A return to the turntable
September 18th, 2008 by Eric Snider in Trends
Yesterday I became the proud owner of a Pro-Ject Debut III turntable. It’s the first turntable I’ve had and used since, oh, probably the early ’90s.
Why a turntable? First there’s the matter of all that vinyl I still own, about a dozen Peaches crates full. I had gotten literally dozens per week as a music writer in the ’80s until they were fully replaced by CDs. My LPs have been sitting in a closet year after year untouched. I’ve replaced most of my LPs with CDs, but not all. Labels are starting to release new titles on vinyl again, and certain specialty companies are issuing old titles on super high grade vinyl.
Another reason: I took part in an audiophile symposium a while back, and while I would in no way classify myself as a fellow traveler with these obsessives, I did fall under their thrall a little. One of the biggest arguments in the audiophile community is the superiority (or not) of vinyl. A guy on the panel who writes for an audiophile magazine made a very persuasive case that LPs sound warmer and more authentic than their digital counterparts. I’ve been wanting to find out.
This same writer owns a turntable that retails for – and I made him swear to this — $120,000. I failed to ask the follow-up question: Did he actually purchase it? I’m guessing he got some sort of massive price break; either that or he’s a jewel thief on the side, because audiophile magazine writers simply cannot make the kind of cash that allows them to spend six figures on one stereo component. (At least I hope not; if they do, I’m in the wrong business.)
My Project Debut III, which I bought at Audio Visions South in Tampa, cost me about $250. It’ll do for now. I have yet to do a strict comparison between vinyl and CD, but that’ll come soon. In the meantime, a couple of quick observations:
I broke out several of my 60 or so Miles Davis LPs, and, man, that shit sounds good.
A side of an LP lasts for about 20 minutes. Then you have to get up and change it. (My model doesn’t have an an automatic tone arm, so the stylus just sits there as the record rotates.) This takes some (re-)getting used to, especially if you happen to nod off during a side.
Vinyl makes noise. Even my more pristine LPs emitted few crackles. (That may be in part because I’ve yet to get all that vinyl-cleaning shit.) After a good couple decades of CD use, surface noise also takes some getting used to.
Vinyl will occasionally repeat. Everyone who ever used a turntables will get a little sick feeling in their stomach upon remembering when one of their favorite records would get stuck and play the same phrase over and over. The LP was rendered useless unless you were willing to get up and move the needle over the repeating part. I was reminded of this maddening effect near the end of Side 2 of Miles’ In a Silent Way. We used to say that the record was skipping, but it seems like the opposite of that to me.
So, in all, I’m excited about my Pro-ject Debut III. Soon enough I’m going to put my ears to the task of deciding whether vinyl sounds better than compact disc. I’ll pass along my results. In the meantime, I’ve been reminded of why CDs caught on so quickly.
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September 18th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
Eric, you’re on the way! It’s a slippery slope, be forewarned. Next will be a better cartridge, phono preamp, record weight/clamp & maybe an isolation platform under the whole thing!
But first…look into the Project Speed Box II, you’ll be able to change from 33 rpm to 45 rpm with the push of a button & it really tightens up the bass - bringing out a more satisfying sound.
Vinyl Rules!
Cheers,
Scott Z