The VINYL Thread!
08-10-19, 09:41 AM
#3626
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I’m still holding out for a Midnite Vultures reissue, but in the meantime, I ordered some of the singles off the album. At least I get some B Sides out of it.
Also pre-ordered the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
Also pre-ordered the soundtrack to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
08-10-19, 09:19 PM
#3627
DVD Talk Hero
Re: The VINYL Thread!
So here's one of those life's little victories, vinyl-wise.
Like most of you, presumably, I have a want-list on Discogs. Kind of a bad thing, as it will throw something at you that you probably shouldn't spend your hard-earned on. Too tempting. Last week I received a notice of a copy of the Ramones' Rocket to Russia for just $15. I jumped on it, and only after finalizing payment did I see the fine print from the seller: "Does not include original sleeve". D'oh! That's the most important part, as it includes the John Holmstrom artwork for every song!
Decided I don't want to be THAT guy who cancels an order. Still nice to have a 70s pressing of Rocket to Russia anyway, as all I have is a current reissue.
Record arrives today, and sure enough, it's in a replacement sleeve. But after I take the replacement sleeve and record out, there's the original still inside the jacket! So I have my Holmstrom artwork, and a great record too!!
Like most of you, presumably, I have a want-list on Discogs. Kind of a bad thing, as it will throw something at you that you probably shouldn't spend your hard-earned on. Too tempting. Last week I received a notice of a copy of the Ramones' Rocket to Russia for just $15. I jumped on it, and only after finalizing payment did I see the fine print from the seller: "Does not include original sleeve". D'oh! That's the most important part, as it includes the John Holmstrom artwork for every song!
Decided I don't want to be THAT guy who cancels an order. Still nice to have a 70s pressing of Rocket to Russia anyway, as all I have is a current reissue.
Record arrives today, and sure enough, it's in a replacement sleeve. But after I take the replacement sleeve and record out, there's the original still inside the jacket! So I have my Holmstrom artwork, and a great record too!!
The retailers/collectors will put the LP in a generic sleeve, then keep the graphic sleeve in the jacket. They do it so the record won't damage (or further damage) the usually fragile graphic sleeve, which tend to split.
After the first time I got a record like that from eBay, I started doing with all of my albums that have printed sleeves.
The sleeves are one thing I really hate about buying used. If I'm getting an album I want to have the original graphic sleeve (if there is one). To not have one when there should be one is a deal breaker for me. Same with lyric sheets, and booklets. Before I'll buy anything used, I check to make sure there is a graphic sleeve, and if there isn't, I look at other auctions for the same LP to make sure it didn't originally come with one.
08-12-19, 10:53 AM
#3628
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
Yeah, you get it. Sometimes those extra booklets or sleeves are hard to find, even if the record itself is fairly common. Like that booklet that came with The Who's Quadrophenia. A copy of the record with the booklet intact immediately drives up the value. Or the "extra" that came with Cheech and Chong's Big Bambu...
I've since found out that current reissues of Rocket to Russia include a sleeve with Holmstrom's drawings (the 2005 180g pressing I have did not) so it's not that hard to come by, but it was still a nice little bonus considering it was specifically mentioned in the listing that it wasn't included.
I've since found out that current reissues of Rocket to Russia include a sleeve with Holmstrom's drawings (the 2005 180g pressing I have did not) so it's not that hard to come by, but it was still a nice little bonus considering it was specifically mentioned in the listing that it wasn't included.
08-19-19, 06:24 PM
#3629
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
Sooo, can anyone school me on tube amps? I want a nice amp that's just for music, I don't need some fancy 7.1 receiver with a thousand different movie sound settings and a billion HDMI inputs. I want something simple and I like the look and sound of tubes, anything that won't break the bank? This one looks interesting and really pretty, and the same company makes some gorgeous ones that are a little more than I want to pay right now. I just want to dip my toe in, would this be a good "starter" one that has a nice sound? All I'd be hooking up to it would be a turntable and maybe a CD player, I don't really care about its Bluetooth function.
08-20-19, 10:11 AM
#3630
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
What do you have now?
I've heard that the first three upgrades you should do to improve your sound is speakers, speakers, and then speakers. Those new tube amps have caught my eye too though, but I'm wondering if they're more gimmick than substance. As in, you can find better vintage gear on Craigslist at a fraction of the price. When I made that system for a friend of mine (turntable, receiver, speakers), I got all the gear on CL for less than $150 total, and it rivaled my own setup which I paid a lot more for. The receiver was an 80s era Harman Kardon, and I think I paid $25 for it. It sounded DAMN good.
Q:How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A:
I've heard that the first three upgrades you should do to improve your sound is speakers, speakers, and then speakers. Those new tube amps have caught my eye too though, but I'm wondering if they're more gimmick than substance. As in, you can find better vintage gear on Craigslist at a fraction of the price. When I made that system for a friend of mine (turntable, receiver, speakers), I got all the gear on CL for less than $150 total, and it rivaled my own setup which I paid a lot more for. The receiver was an 80s era Harman Kardon, and I think I paid $25 for it. It sounded DAMN good.
Q:How many guitarists does it take to change a light bulb?
A:
Spoiler:
08-20-19, 10:31 AM
#3631
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
Honestly, you might be right about it being more gimmick than substance, but dammit I like the gimmick. 
I currently use a 20 year old Yamaha receiver (that still sounds good) and some JBL floor speakers. Nothing amazing, but decent. I'll fully admit, this is probably more of me wanting a new, pretty toy to play around with than anything. I was just curious if these amps actually have decent sound or just a waste of money.
I currently use a 20 year old Yamaha receiver (that still sounds good) and some JBL floor speakers. Nothing amazing, but decent. I'll fully admit, this is probably more of me wanting a new, pretty toy to play around with than anything. I was just curious if these amps actually have decent sound or just a waste of money.
08-20-19, 10:40 AM
#3632
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
That seems like a nicer one than my Monoprice "hybrid" amp. It has tubes on it, but it also has a solid state part built in... seems like the Dared one is the same. So I'm not sure that you'd be getting "true" tube-like sound out of it either.
I think Paff is right... you might be better off checking Craigslist (or Kijiji
) and seeing if anyone's getting rid of some vintage gear.
I think Paff is right... you might be better off checking Craigslist (or Kijiji
) and seeing if anyone's getting rid of some vintage gear.
08-20-19, 10:48 AM
#3633
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
A quick trip to my local CL just found a Harman Kardon 60s era tube amp for $500, and a Pioneer solid-state from the 70s for $279.
I bet either of those would kick the shit out of these new "retro-looking" amps, and they'd actually BE retro instead of just looking it.
ETA: Man, I wish you hadn't brought this up, 'cause there's some straight-up bad ass shit for sale on CL. I'm getting the upgrade bug. The "retro" tube amps look cool, but I'm willing to bet they're mostly digital with just an analog tube amp power stage. It impresses me with what can be done on just a handful of chips nowadays (it's my career, actually), but you can't beat what used to be done by a whole host of capacitors, transistors, et al. If you got a REAL vintage amp, you'd have a great looking piece of gear, and most likely analog throughout the entire signal path. You'd probably get far better performance at a tiny fraction of the price.
I bet either of those would kick the shit out of these new "retro-looking" amps, and they'd actually BE retro instead of just looking it.
ETA: Man, I wish you hadn't brought this up, 'cause there's some straight-up bad ass shit for sale on CL. I'm getting the upgrade bug. The "retro" tube amps look cool, but I'm willing to bet they're mostly digital with just an analog tube amp power stage. It impresses me with what can be done on just a handful of chips nowadays (it's my career, actually), but you can't beat what used to be done by a whole host of capacitors, transistors, et al. If you got a REAL vintage amp, you'd have a great looking piece of gear, and most likely analog throughout the entire signal path. You'd probably get far better performance at a tiny fraction of the price.
Last edited by Paff; 08-20-19 at 11:49 AM.
08-20-19, 02:34 PM
#3634
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
Thanks for the advice guys, I'll take a look around Kijiji (Canada's Craigslist) and see what I can find in the way of vintage tube amps. 
You're probably right. I have this Samsung bluetooth speaker that seems to be similar, it uses tubes I believe at the preamp stage. It looks gorgeous and sounds great, but I kind of doubt the tubes in this make much difference. Couldn't resist it for 50 bucks though (originally retailed for $600-700 but I picked it up cheap at an electronics store that was closing).
08-20-19, 03:20 PM
#3635
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
Personally, I think some of the vintage amps look gorgeous. I'm not a tube devotee though. Here's a couple I'd be able to get locally for less than $500:
Marantz 2225:
Pioneer SX-780:
Marantz 2225:
Pioneer SX-780:
08-20-19, 04:44 PM
#3636
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
OK, that Marantz does look really nice. This hobby is fast becoming a damn rabbit hole for me!
08-20-19, 05:11 PM
#3637
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
Yeah, the older Marantz stuff is pretty nice. I've got a Marantz receiver, but it was from their transition period, and not highly regarded. I've had it since I was a teenager, though, and got a lot of use out of it. I was happy with it, at the time.
I've been lusting after a Fisher tube receiver, but they've gone mental in price. In addition to Kijiji, check out Canuck Audio Mart.
One of the Fisher receivers I wanted (500C) is now listed at $1500 on there. Insane. I was hesitating when I saw it's brethren listed for around $700. They've become popular, so the prices have risen, as expected. Although, I'll be very surprised if the one listed sells for anything near what is being asked.
I've been lusting after a Fisher tube receiver, but they've gone mental in price. In addition to Kijiji, check out Canuck Audio Mart.
One of the Fisher receivers I wanted (500C) is now listed at $1500 on there. Insane. I was hesitating when I saw it's brethren listed for around $700. They've become popular, so the prices have risen, as expected. Although, I'll be very surprised if the one listed sells for anything near what is being asked.
08-20-19, 05:47 PM
#3638
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I like that they're not just another digital display ("PHONO" "VIDEO 1" "FM", etc) and instead there's a little personality.
08-21-19, 11:29 AM
#3639
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
Yeah, I really like the blue meters and radio dial on that Marantz, much more interesting than current receivers.
I didn't know about Canuck Audio Mart, thanks andicus.
I didn't know about Canuck Audio Mart, thanks andicus.
08-21-19, 11:55 AM
#3640
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I'm gonna do this, but not this weekend. I'm also going to need a source select switch, since I do not intend on running two sets of speakers, and I do have a five-channel receiver for watching movies.
Oddly enough, I don't like the Marantz because the needle gauges aren't for the individual channels. I wanna have those dancing needles for left and right. Superficial, I know.
Oddly enough, I don't like the Marantz because the needle gauges aren't for the individual channels. I wanna have those dancing needles for left and right. Superficial, I know.
08-21-19, 12:18 PM
#3641
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
Man, I love the blue or orange glow that some of that vintage gear has. My cheapo Monoprice amp has orange LEDs to give it that kind of flare, but it's not quite the same. I might have to dig through craigslist here and see what I can get...
08-22-19, 10:23 AM
#3642
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I'm really starting to salivate over that Pionner SX-780, still available locally. The guy wants $279 for it.
If you're researching these vintage amps, are you noticing big $$$ for stuff that is now known as an "off-brand"? Like I was writing off a Kenwood receiver I saw for sale, until I found that Kenwood was once a top brand. It became crap. You get these big corporations that buy the name and then slap it on their shitty gear, banking on the name recognition. It was like when Gibson guitars bought Epiphone, and then put that name on their lesser equipment. But man, you get a 1950s era Epiphone and you have a solid vintage instrument.
If you're researching these vintage amps, are you noticing big $$$ for stuff that is now known as an "off-brand"? Like I was writing off a Kenwood receiver I saw for sale, until I found that Kenwood was once a top brand. It became crap. You get these big corporations that buy the name and then slap it on their shitty gear, banking on the name recognition. It was like when Gibson guitars bought Epiphone, and then put that name on their lesser equipment. But man, you get a 1950s era Epiphone and you have a solid vintage instrument.
08-22-19, 11:38 AM
#3643
Moderator
Re: The VINYL Thread!
Some of these vintage amps are legendary. I was always a fan of McIntosh myself. A guy in my neighborhood has a sweet system. McIntosh amp, Tannoy speakers from the 50's and a vintage Linn TT. He was telling me the old stuff can be great - if properly refurbished and maintained - but they can be finicky. He also said it's helpful to have spare tubes on hand.
On a similar note, I recently upgraded my speakers. Went with the new Wharfedale Linton Heritage. I'm impressed a solid 3-way that produced a warm, rich sound (a couple reviews indicate the mids are a bit too forward, but I really haven't felt that it's too pronounced) plus they're damn sexy to boot.
On a similar note, I recently upgraded my speakers. Went with the new Wharfedale Linton Heritage. I'm impressed a solid 3-way that produced a warm, rich sound (a couple reviews indicate the mids are a bit too forward, but I really haven't felt that it's too pronounced) plus they're damn sexy to boot.
Last edited by Geofferson; 08-22-19 at 11:46 AM.
08-28-19, 10:44 AM
#3644
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I just scored one of these off of E-bay:
Now aesthetically, I still like that Pioneer 780 (and the guy is still trying to sell it on CL, price is down to $259...I'd been considering going to check it out with two C-notes on me, drop 'em on the table, and see if he'd part with it). But Harman Kardon has always been a top brand. Reviews of this one say "it sounds like a tube amp". There's a guy selling one locally for $235, but I stumbled upon one for $89 with free shipping. Decided to bite. Now, it needs a little work just from the description, but in all honesty that's kind of the fun of getting vintage gear. I got my Technics SL-1500 for 50 bucks, and it needed quite a bit of work, but now I have a top-notch turntable. Here's hoping for similar results with this HK receiver.
Now aesthetically, I still like that Pioneer 780 (and the guy is still trying to sell it on CL, price is down to $259...I'd been considering going to check it out with two C-notes on me, drop 'em on the table, and see if he'd part with it). But Harman Kardon has always been a top brand. Reviews of this one say "it sounds like a tube amp". There's a guy selling one locally for $235, but I stumbled upon one for $89 with free shipping. Decided to bite. Now, it needs a little work just from the description, but in all honesty that's kind of the fun of getting vintage gear. I got my Technics SL-1500 for 50 bucks, and it needed quite a bit of work, but now I have a top-notch turntable. Here's hoping for similar results with this HK receiver.
08-28-19, 11:33 AM
#3646
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I'm glad you mentioned that. I talked about the "cheap-o" vinyl setup I did for my friend, only it sounded better than mine. One difference is I bought her an older receiver (an 80s era Harman), with the phono pre-amp built in. My HK (home theater) does not and I had to get an external pre-amp. Not a top of the line one.
I've been wondering if THAT is the reason hers sounded better than mine. The HK I just scored off of E-bay is 70s era, so naturally it has the phono stage. That alone may offer significant improvement in my sound (which is still pretty good as it is, but I know it can be better)
I've been wondering if THAT is the reason hers sounded better than mine. The HK I just scored off of E-bay is 70s era, so naturally it has the phono stage. That alone may offer significant improvement in my sound (which is still pretty good as it is, but I know it can be better)
08-28-19, 11:37 AM
#3647
DVD Talk Hero
Thread Starter
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I only even got it, at the suggestion of folks here, because I was initially just running my turntable through the phono channel on my HT receiver. Once I got this preamp -- the difference was quite startling. It's made a great difference in terms of quality and at a great price.
08-28-19, 11:40 AM
#3648
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Re: The VINYL Thread!
Nice receiver Paff.
For a preamp I'm still using the built in one included with my U-turn Orbit turntable. But it has a bypass switch in case I find a better one to use instead (eg. I might find a nice vintage receiver that has a phono stage and doesn't require a preamp)
For a preamp I'm still using the built in one included with my U-turn Orbit turntable. But it has a bypass switch in case I find a better one to use instead (eg. I might find a nice vintage receiver that has a phono stage and doesn't require a preamp)
08-28-19, 12:10 PM
#3649
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The VINYL Thread!
I'll be able to report on that very plan, Cultshock, but it might take a few weeks to get the vintage HK into my system. The seller already says the volume control is noisy as hell, and the balance control causes the right speaker to drop. I'm thinking it's dirty pots, but it might be more than that.