Fed up? Sell everything and start from scratch with ten grand!

[paulf-2007]

Yes, but if you are starting out from scratch without a sizeable vinyl collection would you really choose to invest in analogue. Whilst I recognise that vinyl sounds better, it takes precision engineering to get the "music" off the disc. I recently had my 30 year old Linn LP12 services and upgraded with a 3rd party sub-chassis and armboard and it sounds great though I am acutely aware that I would have to spend big bucks today to get the same quality. That it without taking into account the costs of a good preamp and cartridge (I think my AT Moving Coil and EAR 834P would cost the best part of £1500 today). What really tips the scale is the limited amount of new music issued on vinyl and its premium price over digital. I have come to this conclusion reluctantly and only recently. For the first two decades I could barely listen to cd's. However, digital is getting better (note the recent demise of the dreaded MP3 format) and it is possible to buy a digital streamer today for very little that can outperform hugely expensive flagship cd players of recent vintage.

Clearly this forum comprises a biased sample of music listeners. When I went to Uni back in the late 70's it was the ambition of many young people to get their first "proper" hifi and to invest heavily in vinyl. That is no longer the case. It still surprises me when I come across a "youf" who has never heard an album played (start to finish) on a proper hifi let alone bought a complete album, but I would suggest that is the norm. The resurgence of "vinyl" seems to me to be as much a fashion statement as an interest in quality and tied in to the "hipster" movement. Yes, vinyl will survive but it will remain a niche product for enthusiasts, much like valve amps are today.

Anyway, I was expressing my own preferences. I would expect a 10k system to be my last investment in hifi so would be looking for something to see me through for the next 20 years or so. I daresay there will still be devices around then that are compatible with FLAC or WAV format!

Geoff

i don't have a sizeable vinyl collection but don't see that as a disadvantage, I know many have thousands of albums but I guess will never listen to them all more than once or twice. I like to have my all time favs on vinyl where possible and those get played regularly. The rest of the time is Spotify and rarely cd, I must have more cd's than records.

[paulf-2007]

Paulf-2007

Ive just read your thread on your TT build and I have to say it looks spectacular. Bravo!

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that photo was just to show the arm pod which is at about 1 o clock.

[Bigman80]

that photo was just to show the arm pod which is at about 1 o clock.

Its very impressive, Paul. Ive spent most of today looking at denons lol.

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[hermit]

Beautiful work Paul.

[SLS]

Yeah, got the Qobuz trial and the Auralics do look very tempting. My only issue is that I'd be looking exdem/ second hand and the meraks rarely come up. Certainly one to audition though (prefer to go same manufacturer).

By coincidence, my last amp was art audio jota - I loved it, but always worried for the expensive KR valves! All of this stuff is fantastic, just different flavours and sometimes we just fancy a change, don't we!?

There's a little more to it than that. The Jota is just not powerful enough for Harbeth or probably any speaker under 90db, you get really vague and I'll-defined bass. A £500 Quad 909 does much better.

I got my Aries ex-dem from Audio Emotion, the UK distributor. I also have an Aries Mini. Auralic is one of the few brands, life Harbeth, where you rarely get deals or bargains because they are almost 100% keepers. Best bet would be to call Gary at Audio Emotion.

[Sherwood]

i don't have a sizeable vinyl collection but don't see that as a disadvantage, I know many have thousands of albums but I guess will never listen to them all more than once or twice. I like to have my all time favs on vinyl where possible and those get played regularly. The rest of the time is Spotify and rarely cd, I must have more cd's than records.

It's a matter of economics. Fixed (i.e. investment) costs in a decent vinyl playback system, say, £1,500. Unit cost of "new" vinyl, say £15. Invest in 100 albums and that's a total of £3,000 or the equivalent of £30 per album. If you are investing in vinyl it only makes sense if you already have or intend to acquire a large album collection.

Geoff

[struth]

If I was starting again and had no music to start with then I would go for a state of the art digital system. Not sure 10k would be enough tho, but guess I could cut some corners.
As much as I live my records, I wouldnt start again..............or would I?

[Yomanze]

Hmm, probably a pair of Kii Threes or something i.e. state of the art active standmounts, otherwise pretty much what is already in my signature.

[paulf-2007]

It's a matter of economics. Fixed (i.e. investment) costs in a decent vinyl playback system, say, £1,500. Unit cost of "new" vinyl, say £15. Invest in 100 albums and that's a total of £3,000 or the equivalent of £30 per album. If you are investing in vinyl it only makes sense if you already have or intend to acquire a large album collection.

Geoff

we will have to disagree then, economics doesn't come into hifi, it's only about what you are prepared to spend and no doubt lose. I don't have 100 albums and never will. If I only had 5 albums that I loved I would still be happy to have a vinyl set up, up to the job of playing them well. I probably have 50 albums of which I play maybe 20. The Denon cost £550 approx. the Stax arm about the same, Shure ultra 500, £500, aluminum sub plinth £150 and the plinth and veneer £60, so just over £2000. Ouch but sounds bloody lovely.

[Sherwood]

we will have to disagree then, economics doesn't come into hifi, it's only about what you are prepared to spend and no doubt lose. I don't have 100 albums and never will. If I only had 5 albums that I loved I would still be happy to have a vinyl set up, up to the job of playing them well. I probably have 50 albums of which I play maybe 20. The Denon cost £550 approx. the Stax arm about the same, Shure ultra 500, £500, aluminum sub plinth £150 and the plinth and veneer £60, so just over £2000. Ouch but sounds bloody lovely.

I wish I was in a position to disregard cost, but I have to balance spending on music and hifi with other essential and leisure spending. That means taking into account the full cost of ownership.

Irrespective of format (analogue or digital) I could not survive with a core of only 50 albums. Although I do not have the amount of time to listen to albums at home as I used to, I do spend a lot of time listening to music on the move (i.e, flying, driving, on trains, in hotels). That is another reason for me preferring digital, although I still have some home made "compilation cassettes" from the 70's and 80's that I played recently on my Sony Pro Walkman (and very good they sounded too).

Geoff