Records

[JJ]

Does anyone else here still seriously listen to records?

In 2001, I got an old Marantz 2285B receiver at a pawn shop in a small town. The bad thing about it was that it started to have this intermittent hum. In December, I took it to an electronics shop, and after at $100+ repair bill, it still had the exact same problem. I took it back, and they basically said it worked. So I was like "fuck this," and started researching it with the help of the service manual and an audiophile message board site. Pinned the problem down to two capacitors on the power supply board. I had it open one day and a close look at that board revealed cracks in the solder joints on those capacitors! So...I nervously and awkwardly soldered them, and it WORKED and the hum hasn't returned. WOOHOO

Anyway, I have a pretty good turntable, and some of my cleaner and newer records sound AMAZING through this system. I still have a few things I could optimize about my setup, but it sounds rad.

Any other vintage audio enthusiasts on Junto?

[dazie]

I would LOVE to listen to my records, but SOMEONE IN PENNSYLVANIA still has a turntable that he promised to send me.   

So I have no turntable.

[Alice]

I have no turntable, or I'd probably listen to records.

[Jessie]

I have two turntables and a microphone.

I wish I had records.  I love love love the sound of music on a record player.

[Bennyhana]

Since I never just sit and listen to music, I do not listen to records.  My digital music follows me wherever I am.  It's usually working in my dustyass shop, driving, or walking that I'm listening to music, so records would be impractical.

[Beefy]

I have a turntable and records, but I rarely even turn on my stereo anymore lest I'm doing chores downstairs or entertaining.

[Gamplayerx]

I have two turntables and a couple of milk crates full of records, but never set up the stereo in this house so I don't listen to them.

[JJ]

So not too many vinyl listeners here.

I have records of stuff that I have on mp3, and listening to the records is more fun and sounds better than off my computer (for example, Chase's self-titled debut record). There's no replacement for having two large speakers thumping out some smooth stereo sound. You can feel the bumps of the bass and drums in your chest.

I don't even have a TV downstairs anymore, so I moved my turntable up, the extra ventilation makes my amp run a lot cooler.

I was listening to my orange vinyl copy of Beastie Boys - Intergalactic earlier, and the bass was HUGE! It was totally rumbling the house.

[Beefy]

My LP of We Are The World really puts my speakers to the test!

[Gamplayerx]

I used to love to make a tunnel of speakers and lie between them and blast my records.

[DownSouth]

Did you day dream about the Fonz?

[Jessie]

Did you day dream about the Fonz?

You made me snort.

[Gamplayerx]

No. The Fonz was old.  I daydreamed about Chachi.

[JJ]

My LP of We Are The World really puts my speakers to the test!

Yeah Wham! is no slouch either. TEARS FOR FEARS

[VikingJuice]

INXS BABY!!!  I have about 3 dozen vinyl albums plus another dozen and a half 45's.

[ReBurn]

http://www.nehrecords.com/shop/ForeignerRecords.html

I have it on CD.  I listen to it at work sometimes.

[BigDun]

My Bro-In-Law was the manager of a Record Store prior to the influx of CDs. He has so many vinyls that he has to check the weight bearing load of the floor for any apartment he moves into.

We gave him a hardware gadget that will encode any RCA output directly to MP3 for Xmas. I hope he uses it to capture some of his rare stuff before age takes it toll on the media.

[nishi]

i have a turntable - i don't use it a lot; like beefy, i don't usually listen to music at home. BUT - without it, i would have no access to my very extensive collection of david bowie, since i have no intention of buying all the same stuff over again.

also, i have a lot of old jazz and that always sounds best on vinyl. i usually play those when i have people over for drinks or dinner or something.

i have always preferred the sound of vinyl. of course, i also like the hiss and crackles that go along with that. i would say that the hiss at the beginning of a record is one of my favorite sounds. i need an entire album of hiss.

wasn't there a lou reed album that was only silence? he was pissed at his record company and duped them into believing that he was producing some kind of a concept thing but then the record was blank? even if that's only a music industry myth (which i'm far too lazy this morning to google), that's the record i need. a whole album of not just record hiss, but LOU REED record hiss.

[nishi]

also, i will never buy the tom-tom club on cd, but sometimes i still need to listen to it.

[Jessie]

I wish I had a record player.  The flea market always has tons of records for sale, but alas, I have nothing to play them on.

[Bennyhana]

We gave him a hardware gadget that will encode any RCA output directly to MP3 for Xmas. I hope he uses it to capture some of his rare stuff before age takes it toll on the media.

If he's just using a turntable, beware that though the plug is the same, the signal coming out of the turntable usually requires a preamp.  The "Phono" input of most recievers have this preamp, while the other inputs have none.  So, if he's getting a very low signal, you can tell him that's probably why.  You used to be able to buy separate preamps specifically for this purpose; I don't know if they still sell them in this day and age.

[Jessie]

I bet that would have helped me when I was recording my dad's tapes from Vietnam.  I have them on the computer now, though.  They're low quality, but they're preserved, at least.

[Alice]

The only LP I have is a Minor Threat one.  But I'd love to listen to it. 

[JJ]

The only LP I have is a Minor Threat one.  But I'd love to listen to it. 

I got out of the habit of serious vinyl collecting. I used to aggressively approach garage sales and used stores, now I usually order them off the net. I do want to get back into collecting audio components though, who knows, I might luck out and find some Pioneer or Marantz stuff. I wouldn't mind a preamp/equalizer and better speakers.

[Gamplayerx]

You want Grumpus's old system?  The speakers are most likely no good anymore, but he has lots of components.