Vinyl in 2023... worth it?

[opa]

I'm curious what the community consensus is on vinyl these days. I'm more of a cassette collector but I've always been interested in vinyl. Not that the format sounds objectively great, but the pops and crackles add charm.

So what do y'all think? Is it worth it to get into vinyl in 2023?

[marurun]

Vinyl production has never been stronger. Now is probably a great time to get into new vinyl. I'm not a fan because I don't need more physical items to collect and I've never cared for the vinyl sound or inconvenience (and don't understand the paeans to them).

[Ziggy587]

I must have already said these thoughts in the old vinyl thread we use to often use, but I'll post them again here.

I really like vinyl as a format for music. To marurun's point, I need another physical thing to collect like I need another hole in my head. But a big reason why I collect various media format (books, movies, music, video games) is because I love to look at cover art. Vinyls have really BIG covers, making it the most enjoyable format I have to admire the cover for. I've actually had to stop myself from getting into LaserDisc a few times over the years, as I pretty much only want them for their big ass covers LOL.

So although I grew up in the 90's, I still sorta grew up listening to vinyl. I mean, don't get me wrong, cassettes were my thing and I got into CDs as soon as I was able to afford them. But my mother had a decent size album collection that she never got rid of. And growing up, my first bedroom stereo was a hand-me-down dual cassette AM/FM with a turntable on top. I would often borrow albums from my mother to listen to in my room. My first CD player in the 90's had no turntable, but I eventually got another hand-me-down unit that had dual cassette, AM/FM, CD and a turntable on top! I feel like vinyl was at its all time low when I was in high school, but you still could occasionally find stuff in stores, and it felt extra special when you did. Now with the resurgence, being able to find them at all major retailers as well as indie labels left and right, it's very accessible.

The album artwork isn't the only reason I enjoy the format though. I do like the actual playing of them. I use pretty much every (major) music format. I have music digitally on my PC, and I'll sometimes stream. But I have a decent CD collection that I still use, and I got back into cassettes some years back. For me, I tend to put a record on when I want to relax and really listen to something. I like the engagement of using a turntable. If you couldn't tell from my retro PC threads, and using real hardware instead of emulation for retro gaming, I just like hardware. I get some kind of pleasure out of using the hardware, and not just the software. Be it games, music, or whatever.

So to sum it up... I sorta grew up listening to vinyl, I love the huge covers to admire the artwork, and I get some fun out of using the turntable itself. So, not exactly any reasons that would convince someone they have to get into vinyl.

As far as the "this or that sounds better" arguments... I don't really have any opinions there. A cassette with Dolby NR or a clean record can both sound just as good as a CD for a casual listening experience. Some people like the clicks and pops. To be honest, only my second-hand records that are really beat up have noticeable clicks and pops. Otherwise, I try to keep my records and turntable clean. I suppose there are still clicks and pops even on my cleanest of records (I'm not a nut about it) but I tend not to notice from a casual listening. I really only notice when I rip something to digital, but at that point there's plugins to neatly remove it.

To someone thinking about getting into vinyl in 2023, would it be worth it? Hard to say. Would you enjoy setting up and tinkering with a HiFi setup? Would you enjoy looking at an album's jacket and liner notes? Then I say, yes, get into it! There's tons of new stuff, some over priced but some at decent prices. And there's decades of used albums to buy on eBay or locally. The second hand stuff can be extremely cheap! And then would you enjoy maintaining your setup? Brushing the lint and dust off an album, cleaning the stylus, etc. These are all things that make vinyl enjoyable, when you're in the mood. It's just that most people today would rather, "Hey Alexa!" or "Hey Google!"

I know a few people that buy one or two newly pressed albums almost purely as a collectible, then they have a really cheap table with built in speakers. If you're gonna go this route, I say don't bother. Those tables are pure shit. You could buy a release as a collectible if you REALLY want, and then listen to it digitally or whatever. But seriously don't bother with a low end table. That's not to say that you have to spend hundreds or thousands on a setup. It's just that those really low end tables don't even play correctly, the built in speakers probably sound like hot garbage, and I've heard that they can ruin your records.

[SamuraiMegas]

I hunt more for vinyl than I do for games now; though I'm looking for samples and records to scratch- not to sell. I can buy a record for like a dollar at goodwill and actually get something cool... Can't really do that with games anymore

[opa]

Thanks for the posts, guys.

After reading/watching several reviews I've ordered this and should have it Friday. I'll report back with thoughts.

uhh. Dumb question. How do you clean records? I may swing by a music store this weekend that carries used stuff.

[Ziggy587]

Thanks for the posts, guys.

After reading/watching several reviews I've ordered this and should have it Friday. I'll report back with thoughts.

uhh. Dumb question. How do you clean records? I may swing by a music store this weekend that carries used stuff.

Hey, remove that affiliated link!

Nice!

Looks like a really nice player. I dig the wood grain! Be sure to let us know how it sounds once you set it up. That's really cool that the speakers have Bluetooth. My studio monitors have Bluetooth, and I didn't realize how nice it would be to have. So just some random thoughts from a brief look at it...

People say to go with belt driven tables for listening, I think the main argument is that the motor is further away from the stylus and less likely to pick up noise. I currently have a direct drive table, and I notice no noise from the motor. Belts will eventually wear out and need replacing. Just the nature of the beast, I only mention it so you can keep that in mind. A stretched belt can affect the play speed. But it should be a long while before then.

I think that's the same model stylus that came with my current table, and it's kind of a defacto standard for a cheap stylus. And I don't say "cheap" as in "bad," it's just one of those things that can cost $10 or $1,000. I never had a problem with that way mine sounded, although I eventually swapped it out for an AT green model (don't recall the model number of the top of my head, but it's the green one LOL). And then I was gifted an Ortofon Red. I think the AT green stylus was an improvement over the white, but it's hard to say as it was probably time for a new stylus. I was always super skeptical to spend $100 on the Ortofon Red (even though it's massively hyped) and probably never would have tried one unless it was given to me. It sounds different, hard to say if it's better or not just by ear. But I can say this, it certainly tracks better. In fact, it tracks better than any other stylus I've tried up to this point. I never had any issues with the AT styli, except for a few examples. I usually pass on used records if they're too beat up, but I do have a few that are in kind of rough condition. Those are the ones that have problems with skipping. And there's a repressing of Ziggy Stardust that easily skips on the B side. But those problems went away after switching to the Ortofon Red. Anyways, not trying to sell you on some audiophile stuff, just food for thought. Give your stock stylus some use. If you end up enjoying the turntable, then maybe think about upgrading the stylus.

On the back of the tone arm is an adjustable counterweight. I highly recommend looking up a few YouTube video on how to set up a turntable correctly. The counterweight will set the tracking force. That is, how hard the stylus will ride on the record. It's an important thing to get right. You don't want it riding to hard, that can wear out the stylus and your records. But you don't want it too light, that will cause skipping. Every stylus will have a recommended tracking force spec that comes from the manufacture. I would recommend tuning not only the counterweight, but whatever else you can on your table. Here's a good video that explains all of the parts and how to set them correctly...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhLgK9YvC4E

Just note that not all tables have the same amount of adjustable parts. For example, I can see in the pics that your table has a tracking force counterweight. But it doesn't appear to have a tone arm height adjustment, or removable headshell, that just means your somewhat limited on that cartridges/styli you can use. Not a big deal at all, just wanted to mention it since the above linked video points these parts out.

As for cleaning records, there's many ways. There's cleaning kits you can purchase, including wet methods. I would really only use a wet method for an excessively dirty record. Otherwise an anti static record brush is usually all you need to get the stray lint and hairs off the record (static will draw them, it's very annoying). You'll also want a stylus brush. The stylus will collect dust and hairs as you play your records, so you'll have to clean it every once in a while. What I like to do is put a record on the platter and spin it, then hold the brush on there to collect any dust or hairs.

You can look this up on YouTube, but some people use WOOD GLUE to clean their records. Basically you apply the wood glue to the entire record except for the center, using a card or something to smooth it out and hit every area. Then let the glue dry. Then, since wood glue wont bond to vinyl, you can peel it right off in one big piece. The idea is that the glue will grab any debris that might be in the grooves, and lift them out when you peel the glue off.

[opa]

Thank you for the tips/info.

RE belts - yeah, belt driven is the only thing within my price range, atm.

RE stylus - thanks for the info. Yeah, my turntable will be limited to what it can take. The stylus it comes with is the bare minimum of what I wanted.

Wood glue - for when things get REAL

[Ziggy587]

Oh, don't get me wrong. I didn't mean to shun belt driven tables. In fact, many people feel they are superior to direct drive tables. I prefer direct drive so I never have to think about the belt, but that's just me. I only mention it so you are aware that the belt will have to be replaced at some point. But it should last many, many years.

And for the stylus, again, I didn't mean to put that one down. It's what I had on my table for a good long while. Make sure to adjust the tracking force correctly, and that stylus will do you fine. I just wanted to mention that it's a possible upgrade down the road, especially if you run into any skipping issues. At least, I've noticed better tracking with upgraded styli on my table.

So you picked up a table... Did you get any records yet? What kind of music are you looking to get on vinyl? Maybe I can give you some suggestions. Any interest in legit (licensed) soundtracks for old video games, movies or anime? The indie scene for those is absolutely thriving right now.

[opa]

So you picked up a table... Did you get any records yet? What kind of music are you looking to get on vinyl? Maybe I can give you some suggestions. Any interest in legit (licensed) soundtracks for old video games, movies or anime? The indie scene for those is absolutely thriving right now.

I already own Discovery's LP, Dan Deacon's Bromst, and an Elvis 45. I ordered Nirvana's In Utero so I'm waiting on that to come in.
I'm into rock, alt rock, and indie stuff.

I'm not super interested in video game or movie scores... unless I find a good deal on something that's good.

[Ziggy587]

Nice. You can always find classic rock in used record shops. Thrift stores are usually a miss for me. I might have found one or two records, odd ball stuff. But my theory is that records in thrift stores is from when Grandad dies and his collection gets dumped. So it's still a decade or two too old for my tastes. Luckily I have a few used record shops around, the ma and pa type. You mostly find 60/70/80's, which is what I'm usually looking for. And they're usually priced very cheap.

Alt rock, such as the 90's, you don't find in used shops. But repressings are easily found in big retail stores. The problem there is that they're priced WAY too high in my opinion. If you're gonna shop vinyl in a big retail store, I recommend going straight to the discount rack and checking that. Otherwise you'll pay an arm and a leg for a super common release. I don't want to pay $30 or more for Nevermind or Dookie, for example. But if you spot it on the discount rack, those are usually priced under $20. Guitar Center is in trouble right now, so they might have more on their discount rack than usual. If you have one near you, I would definitely check it out. Amazon is also a great place to pick up some repressings on the cheap. Although you can still find things that are too expensive, very often I find good deals.

The indie label records are usually $20-30 depending on the release. The problem is that they don't do huge print runs (usually like 2,000 depending on what it is) and if it's something popular it sells out in seconds. Then you have to wait for a second print run, and usually those don't sell out right away. But it's kind of nuts. Like last year, I really wanted to get the soundtrack to Clue (one of my favorite movies). I logged in on my phone while at work, because the sales always go live in the middle of a weekday, and as soon as I refresh the page it's sold out! I had a screen shot of my phone showing it was sold out and the time was like 1 minute past the hour LOL. But pretty much always when it sells out that fast they immediately do another run. It just sucks that you have to wait several months. So I did eventually get that Clue soundtrack.

I might have a few records that I could part with. I know there's some in my BST, I just haven't updated that thread in a long time. I might have more if I took a look at my collection. Let me know if you're interested.