Vinyl Collectors vs. Audiophiles *plus* my Hi-Fi audio listening room setup
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- Опубліковано 30 чер 2024
- If you want to jump right to the overview of my components, feel free by clicking below
00:00 - Vinyl Collectors vs. Audiophiles
05:48 - My audio room components
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#jazz #vinylcollector #hifi #hifiaudio #audiophile #jazzcollector #jazzvinyl #listeningroom
Awesome, very well stated. I think we need more collectors on UA-cam because right now it’s a lot of audiophiles dominating the discussion and that can get boring. VG+ FOR LIFE!
You can’t beat the vintage McIntosh gear, I use to have the MA6200 from the 80’s.
Wish I had kept it. Good for you not getting caught up in the game of perfection.
We all know it doesn’t exist but many love trying to get there. I had the same Thorens turntable for 25 years so I know what it’s like to just enjoy the music as well. Great content. 🙏
i quit being an audiophile and listen to the music now and that is what i enjoy, grtz from the netherlands 🇳🇱
Great video! It’s so refreshing to see people like you getting about jazz music collection. You’re set up is perfectly fine as long as you can enjoy the music in your room. The best thing in your setup is the number of records that you have 👍
Thank you, and yea the records are more my passion and will be content for most of my future videos I’m sure.
It is and always will be about the music. Keep doing what feels right for you. An audio system is personal choice. No has the right tell you what equipment you should have to enjoy the music.
Kudos for taking the comments in stride and responding in a mature, patient manner. I'm a recent subscriber and I keep coming back. Hope you can keep your calm demeanour going. Great channel. I'm a collector, music lover, and a poor audiophile, so I'm a fan of the room tours, the equipment overviews, and the record reviews (especially the shootouts). Keep 'em coming!
I'm definitely more of a "vinyl collector" but I usually just refer to it as my music library. I have about a thousand records, a couple hundred CDs, and I also play digital files (I also record to new old stock stereo VHS tape for a "poor man's r-to-r" experience - trust me, it sounds fantastic!). My gear is a mix of old and new, like you, and I love how it sounds in my space.
I don't go out of my way to buy first pressings unless they're cheap (or they're oop) and I have no problem with digital recordings (new, remixes, remasters), in fact, I love them - new MoFi pressings sound great to me.
If I was to make only one suggestion and it may, or may not, work for you is that you might want to add another subwoofer. Getting the sub to "disappear" is easy with two of them in my experience.
I like the fact that your gear is attainable stuff and built to last.
Great video!
Nice system. EDIT - I wouldn't go crazy with gear. It's hard on the bank account. You already have an audiophile system. There are gear heads who are always chasing the "Next best thing" when it comes to speakers, amps, carts, on and on. It never ends. Just enjoy the music!
Fun vid my friend! Thanks for the tour of the system.
Very nice system my friend , don't listen to negative comments .
Great video, I enjoyed your description of Collectors and Audiophiles and seeing your setup. 🤘🏼
Great channel. Really enjoying your videos. Thanks for sharing!
Another great vid. Cool to see your gear. Agree with the idea that it’s YOU who knows how your set up sounds in your room. If it sounds good to you, happy days! I’ve recently picked up the MP110 Really enjoying it.
An aspect of upgrading equipment that I enjoy is as the system gets to be more fine tuned, I enjoy hearing different pressings even more. Certain reissues sound just as good if not better. Also, other albums and music become more interesting because the upgraded equipment makes me have a more involved experience, thus allowing me to appreciate something that wouldn’t normally catch my interest.
Enjoying your channel, just keep doing you. There will always be those that will tell what they thinks is best for you based upon minimal information.
Great setup! I like that you enjoy what you have because it works for you and that's all it needs to do. I also like the notion of listening to older (in general) records on older gear; it is a way of tome-traveling and listening the same way others first heard the tunes.
Chasing small incremental changes is more of an audiophile thing and that isn't most people. It certainly isn't me. Great stuff!
Cheers, Tom
Been an instagram follower and now on UA-cam as well. Well done, and I am really enjoying your video. I am just the opposite as I am evolving or moving away from being a pure audiophile. I think the whole point is be yourself and trust your own ears, and everyone has a different journey.
11:51. you don’t “need” to do anything except listen to and enjoy your records. I always roll my eyes when audiophiles insist on knowing what kind of system you’re listening on before they decide if your opinion is worthy or not. New visitor to the channel and have enjoyed browsing through your videos today while I recover from the flu. Nice to see a new Jazz focused channel with zero pretensions.
Great video and love your passion for the music! Keep it up and you have a great setup - keep on spinning and share with us your thoughts! You have one follower.
Well explained, I agree with you, thumbs up.
Hi Chris, first off, the content that you are putting out is stellar, you are a natural in this space. I don’t understand why Audiophiles and Collectors can’t seem to get along and respect others boundaries. I’m both an Audiophile and proud to be one and a Vinyl Collector and Music Lover, completest type with all that goes in between both sides. I enjoy discovering different genres of music and getting the back story of the artist and listening to how he or she arrived at that point and understanding the emotion that comes from that piece of music and the emotion that comes out of me from listening to that composition.
I want to know who wrote the music and the supporting cast members, because the supporting cast members, especially in jazz, usually become leaders. I listen to all types of genres of music. I can go from jazz, to rock, to heavy metal, to hip hop/gangster rap to country, to Classical, to Reggie, to spiritual to folk to literarily anything that holds my attention. It is truly about the music to me. I enjoy the dumpster dives, yard sales, the hunt for the music, the cleaning to get it to sound as good as I can. All of this composes the hobby for what it is, enjoyment and recreation.
I don’t push my beliefs off on others, if you ask me a question, I will give you an answer, otherwise I believe in living and letting live. This is your journey Chris and just like your collection, you will grow when it is appropriate for you or not. I enjoyed the system tour, and I do like to hear what people are listening to their music on, but I enjoy your content even more.
I enjoy sitting down, listening to music and just get caught up, the time is irrelevant because it takes me back to a time or a space, sometimes of futures past. Your room, which some often take for granted can be your most important component and that is a free one, the room determines what size speakers or acoustic treatments go into a room.
Sometimes the records aren’t in the best condition, with some clicks and pops, hopefully not overpowering the music. I will buy the format that’s available to me, like CDs, SACD, until I get the vinyl or not. I will stream, play a cassette, listen to reel to reel, because the system is just a means to an end and that is to enjoy my music in the best possible space and with the best equipment that I can afford to bring me that enjoyment.
The Mofi thing, I’m over it, it was about the lie that angered me, the pressing didn’t just stop sounding good or bad in some cases. I won’t be selling my MoFi and I will continue to buy them, just like UHQR, but maybe a little more sparingly, but I have always bought them that way anyway, due to price. I will be buying the Michael Jackson’s Thriller on MoFi.
I enjoy the comparisons between pressing, I enjoy knowing who the recording engineers are and the various pressing plants, I love equipment reviews. I love RSD, because I love it all. We have to get away from attempting to separate one from the other, oh I’m a audiophile, no I’m a music lover. You can have great equipment and not spend a lot of money for it, because there is the used market, just like there are used records. No person can make you feel any kind of way about your equipment, space or music choices unless you allow yourself to take on their energy.
Is my equipment expensive, sure it is, not as expensive as some, but more expensive than others. Are some of my records expensive, they sure are because, I, like you Chris love originals and I love collecting artist, and labels and I’m a completest. I’m attempting a deep dive into Strata East. I have no shame in any of it and I respect others, time, space and choices. The only person that needs to enjoy your system Chris is you. Now enough of this, get back to doing what you do best and putting out great content. You are a rising star in this space!!!
Thank you so much!
I love the fact that you don't chase the equipment dragon. My favorite record collector has every single blue note record. Worth millions. Listens to them on a 30 year old technics turntable with who knows what cartridge.
Looks like a great set up. I think collectors enjoy owning an artifact of the era- knowing that you’re listening to the exact same record that someone listened to 70 years ago is cool to me...to the point that I’ll google the name if there’s one written on the sleeve. Enjoying your videos.
Thanks and yea absolutely - I do love vintage because it’s what was used to hear it then, with some obvious exceptions as technology improved and people didn’t use 12 grams of tracking pressure on the later turntables!
Everyone enjoys room/equipment tours.Sadly the word "audiophile" has become a four letter word in large part. I agree most of the spectrum just wants to listen to music.
keep up the good work
First of all, I am sorry because I use a translator so I hope everythig will be understable
I like your way of seeing things and your philosophy
Trying to get and collect the original pressing of a record does indeed make more sense and is undoubtedly more "valuable" (it's part of a cultural heritage, it's a piece of history, etc.) than, for example, trying to get the best performing setup (an endless quest), without most of the time enjoying the simple pleasure of listening to the music.
You are also a long way from those who define themselves as audiophiles and who consider their equipment to be the best one because they have spent tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars or euros when they know nothing about it. Ah ah, that's a good joke! But they've got the money and they're far too gullible to say anything else when a salesman tells them that what they're buying is exceptional.
I recently had the experience of listening to a system from a 'High End' dealer, which costs over €60,000 with cable at €3,000 each (!) and surprise, I felt nothing at all. No emotion at all. A pity, because it was my very first so-called 'high end' experience. But what came out of there was flat, with no texture whatsoever, absolutely neutral. I could compare the experience to a gourmet dish with no flavour!
My little system (vintage McIntosh integrated + a good vintage Thorens turntable + vintage Kef speakers) has no reason to be ashamed of the system I listened to.
But there are those who are much more sincere in their approach ("the real ones"), who have truly exceptional equipment (whatever the cost, not necessarily expensive) but who know what they're buying. But in general, these are not the ones who talk a lot on the networks.
BRAVO ! Congratulations for your collection which is really impressive, take good care of it ;-)
And by the way, I'm very jealous of your equipment: the C26 + MC2105, a classic duo that really looks good! In French : "ça a de la gueule !"
Best wishes
Cédric
I stumbled upon your YT videos, and you post a lot of content that is of interest to me. Your system is featured as a backdrop in just about all of your videos, which in the virtual age, invites comments and feedback. For better or worse. If it sounds good to you, then you are good. It appears that you have made a sizable investment into your LP collection, and you have steadily looked to upgrade where possible. Regarding your equipment however, there is room for improvement, without chasing the equipment dragon, or spending 10K. My approach is to get to the point of diminishing returns. Once I get to this point, I can generally stand still and enjoy what I have. Listening to your opinions, I note that you seem to be aware of relative value, and you look for value anomalies when you buy and then you like to capture profits to fund other purchases. The same approach can be used to acquire excellent equipment, at a modest cost. The system in view features McIntosh, Marantz, Nagaoka and KEF. All good, high quality equipment, however, I am sure you have noticed the steadily rising CMV for Mac and Marantz equipment.... In the opinion of many, these pieces are overvalued, meaning you can sell at a high price and use the proceeds for better equipment. Why should this be important ? Resolution, and enjoyment of the golden sonics embedded deep in the grooves ! You like to make comparisons, and your ear seems to be keen enough to discern subtle differences. Simply stated, better equipment will allow you to hear more, and enjoy more, when you listen. Better equipment will also make comparisons much easier, by directly highlighting differences in pressings. I am not about to recommend specific equipment, and I note that you live in the Atlanta GA area. Thankfully there is a vibrant audio hobbyist population around the city. In practical terms this means you have a large population to sell into and by from. There is a lot of equipment floating around Atl ! There is an associated question that has not been addressed in your videos. Do you clean your LPs ? If so, how ? Asking why is rhetorical because clean(er) LPs sound better ! The adoption of a comprehensive cleaning regimen is considered a sonic upgrade by many, and money very well spent my just about everyone. Judicious equipment upgrades have much of the same long term effect on your listening experiences. My comments are free, and you get what you pay for ! I like what I have seen so far, and I will continue to watch. Good Luck and Good Listening !
This is a nicer, better sounding setup than just about 99.9% of people on the planet, most of whom also enjoy music. It is wonderful to have a great setup to enjoy music to the fullest extent. Just know that there is no end once you start going down the audiophile rabbit hole. If that's your jam, great. If you want to focus on enjoying the music (which sounds like the case), just keep this in mind.
Recently came across your channel, and I've got to say you have some compelling content. Looking forward to more.
I would say you have a good system, and consider it audiophile grade. I agree with your point that you'd rather spend more of your money acquiring more music, than improving your equipment. But to some degree, as you stated, when you improve the equipment and the setup, you can improve your enjoyment of the media. While you may have already thought about this, you might consider changing your turntable/arm combination, or just your tonearm, to a tonearm that has interchangeable head-shells. Then you have the option of easily using a less expensive cartridge for records in tougher shape, or a nicer one (possibly moving coil) for your better records. Or switching between a stereo and mono cartridge. I recently did after seeing Steve Guttenberg discuss this. I had been thinking about that for a while, but Steve pushed me over the edge.
VC ten years ago was a completely different space. These days I feel I’m not discovering as much new music as I did back in the day when I would watch videos posted by VC members. I learned so much from some of those folks, and my collection is a testament of that. Most of those folks stopped posting videos long time ago sadly.
I just discovered your channel. Excellent content and presentation.
thank you!
Daniel VanEijl (The Jazz Shepherd) is very much a collector and a completest. It's all about the music for him and how it makes you feel and not about audiophile snobbery.
Keep doing you and being honest with yourself. You are very self aware. Go on your own journey at your own time.
This is a nice setup for listening to G+ vinyl. You may wanna find a good cartridge which offers a conical stylus and pair it to a detailed phono preamp with nice coloration
Chris Nice equipment tour I been following you on Instagram for about six year I always dig your posts and it’s very cool your doing UA-cam love that Marantz and McIntosh setup it’s all about how you feel the sound should be your vinyl collection is stunning I definitely subbed you have great content. Lovellandrew
Bigger speakers will over power your room. My living room is my listening room. I've prolly got about 40 Sq ft on you, and I'm running a pair of Paradigm Studio 20 v.1's, and a Paradigm Ultracube 10 sub. They fill the room perfectly. Tried floor standers, and they were a little too much for the room. You have a great system.
thank you, yea i've been concerned about making sure the speakers/sub "match" the room. I may not have the perfect setup, but making improvements is more complicated than just going with bigger, and more about improving the overall balance in the space. Your setup sounds great as well.
Cool video, brother. I would love to have your system in my crib. Happy with what I have. And that's what matters most. Do what makes you happy. Anything less, makes you less happy. Cheers.
Yes, I consider myself as in the middle too. I call myself a "semi-audiophile" and am not a collector either; I simply buy stuff and don't throw it out. 🙂 I did find that as my system got better, my musical tastes broadened; you may find that as well. That phenomenon was responsible for a spurt in music purchases. I appreciate your take on this topic, and if you enjoy your music on the equipment you have, that's great. What I have found is that better equipment can expose poor recordings more; the LP that sounded great on the old console stereo when I was a kid doesn't if I play it on my current setup, leading me in some cases to seek better pressings. I am going to subscribe, and see where your channel takes me. Keep up the good work.
Hi, I’m glad you’re enjoying your system, it doesn’t matter what people say when criticizing it. The wealth of knowledge in jazz music trumps all audiophile snobness, even though I might fall in the first part of this category, but for sure not the negative part. It’s good to know about potential upgrades that might make a difference. I think it would be rude to intrude suggesting upgrades to someone w/out being asked. Enjoy your wonderful collection!
Awesome! 👍 Heh... I didn't know about this video when I watched the other one about Kind of Blue. You DID do a great job explaining and comparing though.
Great explanation! I have collected vinyl and have been pretending to be an Audiophile for over 40 years now 😊 I have put together a system, some of it DIY, but with the aim of presenting the sound as naturally and the best I can in a reasonable and affordable way. I can't post a link to pictures of my system here, but I did briefly describe it in the other post.
I have always bought the albums because I LIKED them. Not for their monetary value, and unlike you, I am NOT a completist by any means. I ONLY buy albums that I really like and will listen to. And yes, of course I TRY to get the best and cleanest pressings possible, but I'm not a fanatic and with a very rare handful of exceptions out of 2500 albums or so, I won't pay silly prices. However, *YOU* did buy the UHQR 2-45 of Kind of Blue! 😁 Actually, I do have a humble confession to make. It was just now, after seeing *YOUR* video describing the differences and your impressions, that I FINALLY gave in and ordered it, just like 5 minutes ago.
*THANKS A LOT!!!* 😲
Actually, you made an excellent point! You said that if you can tell these differences on your system, then we also should be able to appreciate the excellent quality of this new release. That did it... And, I've been reading extensively on the Steve Hoffman Forums and read numerous impressions and reviews of these true Audiophile guys. But, honestly... it was YOUR review that convinced me 😊 I just also have the MFSL 2-45 and I DO like it on my system. And, I've been trying to justify just TRYING to be happy with that. But, to be honest, watching your review tipped me over the edge. But, I guess I'm glad I did. You can imagine with my system as I have described it I am really looking forward to hearing all this great stuff that you and everyone else has been talking about.
So, a sincere 'Thank You', and I apologize that I did not see this video here before I left those comments about your system on your other video. Keep up the great work mate! Oh... I just thought... Actually, if you wanted to do so, you could just click on my name here on UA-cam and for example check out part 1 of my 4 part series of videos on how I made my own Ultrasonic RCM. In the description or the comments below that, I'm pretty sure I included a link to my system and collections.
With good research, find the best (in your price range) components and build a great sounding system. Nagaoka makes amazing cartridges and the MP-200 is the perfect blend of "affordable luxury". Again, Schiit Mani2 phono preamp is only $150 and could better most built in phono stages in brand name receivers. You can invest a little money and get big rewards.
If you enjoy what you are hearing and it sounds natural to you the heck with opinions! I like your approach and vids very much!
Thank you, much appreciated!
This is true, but sometimes you do not know it cant sound better util you hear it in better setup. Then is hard to go back.
Really enjoyed your breakdown here. I feel like since the vinyl resurgence audiophiles have dominated the discussion, particularly in jazz and I think partly as a result of a lot of new collectors coming to vinyl from digital and expecting the 'flawlessness'.
I would consider myself a collector first over an audiophile. I've been collecting since the mid-1990s, primarily collecting soul/R&B and jazz records. I'm not a first pressings guy but I am picky about which pressings I get, like with Impulse! It has to be either a 1961-1972 US pressing, late 70s Japanese or a modern audiophile reissue, and I would consider myself more of a completist who would rather have all the albums of an artist or label in good quality than have only a handful of releases (or 8 copies of the same album) and have the absolute best sounding pressing.
I would say I am also a budget to mid-level audiophile when it comes to gear but I don't have the desire to constantly be upgrading for incremental improvements and would prefer the best quality for value. I still have my Rega P3 I bought back in the 2004 and my Wharfedale speakers from about 2001 as part of my main system, and have only recently be considering upgrading my speakers and amp in the last few years.
On moving coil carts, I'm a big fan of the Denon DL-103 and DL-110 as they are inexpensive carts but offer the moving coil sonic improvement without breaking the bank (the DL-103 was the broadcast standard in Japan). I have the DL-103 and a MC phono preamp for my main setup, and the DL-110 on my office turntable as it has a high output and can use a standard phono preamp. Highly recommended if you want to dip your toes into moving coil.
I think I subscribed after watching the UHQR video. Thanks for the rundown on your system. As long as it sounds good to your ears that’s what’s important. I also have the KEF LS 50’s but want to check out the Metas as well. How loud do you keep your subwoofer? I put mine at 50% but don’t know exactly if I am blending them correctly with my system.( I have the SVS SB-3000).
I'm not sure what settings the SVS has, but on the KC62, there is the ability to indicate whether you are placing it in a corner, against a wall, inside a cabinet, in an apartment, or more centrally located in a room. The settings I have mine on are first the room setting, and then 25% on volume with cross-over at around 80 Hz. If I had a more advanced Kef speaker model, I think I could use an app to help set all the levels correctly, but unfortunately the LS-50 standard speaker model isn't compatible with the app.
@@jazzvinylcollector thank you for your reply!
bonjour,
i follow you on Instagram and just found your youtube channel.
the so called V.C. can really be depressing with it's "audiophile" obsession;
as a lover of african music i'm 100% with you. i'd rather buy a G+ vinyl of great music to enjoy, rather than wasting crazy amount of money on esoteric equipment.
hope your channel will be as interesting as your instagram post.
oh ive been thinkn about a kc62 for awhile now
Depending on what type of music you listen to, it could be a decent addition. I wish it wasn’t so darn expensive, that’s for sure
Seems nice to me, enjoy.
yay! another jazz collector. immediate follow for me. unrelated to this topic, do you have much Japanese jazz?
Thanks! I love Japanese jazz but not quite the expert just yet. I have a few dozen TBM releases, some WhyNot and others. Perhaps tangential to jazz, I love YMO and have a bunch of their albums too
I totally agree with you. I collect for the music. I live in Europe so OG's particularly of jazz records are very difficult to source anyway. I got really interested in jazz a few years ago so its the Tone Poets and other similar releases for me The audiophile YT channels are getting very tiresome. Two of the better known channels 45RPM Audiophile and In Groove were caught out recently when it transpired that records they assumed were analogue had a digital component in the mastering chain. It showed they couldn't actually tell the difference . Some channels only talk about how good or not records sound and/or how much their records are worth. As far as I am concerned just get a nice listening space, relax and listen to the music . I really enjoy your channel. I have the same speakers as you. They are great sounding in my listening space which is also on the small side. I really just enjoy listening to good music on my system which I am really happy with.
I have a Rega Planar1 and a pair of active speakers but I was able to hear that Speakers Corners Carly Simon record is the best sounding vinyl I've ever heard.
I've heard excellent things about the Planar series, and that's one of the first brands I'd consider if and when I decide to upgrade my TT
Just now watching this video. What do you do for your mono recordings? I also have the MP110 cartridge.
The pre-amp has a mono switch built in. That’s it. I know the ideal is a dedicated phono stage with mono cart but that’s just not something I’ve pulled the trigger on at this point.
I share your opinion (or attitude) with regard to the equipment upgrade. It is something that is easier to change or upgrade than to build good record collection. In my experience it was worth to get separate phono preamp, but can't tell if it would make any difference in your system.
Great video! Love the content you are putting out Chris. Wouldn’t expect anything less based on the quality of you IG.
To each their own as far as priorities. Just don’t make others feel badly or wrong about what they know or where they are at. I am similar to you in that I have been collecting for just over 10 years and have prioritized finding Records more than upgrading equipment but have made upgrades here and there. I haven’t gone as far and gotten McIntosh components and I definitely have a lot of reissues. I have a marantz 1250 and technics turntable. For some would be a huge upgrade and for others complete garbage. 😂 I just want to enjoy the music and I’m definitely not that picky. Definitely not an audiophile but do I appreciate a quality sounding reissue. Absolutely. Btw. I think you need bigger speakers for that room! Keep the great content coming. -Kieran
LOL thanks.
Most any system can be just fine after a certain point. Its more so important to be familiar with how that system sounds with your records, thats the foundation for all comparisons.
With that said, get bigger speakers bro ;^)
HA!
I think your system is fine, but have you tried moving your speakers out into the room on stands? It might make a pretty big difference in Soundstage and instrument locality. You could try boxes, inderblocks, etc. at first to see if there's a difference before buying stands. l mark the finalized location of each stand with two discrete dots per stand, that way I can move them back between listening sessions.
I'm a believer in getting the best sound out of your music. If you have a nice collection of albums or CDs why not have a nice system to hear the music. Enjoy what you have if it works for you then so be it. There's a cost for collecting albums and building a nice sound system. You have enthusiasts in both the vinyl community as well as the audiophile community. At the end of the day it is what you enjoy and when you can afford. If it works for you then nothing else matters.
Thanks for clarifying. I love the sound of the KEFs and with that sub it should sound detailed and full. I have owned the McIntosh preamp and other solid state gear before so I do understand what it can sound like. I would say that your turntable and cartridge are the weakest link and the place where you could get the most improvement. Considering how much you have invested in vinyl, spending some to upgrade will increase your enjoyment of the music you already have. I do understand the impulse to acquire more music but you may want to balance that desire with a desire to improve your enjoyment with new equipment.
All of my customers are vinyl collectors they care about originals
I agree with another comment that the turntable is the weak link in the system, but if it sounds good to you that's all that counts. But down the road I think even a mid-level modern turntable is worth a try. Very well done videos!
Thanks! Yea, I did originally buy it to match my Marantz receiver, and it was an upgrade of a 70's Sanyo model I had since starting collecting. I've always had a hard time justifying in my head why a turntable is such an important link given that the stylus is what makes contact with the vinyl and rest is just wires (or this was my perspective). I've come around to the idea of a turntable making a difference, and it probably does need to be the next thing I upgrade.
MP 110 is the best cartridge in it's price range. They don't call it the "surface noise killer" for no reason. 65 dollar stylus. I wanna go up to a 150 or 200, but it's not really necessary. I'm the opposite of you. I want the best sounding record possible. If someone offere4d me a G to G+ OG pressing of "Nevermind" (I estimate 1000+ dollars) or the current in print mastered by Bernie Grundman, Pressed at Pallas (26 dollars) I'd take the new BG Nevermind. Obviously, I'd take the OG, sell it and buy lots of new Nevermind records, but you get the point. You do you boo. You need to do whatever makes you happy. Dude, a MC cart? Tell asnybody who says that to kick rocks. You listen to older, more worn out records. The higher end your cart and stylus the worse they'll sound. The MP 110 is likely the smartest cart you can have. Cheap replacements and very forgiving. I bet it sounds better than a MP 500 would considering the shape of your records. (Going G+ comment)
Audiophiles are record collectors also.
Except for the ones dedicated to digital
Most are, to an extent. I think he articulated the two as being on a spectrum, or Venn diagram. Collectors may be more ok with a VG(lots of crackle and pops) rating if it's an original copy. Audiophiles may have minimal to no interest in any original copy if the reissues sound crystal clear.
I don’t understand how anyone affords McIntosh. Doctor? Lawyer? Real estate mogul?
They have gotten quite expensive especially in the last 5 years. I found these on Facebook marketplace in inoperable condition and had a local technician fix them for me
I just stumbled on to you tonight first watching your Blue Train review which led me to your UHQR Kind of Blue review. & finally to this one. And let just say three things struck me while watching your Blue Train review. First was this guy can hear, second being he must be older then he looks & last, now this is a man of "intellectual honesty" , among the rarerest of qualitys. When you said in the Miles review your cartridge was 100.00 all I thought was this is a guy that deserves to experience a world class cartridge & you would be shocked yet again. However modest equipment doe's not preclude you from hearing the benefits of superior recording & anybody that makes that claim, dosen't know what they are talking about, it's all reletive. You are correct about collectors being different then audiophiles, unfortunately I'm both but don't find myself associating with many audiophiles. I've been at it for 45 years now & have spent stupid amounts of money on ultra high end, is it mandatory to hear a good sounding pressing, nope. As moving coils can make big leaps forward, they are not without their own set of issues. A moving iron design has some distinct advantages that are truly worth considering & you don't have to sell a kidney to get a reading great sounding one at any price. Petr Liederman at Soundsmith is one of the truly great engineers in analog. If you get time to watch his presentations which are also on UA-cam you will learn all the differences & benefits of all cartridge designs. And he doesn't talk like a nerdy engineer, a great guy indeed. None the less I am now a subscriber to your terrific channel, all the best!
The only weak link is your turntable. But if you're enjoying it, don't bother.
No cable risers!? How dare you even contemplate comparing different releases without those 😂
I am a person who is interested in the high fidelity reproduction of music (Audiophile). I don't "collect" records. I buy them to listen to.
Do you thoroughly clean and vacuum new records before playing them ? You don't need to buy new equipment. If you are happy with your present set-up, then that is all that matters
My problem is I need to do more listening and less collecting, I know that much. I do make sure to clean records though - using both a VPI as well as an ultrasonic machine depending on the situation
So, it’s very hard for me not to consider you an audiophile when I see a McIntosh amp that costs more than many used automobiles next to you. It’s hard to relate.
I’ve been fortunate to grab a few nice things that needed repair work… neither McIntosh unit powered on when I found them. But I also feel confronted by systems I see on UA-cam where the speakers retail for $60k and the cartridge is $1800, so it’s all relative I suppose, and a work in progress over the last decade
@@jazzvinylcollector I hear you. The gentleman that restored my late father’s Hallicrafters SX42 shortwave receiver for me gave me a hard bound copy of the McIntosh photo book. All I can do is drool over the gear, as I will never be able to afford it. Onkyo, Carver, and Pioneer composes the majority of my gear, while vintage KLH, Boston Acoustics, and JBL are the bulk of my speakers, all thrifted. I do this inexpensively. But some go bezerk, mainly for bragging rights. I often doubt they even listen to music, but mostly to their gear.
I am a bit more audiophile than you, and am selling my vinyl. Buying audiophile pressings is paying off.
You have such good vintage gear and those KEFs (including the subwoofer) are sticking out in a negative way.
Unexplainable to me.
I consider myself a music fan above all. I am not an audiophile, format-o-phile, or a record collector. That said, if you want honest feedback on your system, here goes. Please don't take this the wrong way.
To me the weakest points of your system are the turntable and the way you have your gear set up.
I would get everything on a vertical hi-fi rack, whether DIY or commercial. Then I would get those speakers on some good pillar type stands. With everything on that IKEA shelf your speaker placement is extremely restricted. Some stands are hollow and you can fill them with things like buckshot, playground sand, or even rice to weigh them down. Get some speaker cables that are long enough so that you can move the positioning of the speakers around. Do not buy overpriced snake oil speaker cable. Good quality 12 gauge or thicker wire from a major supplier like Belden or Canare is fine.
Re: the turntable, that is a decent model for what it is but value is very inflated due to the Marantz brand name stamped on it. As you may know those Marantz turntables were made by CEC, not Marantz themselves. Better CEC stuff was also Direct Drive, not Belt Drive. If you like old turntables, find a QL DD deck from Japan that's a bit better built than that and get it serviced. New decks are not worth buying unless you have at least $1K to spend. That's me being honest.
If you are playing a lot of rough condition vinyl, I would stick with the cartridge you have. There's no point in buying an expensive cartridge for rough vinyl. I have no idea why you are tracking that cart at the low end of the VTF range though. Most cartridges will perform objectively better at the higher end of the tracking force range. If you are playing a lot of vinyl, I would also track hours on that stylus using a clicker counter or smartphone counter app. A bonded elliptical stylus on a cart like that will not last more than 400 hours before it starts to degrade a bit. Most people will never hear it because stylus wear is like a frog boiling in water.