and preamp for $300" target.)

Music Hall - MMF-2.3 Turntable (Black) **OPEN BOX**

Sticking with the powered speakers concept, these Fluance models would be nice upgrades in the "next level up" group.

Powered Bookshelf Stereo Speakers | Fluance

 

Thank you. I’ll do my research on these brands. Regarding direct-drive turntables... A few articles I have read seem to favor belt-drive turntables for non-DJ’s. What are your thoughts?