LPs in Sainsbury's

[struth]

A lot of things killed the high st. Rates were probably the biggest initial slapdown. Most shops in my high st went because the rates got ridiculously high, and unsustainable, even for the bigger shops. Supermarkets took advantage of this to an extent and gave high st shops another kick. This started in the 70's and picked up speed as time went on. Bookies, pubs, carry outs, and charity shops are pretty much all we have in our town of over 20k.
As my dad said a few years b4 he died, the councils got greedy and kicked themselves into touch. I might add the small shops didnt help themselves as they didnt want big competition coming in, stating it would take all their trade, which was rubbish. bringing in some big name shops would have increased trade for all. Think there is only one original shop left now(a butchers)

[Marco]

Decent high streets are few and far between nowadays and you have to look in places like Deal which is full of independents and is fortunate to have a small music store http://www.smugglersrecords.com Unfortunately though places like Deal are few and far between

I says something for the state of our high streets that a small town on the east cost of Kent is recognised in the national press http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle...eet-award.html

Deal's a gorgeous little place. Been there many a time en-route to France, via Dover, where we've wanted to stop over before joining the ferry to Calais

However, the high street thing you're referring to, Andy, is more a problem in the south of the UK, than in the north, as things tend to be much more built up and urbanised the further south you go, and so with that comes the eroding of traditional values (in many forms).

I can assure you that there are plenty of quaint little places, in the style of Deal, here in North Wales and Cheshire, including plenty of towns with thriving high streets and independent record shops!

Marco.

[Spectral Morn]

Whilst the supermarkets have had an impact on the high street, places like Woolworths always sold records. OK they were not a supermarket but the impact was just the same. The final nail in the coffin of the high street has been the internet and it could be argued that patronage of online retailers be they specialist of multiples is eroding that central hub of our communities, the high street. Extortionate rates and rents don't help either.

Decent high streets are few and far between nowadays and you have to look in places like Deal which is full of independents and is fortunate to have a small music store http://www.smugglersrecords.com Unfortunately though places like Deal are few and far between

I says something for the state of our high streets that a small town on the east cost of Kent is recognised in the national press http://www.telegraph.co.uk/lifestyle...eet-award.html

Yes there may be many good online vinyl retailers out there but in the absence of a local vinyl retailer I'd rather buy from a local supermarket than repeat my online experience.

Co Op stocked vinyl too, as did big department stores. I get where you are coming from though. I would say that the final nail in anything is down to us, we makes our decisions and then have to live with them. The death of the high street, and independent shops is down to all of us, our collective and individual choices.

[legb4rsk]

Taken from the Sainsburys site 'To support the launch, a Crosley Cruiser Turntable will also be available in store for £80.'

One step forward two steps back.........................not much better than the original Dansette .

[struth]

Taken from the Sainsburys site 'To support the launch, a Crosley Cruiser Turntable will also be available in store for £80.'

One step forward two steps back.........................not much better than the original Dansette .

I like this review of that TT...excuse the lie of a name....


Pros:

* It's cute! The cosmetic design is really quite charming and I can see why people are attracted to it.

* It weighs nothing. Seriously. The dust cover on my Technics turntable weighs more than this thing.

* It's completely plug-and-play. Easy to understand why newcomers are less intimidated by Crosleys than by more sophisticated turntables. You literally just plug it into a power outlet and start playing. There is absolutely no setup required.

Cons:

* Sound output is pathetically weak. Even with the volume turned all the way up, the Cruiser's two speakers aren't as loud as my cell phone's tiny single speaker.

* The quality of the sound is also substantially worse than my cell phone. Stereo 33s sound like mono 78s.

* This record player will destroy your records. How? Keep reading.

Out of curiosity, I dug out my digital stylus force gauge to find out if the tracking force is really as heavy as some reviewers have claimed. Yes, folks, it is. So heavy, in fact, that it wouldn't even register on my gauge (which maxes out at 5 grams).

(For those of you who are new to all this: anything over 3 grams is likely to cause premature wear and damage to your records, ESPECIALLY if the stylus is of poor quality -- which is the case with the Crosley Cruiser stylus.)

The sapphire stylus, attached to a crude plastic cantilever, is enormous. I can't imagine that it would be much safer than playing your records with a rusty nail. It might be okay for playing some trashed old 78s but it'll chew up your 33s and 45s quickly.

PLEASE, folks: if you are spending 20 or 30 bucks each on brand new records, do not play them on this record player. You might as well just toss your money in the garbage.

There are a handful of Crosleys that come with a gentle and respectable Audio-Technica 3600 cartridge with diamond stylus, such as the Collegiate, the Advance, and the Spinnerette. It would be safe to consider those a MAJOR upgrade over the crude cartridge/stylus used on the Cruiser and most other Crosleys. (Also, the tracking force on the Collegiate/Spinnerette/Advance can be adjusted, but I can't find any practical way to do this on the Cruiser or its similar siblings.)

There is an "upgrade" stylus you can buy for the Cruiser, with a diamond stylus and metal cantilever... but that'll run you about $20. If you're already planning to spend $80-$100 on a Cruiser, plus $20 for a better stylus, you might as well just buy the Collegiate instead, thereby getting the much better AT-3600 included in the price AND the ability to adjust the tracking force.

Better yet, spend an extra $70 on a nice hand-built Made-in-USA U-Turn Orbit... or, if you don't mind pre-owned stuff, find yourself a good vintage turntable, easily obtained for less than the price of a Crosley.

I realize this doesn't answer the question of what to buy if you want something portable and plug-and-play. If those are essential requirements, I would grudgingly recommend the Crosley Collegiate. Its quality and reliability aren't much better than the Cruiser, but at least it's less likely to destroy your records.

[Macca]

Why do they all have names like 1950s era American cars?

[spm]

What Hi-Fi measured the tracking on the Crosley at over 7g. Interestingly looking on Amazon the Project Elemental, admittedly 3 times the price of the Crosley, has 10 reviews. The Crosley has 752 reviews. It's not just the supermarkets though, the local independent close to where I work, Rise Records, sells the Crosley.

[legb4rsk]

What Hi-Fi measured the tracking on the Crosley at over 7g. Interestingly looking on Amazon the Project Elemental, admittedly 3 times the price of the Crosley, has 10 reviews. The Crosley has 752 reviews. It's not just the supermarkets though, the local independent close to where I work, Rise Records, sells the Crosley.

That's not good.Any independent record shop should really know better.

[Roy S]

Popped in to 'Slipped Discs' (my local specialist?) in Billericay on Saturday (Dickie wasn't about before you ask). Vinyl was top dollar & not in any sort of order (some of it was in boxes on the floor) & CDs you could get from Zoverstocks for a quid were a tenner a pop. In all honesty if they can't be bothered presenting their product properly & pricing their CDs reasonably I can't be bothered supporting them by buying stuff there.

[Marco]

Guys, just a heads up if you can get there before the offer ends TOMORROW....

Until tomorrow (offer started on 30th March), for every £5 worth of points accrued on your Sainsbury's Nectar card, you get a £10 voucher, which you can redeem against certain products, one of which are the LPs that they're selling at the moment. Multiples of £5 are applicable.

Therefore, for example, if you select two LPs that would normally cost £15 each (therefore a total of £30), and have, say, £15 worth of points on your Nectar card, then that can be exchanged for a £30 voucher (double-up), which you can use to buy said LPs, thereby effectively getting them for 'free' (or £15 worth of Nectar points)!!

See here for full details: https://livewellforless.sainsburys.c...ked-questions/

We were in the Irvine branch today and I picked up Nick Drake's Pink Moon and The Beatles Abbey Road. So get thee along to your local branch of Sainsbury's (listed for selling LPs) and bag a veritable bargain!

Marco.