**The Official Vinyl Collectors Thread**

[chadizzy1]

Wanted my 20k post to be in this thread. This is by far my favorite thread on Ants. Lots of good conversation, cool folks, and it's nice to have one thread I can chat in that doesn't get hostile.

Keep up the good work lads!

[socopithy]

Congrats bro. Keep the good posts rolling.

I've mostly lurked until recently, but I have to say I and a lot of people around here owe you for your work and dedication.

Good to have you around man.

[AlexK79]

Damn Chad, 20K posts in under 4 years, that's what they call doing WORK.

[mcwyffe]

I get most of my important vinyl news from this thread and chad. Thanks for everything man.

[Lew Zealand]

Originally Posted by AndySlash

mondo's guardians of the galaxy vinyl showed up today. looks real nice.

Which handbills did you get? Mine shows up on Friday, I'm hoping for Rocket or Groot and Yondu.

[snake911]

Originally Posted by rrmies

It's the new QRP and it's the only 200g album I have right now. I have multiple 180g that sound find. Wondered if it was related to that, but the first 2 or 3 tracks were crystal clear. I need to give it another spin, but it was one or two tracks per side where there was some distortion, specifically high notes.

I will say I've been a bit surprised in how much the quality of pressings varies. I'm a pretty big Wilco fan and all of those seem to be done pretty well. However, some of the lesser known bands/albums I've purchased, the center hole was jagged and in a few cases not even fully punched out.

Yep, welcome to the wonderful world of vinyl. Center hole too small, extra vinyl bits around the edge, two side A labels on one disk, etc... Vinyl has so much character! It can be maddening at times but that part of the charm. You can spend years searching for a good pressing of an album you really want, and even then you could probably spend years more searching for one just a little better.

[AndySlash]

Originally Posted by Lew Zealand

Which handbills did you get? Mine shows up on Friday, I'm hoping for Rocket or Groot and Yondu.

i got one of the two rocket ones. i wasn't a first-1000 orderer, so i didn't get the mini handbill.

[krisjay]

Originally Posted by chadizzy1

Wanted my 20k post to be in this thread. This is by far my favorite thread on Ants. Lots of good conversation, cool folks, and it's nice to have one thread I can chat in that doesn't get hostile.

Keep up the good work lads!

I have found this to be the same on other forums as well. Not to toot my or our own horns, but it seems vinyl collectors or vinyl lovers have a generally decent way about ourselves, the vinyl threads on other forums like this one seem to attract a certain type of people. Vinyl folks are just better people.

Edit:The last sentence was a joke, relax.

[AndySlash]

whew, i didn't want to keep my heightened sense of self-worth anyway.

[AlexK79]

Finally was able to listen to all 4 of the Blues Traveler reissues (I got the black vinyl versions) and I'd give them a B overall.

Pressing quality is great - they are dead flat, centered, quiet, and clean.

Sonically, I thought they were good, not great. Very bright sounding, almost to the point of harshness in some spots. They just sound very digital, lacking in warmth. This in part is just how these albums always sounded - BT always had a lot of top end in their mixes. My system could also be contributing as my HPM-100's were always very bright, neutral sounding speakers by nature.

The labels state that all 4 of these were done from the 'original digital master.' I assume this means that these albums were originally ADD, or AAD. If these digital masters were already slammed, am I correct in assuming there's no way they could have made them more dynamic without going back to the analog multitracks?

[Tim_Berho]

Originally Posted by AlexK79

Finally was able to listen to all 4 of the Blues Traveler reissues (I got the black vinyl versions) and I'd give them a B overall.

Pressing quality is great - they are dead flat, centered, quiet, and clean.

Sonically, I thought they were good, not great. Very bright sounding, almost to the point of harshness in some spots. They just sound very digital, lacking in warmth. This in part is just how these albums always sounded - BT always had a lot of top end in their mixes. My system could also be contributing as my HPM-100's were always very bright, neutral sounding speakers by nature.

The labels state that all 4 of these were done from the 'original digital master.' I assume this means that these albums were originally ADD, or AAD. If these digital masters were already slammed, am I correct in assuming there's no way they could have made them more dynamic without going back to the analog multitracks?

That is the most disappointing thing I've heard for a while. Btw - day 10 since i got my shipping notice and still in pre-shipment...

[Benny003]

Originally Posted by AndySlash

mondo's guardians of the galaxy vinyl showed up today. looks real nice.

Got mine too. Got Korath for the mini handbill and Rocket for the liner notes handbill.

[Benny003]

Listened to the whole vinyl of The Decemberists new album. It sounds NICE. I was very pleased. Not all of the tracks were my favorite, but a pretty good album overall.

[cry_minarets458]

Originally Posted by Benny003

Listened to the whole vinyl of The Decemberists new album. It sounds NICE. I was very pleased. Not all of the tracks were my favorite, but a pretty good album overall.

Any skips in yours? Many fans have admitted to having skips in track 1 and track 3 on the deluxe edition, myself included.

[Lew Zealand]

I grabbed the Newbury version of the new Decemberists not realizing the regular edition is actually affordably priced. At least it's a nice color. But, yeah, it sounds really nice. And I think the whole album is great, too. Lots of excellent tracks.

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by Tim_Berho

That is the most disappointing thing I've heard for a while. Btw - day 10 since i got my shipping notice and still in pre-shipment...

Don't get me wrong, they do not sound bad by any means, I was just hoping to be 'wowed' a little more after such a long wait.

You know when you get a really well done, well-mastered piece of vinyl (recent things in my collection I would place in the category would be the Beatles AAA mono editions, Paul Rodgers' 'The Royal Sessions') and it gives you that 'like hearing it for the very time' feeling? I was hoping to get that from these BT reissues and they just didn't quite hit that peak for me.

[AlexK79]

I will say the one that blew me away the most was the first album. That one did have a bit of the wow factor to it. The other 3 not as much. Still need to give them more spins, play with my EQ a bit.

[wampa3]

Originally Posted by AlexK79

I will say the one that blew me away the most was the first album. That one did have a bit of the wow factor to it. The other 3 not as much. Still need to give them more spins, play with my EQ a bit.

This brings up a good point that I've debated on. Is it worth while to mess much with EQ? Theoretically the vinyl master should be balanced to the levels desired. The cartridge/preamp also can affect the tonal range, but I thought the desire was to keep the playback as flat as possible?

This is an open ended question that I have not really investigated before, so I'm interested to hear what people have to say.

In the end, I guess it just depends on your preferences and what sounds good to you.

[aparker507]

Time for me to join this thread. My wife got me a basic but awesome vinyl player for my birthday. You can rip to your computer as well.

Currently own:
R2T, AFTW, BW, UTTAD on Amazon order.

Looking to get more DMB and some NEEDTOBREATHE in the next few weeks. Excited to start a collection.

I need to figure out if I can hook up some speakers as the stock ones definitely aren't the best.

[OldN00b]

Originally Posted by wampa3

This brings up a good point that I've debated on. Is it worth while to mess much with EQ? Theoretically the vinyl master should be balanced to the levels desired. The cartridge/preamp also can affect the tonal range, but I thought the desire was to keep the playback as flat as possible?

This is an open ended question that I have not really investigated before, so I'm interested to hear what people have to say.

In the end, I guess it just depends on your preferences and what sounds good to you.

This is where I fall. I have a decent but probably not "audiophile" quality NAD amp (NAD Pre-amp feeding it) and I leave the Tone Defeat setting on. That completely bypasses the EQ settings. According the the specs it allows for a slightly, and I'm guessing imperceptibly so, low end response. I'll admit I've turned it on once or twice to increase the bass on certain things that I felt truly suffered (Burial comes to mind) but I almost exclusively leave it off.

[WidespreadMule3]

Originally Posted by aparker507

Time for me to join this thread. My wife got me a basic but awesome vinyl player for my birthday. You can rip to your computer as well.

Currently own:
R2T, AFTW, BW, UTTAD on Amazon order.

Looking to get more DMB and some NEEDTOBREATHE in the next few weeks. Excited to start a collection.

I need to figure out if I can hook up some speakers as the stock ones definitely aren't the best.

Welcome to the club. You can find the LT releases on ebay for reasonable prices. Except LT 1 will cost you $250+

If you tell everyone the TT you got and your speaker situation, I'm sure someone can help you figure out how to hook some up. There's a WEALTH of knowledge in this thread.

Also, you will lose so much money if you visit here regularly from people posting deals, exclusive releases, etc.

[aparker507]

It's a very basic player, I'll check when I get home. It has 2 small speakers on the side of the player is all.


Edit: Looking at Amazon, it looks like it's this Jensen JTA-230 3 Speed Stereo Turntable with Built in Speakers.

[dobyblue]

I think more important is keeping your signal analogue so if you have an analogue EQ then Bob's your auntie in drag.

Somp-sing like this? - http://www.ebay.com/itm/DBX-3231L-st...item2349d703c7

[Benny003]

Originally Posted by cry_minarets458

Any skips in yours? Many fans have admitted to having skips in track 1 and track 3 on the deluxe edition, myself included.

There was one track that had a skip, I don't recall which. It might have been track 3. I'll have to listen to it again to see if it happens again. Once I got past it I didn't bother going back to it thinking it was just a piece of dust/dirt or something.

[tmark8]

I'm looking for a used/vintage player that I can upgrade parts easily on. Any recommendations on brands or things to look for? I'm looking at starting from scratch in terms of my whole system. I started collecting/listening to vinyl a couple of years ago. I have a basic technics player and a plug and play home theater system that isn't cutting it. I know this has been discussed here before but I couldn't find it when I back read. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking to spend under a grand total on the whole system.

[wampa3]

As far as vintage brands, I've always heard good things about Techincs and Sony turntables. The quality varies depending on the model.

I suggest doing some research at this website to read up on what was considered to be the high-end, mid-range, low-end models of the time from brand to brand.

http://www.thevintageknob.org/

Either that or in your searching for vintage turntables, as you come across ones that are available, check out what you can find out about the table online at places like this or other forums.

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by tmark8

I'm looking for a used/vintage player that I can upgrade parts easily on. Any recommendations on brands or things to look for? I'm looking at starting from scratch in terms of my whole system. I started collecting/listening to vinyl a couple of years ago. I have a basic technics player and a plug and play home theater system that isn't cutting it. I know this has been discussed here before but I couldn't find it when I back read. Thanks in advance for your help. Looking to spend under a grand total on the whole system.

You could put together a really nice system for under a grand without even having to go vintage. (Unless you just prefer vintage stuff of course.)

[tmark8]

Originally Posted by AlexK79

You could put together a really nice system for under a grand without even having to go vintage. (Unless you just prefer vintage stuff of course.)

Not really, I just thought if I saved a couple hundred on the turntable I would be able to get better speakers. What are some good options/brands for newer turntables? Project debut carbon is a little too expensive for me.

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by wampa3

This brings up a good point that I've debated on. Is it worth while to mess much with EQ? Theoretically the vinyl master should be balanced to the levels desired. The cartridge/preamp also can affect the tonal range, but I thought the desire was to keep the playback as flat as possible?

This is an open ended question that I have not really investigated before, so I'm interested to hear what people have to say.

In the end, I guess it just depends on your preferences and what sounds good to you.

Generally speaking, absolutely I agree with you. But if you get an album that just doesn't quite come together the way I like it, I'll play with the EQ a bit. With these Blues Traveler reissues, there was just so much top end in the mix, and my speakers are also very bright sounding by nature, that I wanted to roll up the bass and mids a bit to round out the sound.

[AlexK79]

Originally Posted by tmark8

Not really, I just thought if I saved a couple hundred on the turntable I would be able to get better speakers. What are some good options/brands for newer turntables? Project debut carbon is a little too expensive for me.

Actually if you're looking at a budget of $1000, you could easily get the Carbon and still have plenty of budget for a decent receiver/amp, speakers, and pre-amp. Are you looking for 2 speakers or 4? For under $1000 you could do:

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon TT - $399

Polk Audio Monitor 60 Series II floorstanding speakers - $260/pair
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...-206-_-Product

(They sometimes will drop these to $99 each and you can score a pair for $200)

Yamaha R-S201 200W Stereo Receiver - $150.00
http://www.amazon.com/Yamaha-Natural...tereo+receiver

TCC TC-750LC Phono Preamp - $48.50
http://www.phonopreamps.com/tc750lcpp.html

That sets you up with a really great entry level audio system for around $860.00 even if you don't get any of the sale prices on the speakers or turntable.