Question for the vinyl enthusiasts

[Dr. Wagner]

I want to start getting into vinyl and I'm looking for a record player. Any vinyl enthusiasts have any recommendations for a good player for someone starting out? I'm currently a student and don't have a ton of dough, I was hoping to get something between $100-$150 for now, don't care if it's used.

Also any recommendations for good places to find records would be appreciated.

[back_blows]

I swear by this product (http://www.ionaudio.com/iptusb). I have a pretty good amp to go with it though.

[The_Wurm]

also, my pops has a record player, but i know the needle has been broken for quite a while now, so i wanted to buy him a new one for christmas. How much(not lookin for top of the line here, just something that plays music) will a needle run me, and are there a million different needle variations, or will pretty much all em work with whatever record player he's got(he has pretty much all 12 incher records, pretty sure)

[Dr. Wagner]

I swear by this product (http://www.ionaudio.com/iptusb). I have a pretty good amp to go with it though.

Thanks. How's the sound quality? What kind of amp do you have?

[HPLabonte]

http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=207910213&listingid=24679771&dcaid=17902

this is the one i've got, you can definitely find it cheaper in other places, I got mine for $50 at Best Buy (open item) it's good. I run it through my surround sound system and it sounds great.

Tower.com is great to find records at.

[back_blows]

also, my pops has a record player, but i know the needle has been broken for quite a while now, so i wanted to buy him a new one for christmas. How much(not lookin for top of the line here, just something that plays music) will a needle run me, and are there a million different needle variations, or will pretty much all em work with whatever record player he's got(he has pretty much all 12 incher records, pretty sure)

Kind of depends on the system you've got available. The replacement stylus for the product I have won't go for more than $20. I have seen some pretty expensive stylus' though.


Thanks. How's the sound quality? What kind of amp do you have?

I play guitar a bit, so I have a Marshall 100 Watt guitar combo amp. It plays pretty well with the turntable.

[afterstasis]

i'll second the suggestion for ion... i'm poor and not too well-versed in audiophile favorites, but my ion does the trick for me.

[King_Nuthin]

I don't want to be a jerk, but to really appreciate the benefits that vinyl offers you need to invest a little more money.

The lowest end Music Hall or Pro-Ject tables may seem pricey but that's where you'll begin to hear vinyl shine. Plus if you find a dealer you can probably trade up if/when you get that far since these aren't big box buys. Rega is the next step up in the entry level stuff and I believe even their cheapest turntable is upgradeable.

Just my 2 cents.

[miche.cs]

Yup. I second what's said above me. I have the cheapest Pro-Ject you can get and you'll not be upset with buying it. They're great looking as well as great sounding. But they do seem to be rather expensive in the USA in comparison to what you can pick them up in the UK. I've got mine hooked up through Kef Speakers and a Cambridge Audio entry level amp and it sounds awesome. If you're looking for good sound you can't really skimp on the price unfortunately!

[HPLabonte]

Ahh, well since he's a poor college student like myself, you don't need top of the line/whatnot, the Sony sounds fine for the price, there's always time in the future to upgrade.

[Dr. Wagner]

Thanks guys, I don't need audiophile level quality right now but I'll keep those names in mind for the future. So where do you guys find most of your vinyl? Know of any good online stores? I've been checking out insound and Amazon's vinyl store.

[back_blows]

Depends on what you're looking for, but for the most part Tower records should meet your needs.

http://www.tower.com/surf/explore/nav_exp/nav_2_browse.cfm?div_id=2&format=32

You may also want to check out any vinyl album stores in your area. Used vinyl distributors are quite common.

[Apples]

If I recall correctly, HMX Henry was a vinyl collector, try asking him.

Or was it Johnlok? All these community team members start to look the same after a while. (ie: suckers)

[a21schizoidman]

good places for vinyl:

thrift store (salvation army, goodwill, local resale shops)
garage sales/yard sales
estate sales

[The_Wurm]

if i were you were you i would check around for local record stores. they are so cheap. there is a local record store around campus and the avg price per LP is about 7$. I bought 3 albums for my pops for christmas and it cost under 20 bucks (the guess who, heuy lewis and the news, the grass roots)

[miche.cs]

If you're wanting new releases on vinyl Amazon is good or try http://www.soundstagedirect.com/