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January 27, 2011 - 1:16pm
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Shopping for a brand new setup
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the first piece of equipment to come to mind is this guy...
http://stereophile.com/content/music-hall-usb-1-too-much-fun
This turntable allows you to digitize your vinyl and it also has a built-in phonostage
From there you have a lot of options for integrated amps. Here's a cool one for $450: http://www.stereophile.com/content/anticipation-jolida%E2%80%99s-fx10-integrated-amplifier
If you choose to buy a turntable w/o a built-in phono stage (how most hi-fi turntables come)
You can get this guy as your receiver (comes w/built in phono-stage):
http://www.amazon.com/Harman-Kardon-HK-3390-Performance/dp/B00198BOAM
Finally, there are plenty of speakers <$300. Stephen Mejias, our assistant editor and columnist for the Entry Level, owns the PSB Alpha B1s ($279) -- our budget component of the year for 2007.
do your best to digitize your vinyl in the highest-rez format possible (not mp3s :-) )
about digitizing your vinyl at higher than mp3s. Vinyl is a hi-rez format. There is so much information in those grooves! The lowest I will rip vinyl at is 16 bit 44k, cd quality. I use that for compressed or just not great sounding vinyl. For the better recordings I use 24 bit 96k. The files are huge but so are my usb hard drives. And with a good record, you can easilt hear the difference.
I need to experiment with 24bit 44k recordings because my flac files from Mojo by Tom Petty are that size and they rock! So it may be the 24 bits more than the sampling rate.
But never throw away resoloution, and turning your vinyl into sucky mp3s would be doing just that.
Trey
Ok so let me get this straight please:
If I buy a turntable with a built in phono amp, I only need to buy a receiver (amp) IF I want to hook it up to external speakers but if I need to just hook it up to just my computer then I don't need a receiver. Am I correct? Should I try to buy a receiver with an HDMI port?
If I buy a turntable WITHOUT a built in phono amp, I definitely need to buy an amp (receiver). What is the difference between the jolida amp and the harman kardon examples you sent me?
Sorry for being so ignorant on this topic but my whole music-listening experience has been digital up to now.
Thanks again for your help.
1. If you buy a turntable with a phono preamp, you can buy an integrated amp or receiver w/o a phono stage. If you buy a turntable with w/o a phono preamp, you must either buy a separate phono preamp or a receiver or integrated with a phono stage. The phono preamp/phono stage boosts the normally low signal that comes from a turntable
2. You can hook up a turntable directly to your computer (if the turntable is made to do so) and rip vinyl direct (no receiver/integrated needed).
To accomplish what? Audio or video transmission? Audio transmission via HDMI is not recommended
You definitely need to buy a receiver or integrated amp that includes a phono stage (or a separate phono stage + an integrated amplifier or receiver). The Jolida is a tubed integrated amplifier, focused on audio. The HK receiver includes A/V resources, a phono stage, and is a little less focused on the hi-fi audio end of things (although i really cant vouch for the sound of either products -- these are sweeping generalizations).
No worries. Hope i can help, and i'm sorry for not being clearer earlier. Please continue to ask questions for further clarification.
Hi Ariel,
Thanks for your replies. My brother just gave me his fully functional classic NAD 3020b which is over 20 years old. Do you know if I would be able to connect the Rega RP1 and the PSB Alpha B1 speakers to this amp or is that just too crazy? I guess I am worried about 2 things: first, can that amp power the PSB bookshelf speakers and seconds would I be able to connect the turntable to the back of this amp?
Thanks again.
The NAD 3020B has phono inputs and will drive those loudspeakers adequately. It was a sound unit back in its day so should be servicable for you until you get something new.
I use my NAD 3040 for monitoring my vinyl rips and it works great! It was immersed in the flood, and it still rocks! I went in the back room when the water was coming in and found it halfway drowned. I remember turning it on its side to let the water pour out.
I was sure it was gone, but moved it to drier ground because I love the little thing. A week after the flood I plugged it in and it is working flawlessly on a daily basis for 9 months. My Denon avr, a fine piece of machinery for what it is, did not live through the flood.
Here is to simple, strong technology!
Trey