He probably would have been better off starting by buying a church.
"His plan was ingenious. It would involve rigging the suction cups to secure a record so he could shift it onto the turntable with a mere flip of a switch"
Easy. Direct drive all the way. Nothing like a Technics SL 1200 for a good all purpose TT. Stay away from the Audio Technica look a likes. Pure junk. The current incarnation of the original. Still built like the brick shit house and will last longer than you. Mine is 1989 SL1200 MK3. Should anything ever happen to it the 1210 GR MK7 will be its replacement. There is a lesser one that is still decent.
Those are a bit out of my wheelhouse right now. I had a Technics SL-150 direct drive I want to say back in the late 70’s that got crushed by something heavy in the 90’s. I had low luck with a belt drive after that and they didn’t last long. P.S. I think I tossed it then. Should have given it to someone who could have used some of the usable parts
Used SL's go for around $500 to 800 and are worth buying if you kind find one that wasn't used for DJing. Still have my SL 1700 I got back in 1978. Needs some cleaning and lubing. I'd give it to you but Boston is a long drive. Doubt it would survive shipping.
Guitar Center's or Reverb is a good place to look.
My mea culpa which has sat since starting it back on August 23.
I must say that I owe an apology for my remarks about the Audio Technica turntables. I am sure I offended a few people. I was pretty stressed out with so many irons in the fire and had my Discogs hat on, not my RP hat.
I'll put my RP hat on and go into the weeds.
The reason for that remark is that is the number one brand that people over at discogs have problems with. A lot of them are self inflicted but there are also some known QC mechanical problems. They are the top selling direct drive turntable these days in the $400 and under range. The various entry level brands are all made in the same factory other than the Technics. The biggest selling belt drive is more than likely Pro_Ject (Czech Republic) and I see a lot of the same old complaints about them, too. But unlike AT, P_J does have some very nice mid -fi turntables.
I divide a stereo system into two halves, the front end and the back end. The front end is the turntable / preamp and the back end is the amp and speakers. A CD player is part of the front end but in a different way. The advice I got way back in the 70's when I bought my first real stereo was to put as much money as possible into the turntable because it is the biggest factor in determining what kind of sound the back end has to work with (garbage in, garbage out) and is also the hardest to upgrade down the road. Speakers are the second hardest upgrade once you're in.
Also, turntables are an actual investment that if decent will hold up to 75% of its cost, whereas the receiver and speakers loose their value rather quickly and depending on age will be worth only 25 to 50% of their initial cost at best should you need or want to sell them later.
If what you have is desirable and you dont mind folks coming to your house...craigslist works just fine. I've used it to move all sorts of equipment...just be careful when arranging times...I always ask for the buyer to text me right when they are leaving so I dont waste my time waiting. And I set up the equipment in the garage so they don't need to enter your home...but everyone I've met through selling gear on craigslist have been fine.
Otherwise I think audiogon.com has the largest marketplace. I believe there fees are 4%-6%.
Okay, so I went by the storage today and happened to get a good look at these guys. I did a quick google just to see and found a couple of pairs on Ebay for ~$1200. I think I probably would part with them for that. I'll probably post locally just to see, but what's the goto for vintage gear? Stereoechange? Audiogon? I also found a really nice Sansui AU-317 Amp that will probably be off to a new home too.
I've been through several phases (stages of grief?). I've wound my own speaker wire, I've made elaborate changes to my listening room, rearranged transformers to negate magnetic effects. Some of it had an impact. But I also found that I was listening more to the sound than to the music. Then I went to cheap throw away devices so I could listen too cool tunes while mountain biking in the desert. And of course several experiments with ripping RP to various media so I could listen to in in my car (on the highway with road noise and tire whomp). Now I'm mostly happy when the main mix doesn't make me switch streams or skip ahead. To me the music is the soundtrack, not the star of the movie. Edit: I still have a pair of Infinity RS3 speakers that I re-foamed a couple years ago. They sound pretty fantastic. They are in storage now, but I wouldn't sell them for the price I could get for them, so I must have aspirations of using them again.
Okay, so I went by the storage today and happened to get a good look at these guys. I did a quick google just to see and found a couple of pairs on Ebay for ~$1200. I think I probably would part with them for that. I'll probably post locally just to see, but what's the goto for vintage gear? Stereoechange? Audiogon? I also found a really nice Sansui AU-317 Amp that will probably be off to a new home too.
I've been through several phases (stages of grief?). I've wound my own speaker wire, I've made elaborate changes to my listening room, rearranged transformers to negate magnetic effects. Some of it had an impact. But I also found that I was listening more to the sound than to the music. Then I went to cheap throw away devices so I could listen too cool tunes while mountain biking in the desert. And of course several experiments with ripping RP to various media so I could listen to in in my car (on the highway with road noise and tire whomp).
Now I'm mostly happy when the main mix doesn't make me switch streams or skip ahead. To me the music is the soundtrack, not the star of the movie.
Edit: I still have a pair of Infinity RS3 speakers that I re-foamed a couple years ago. They sound pretty fantastic. They are in storage now, but I wouldn't sell them for the price I could get for them, so I must have aspirations of using them again.
Okay, so I went by the storage today and happened to get a good look at these guys. I did a quick google just to see and found a couple of pairs on Ebay for ~$1200. I think I probably would part with them for that. I'll probably post locally just to see, but what's the goto for vintage gear? Stereoechange? Audiogon? I also found a really nice Sansui AU-317 Amp that will probably be off to a new home too.
around my house (townhome) i've got some of these google/nest speakers
they are really convenient and they sync together rather well when i'm streaming radioparadise, soma fm, etc.
you can catch them on sale and they come in several shades of unremarkable meh so they blend in
the voice control aspect is easy too (mainly questions, music, lighting and the thermostat)
and they're n$a approved so my profile can be constantly monitored/updated
in my little man cave i have some edifier monitors w/ sub that sound good to me
for the times that i really want to dial in to audio, there's lower end sennheiser headphones
in my mind all of this begs these questions:
do you really need equipment that is better than your ability to hear?
and where is that line?
as we age our hearing declines no?
are we overspending on audio equipment, cables, etc.?
I've been through several phases (stages of grief?). I've wound my own speaker wire, I've made elaborate changes to my listening room, rearranged transformers to negate magnetic effects. Some of it had an impact. But I also found that I was listening more to the sound than to the music. Then I went to cheap throw away devices so I could listen too cool tunes while mountain biking in the desert. And of course several experiments with ripping RP to various media so I could listen to in in my car (on the highway with road noise and tire whomp).
Now I'm mostly happy when the main mix doesn't make me switch streams or skip ahead. To me the music is the soundtrack, not the star of the movie.
Edit: I still have a pair of Infinity RS3 speakers that I re-foamed a couple years ago. They sound pretty fantastic. They are in storage now, but I wouldn't sell them for the price I could get for them, so I must have aspirations of using them again.
And then, assuming youâre not able to communicate easily, whatâs on the playlist? Are you at the whims of the staff? I started a topic on this a while back. A buddy had been creating his playlist and Iâd always had that idea in the back of my head too.
this is (still) a great idea
while your still breathing maybe something contractual
just so some jack-wagon doesn't put on some pantera while i'm slipping into elysium
and what about the repass/after-party playlist?
theme: zydeco, gumbo and hurricanes
let me guess
you're going to be the geezer in the nursing home assisted living facility with the martin logans on each side of his bed pointed directly toward his wrinkly ear holes
Yes, as we age, our hearing declines, notwithstanding any abuse we've inflicted on our hearing over the years - environmental noise at work, many excessively loud concerts, etc. But generally, the decline is at the top end - 14kHz -20Khz.
Our ability to enjoy a well-recorded album on a competent or better system remains a thing, well into our years. If your system can accurately reproduce an upright bass, piano & great vocalist on a soundstage that seems like they're there if you closed your eyes, you've got a system that can be thoroughly enjoyed.
Over-spending? That's quite subjective and often contentious, especially so as one gets interested in the ultra high-end gear. To me, there's a distinction between good, great and excellent. Anything at or above great is fantastic to an audiophile. Truly excellent gear starts to stretch the budget for most. Beyond excellent is the stratosphere with room dominating gear, and for those whose wallets are near bottomless.
I'm very much a believer in diminishing returns. Once either threshold - 'good' (bang for the buck), or 'great' (spend more - it's noticeably better ) has been met - from there, everything becomes very subjective. My preference is to select gear in the 'great' zone, as much as is practical. Though, over the years I've seen plenty of examples of systems that are excellent or better, but the owner's choice in listening material is utter trash, and might as well be played on 'good' systems, at best. Some material doesn't deserve or benefit from a superb stereo system.
YMMV, IMHO, IANAL, etc.
i can agree with this
pretty sure my cochlea have bunions too
but just so i'm compliant with political aspect of this
i have to ask: what is the carbon foot print of your rig?
in gigatons please
let me guess
you're going to be the geezer in the nursing home assisted living facility with the martin logans on each side of his bed pointed directly toward his wrinkly ear holes
And then, assuming youâre not able to communicate easily, whatâs on the playlist? Are you at the whims of the staff? I started a topic on this a while back. A buddy had been creating his playlist and Iâd always had that idea in the back of my head too.
Do I need it? Absolutely!
Overspending? Absolutely not!
let me guess
you're going to be the geezer in the nursing home assisted living facility with the martin logans on each side of his bed pointed directly toward his wrinkly ear holes
in my mind all of this begs these questions:
do you really need equipment that is better than your ability to hear?
and where is that line?
as we age our hearing declines no?
are we overspending on audio equipment, cables, etc.?
Yes, as we age, our hearing declines, notwithstanding any abuse we've inflicted on our hearing over the years - environmental noise at work, many excessively loud concerts, etc. But generally, the decline is at the top end - 14kHz -20Khz.
Our ability to enjoy a well-recorded album on a competent or better system remains a thing, well into our years. If your system can accurately reproduce an upright bass, piano & great vocalist on a soundstage that seems like they're there if you closed your eyes, you've got a system that can be thoroughly enjoyed.
Over-spending? That's quite subjective and often contentious, especially so as one gets interested in the ultra high-end gear. To me, there's a distinction between good, great and excellent. Anything at or above great is fantastic to an audiophile. Truly excellent gear starts to stretch the budget for most. Beyond excellent is the stratosphere with room dominating gear, and for those whose wallets are near bottomless.
I'm very much a believer in diminishing returns. Once either threshold - 'good' (bang for the buck), or 'great' (spend more - it's noticeably better ) has been met - from there, everything becomes very subjective. My preference is to select gear in the 'great' zone, as much as is practical. Though, over the years I've seen plenty of examples of systems that are excellent or better, but the owner's choice in listening material is utter trash, and might as well be played on 'good' systems, at best. Some material doesn't deserve or benefit from a superb stereo system.
around my house (townhome) i've got some of these google/nest speakers
they are really convenient and they sync together rather well when i'm streaming radioparadise, soma fm, etc.
you can catch them on sale and they come in several shades of unremarkable meh so they blend in
the voice control aspect is easy too (mainly questions, music, lighting and the thermostat)
and they're n$a approved so my profile can be constantly monitored/updated
in my little man cave i have some edifier monitors w/ sub that sound good to me
for the times that i really want to dial in to audio, there's lower end sennheiser headphones
in my mind all of this begs these questions:
do you really need equipment that is better than your ability to hear?
and where is that line?
as we age our hearing declines no?
are we overspending on audio equipment, cables, etc.?
Do I need it? Absolutely!
Overspending? Absolutely not!
in my mind all of this begs these questions:
do you really need equipment that is better than your ability to hear?
and where is that line?
as we age our hearing declines no?
are we overspending on audio equipment, cables, etc.?
and if you have all of that equipment, does it accelerate the hearing decline, making it less "valuable"?
Overspending is a personal issue I guess. Are people overspending on the "automotive lust" thread cars? Only if you don't own one.
In order to have music in our main living areas, I have all but hidden multiple wireless speakers at the edges of the rooms, under furniture. My wife likes them when we use them, but the overriding sentiment is "I don't want to see them".
For men with "others" in the house, I wonder how many of the set-ups are in the primary living area vs. how many are in a dedicated space. The sound travels, but is it tolerated so long as the equipment is out of sight?
random coffee thoughts
around my house (townhome) i've got some of these google/nest speakers
they are really convenient and they sync together rather well when i'm streaming radioparadise, soma fm, etc.
you can catch them on sale and they come in several shades of unremarkable meh so they blend in
the voice control aspect is easy too (mainly questions, music, lighting and the thermostat)
and they're n$a approved so my profile can be constantly monitored/updated
in my little man cave i have some edifier monitors w/ sub that sound good to me
for the times that i really want to dial in to audio, there's lower end sennheiser headphones
in my mind all of this begs these questions:
do you really need equipment that is better than your ability to hear?
and where is that line?
as we age our hearing declines no?
are we overspending on audio equipment, cables, etc.?
all of this seems cool
but buying this type of freakishly large gear (could we say furniture?)
would throw a wrench in my partner's interior decorating plans
Yeah...me too.
In order to have music in our main living areas, I have all but hidden multiple wireless speakers at the edges of the rooms, under furniture. My wife likes them when we use them, but the overriding sentiment is "I don't want to see them".
For men with "others" in the house, I wonder how many of the set-ups are in the primary living area vs. how many are in a dedicated space. The sound travels, but is it tolerated so long as the equipment is out of sight?
all of this seems cool
but buying this type of freakishly large gear (could we say furniture?)
would throw a wrench in my partner's interior decorating plans
true.. 
