My first record player

[Leychee]

I am finally starting my vinyl collection, and of course, I need a record player.

 

I really like the Audio Technica LP120XUSB. What should I do to be able to use it with my DT770 Pros? As far as I know it doesn’t have an aux port. 

I assume I need an amp? If so, do you have any recommendations for an affordable, noob friendly one?

 

Thank you!

[saintlouisbagels]

6 minutes ago, Leychee said:

I am finally starting my vinyl collection, and of course, I need a record player.

 

I really like the Audio Technica LP120XUSB. What should I do to be able to use it with my DT770 Pros? As far as I know it doesn’t have an aux port. 

I assume I need an amp? If so, do you have any recommendations for an affordable, noob friendly one?

 

Thank you!

That turntable has a built-in phono preamp, so you don't need to buy one.

It still needs to output its audio somewhere, so you need to buy some kind of audio interface with RCA in.

This could be a pair of speakers with Audio in (3.5mm or RCA) and built-in headphone input.

This could be something like a headphone amplifier. Make sure it also has audio output so that it can still output to an external set of speakers.

 

I think vinyl records are a complete waste of money and space, so I don't have any recommendations for turntables or needles.

 

You don't need to buy a DAC because vinyl records are an analog format, whereas DAC are meant to convert digital to analog.

[Leychee]

Just now, saintlouisbagels said:

That turntable has a built-in phono preamp, so you don't need to buy one.

It still needs to output its audio somewhere, so you need to buy some kind of audio interface with RCA in.

This could be a pair of speakers with Aux in (3.5mm or RCA) and built-in headphone input.

This could be something like a headphone amplifier. Make sure it also has audio output so that it can still output to an external set of speakers.

That was really helpful, thank you. 

Would you recommend that turntable to a complete beginner?

Is there a brand you’d recommend for a headphone amp? My budget would be around 50€, I don’t know if it’s doable.

[saintlouisbagels]

10 minutes ago, Leychee said:

That was really helpful, thank you. 

Would you recommend that turntable to a complete beginner?

Is there a brand you’d recommend for a headphone amp? My budget would be around 50€, I don’t know if it’s doable.

That's a very low budget.

From checking this site, I think 85 is the lowest I can find for an amplifier that has both RCA input and RCA output. Most other options are just digital input (optical, USB) and analog output.

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/sedentary-headphone-amplifier/xduoo-mt-602-tube-headphone-amplifier-class-a-2x-6j1-p-15034.html

[cmndr]

If you want vinyl for the same reasons you might want to have 3000 physical books vs say a kindle... it can make some sense.

Just be warned that vinyl means higher costs, lower quality and less flexibility. The cost to store a HIGH quality song digitally is basically 0. The cost to store a medium-low quality song on vinyl (that will progressively degrade and get worse the more you play it) is something like $1 per song. 

I would NOT consider spending $100+ on a record player until you've also spent $300+ on speakers. The speakers, room treatment and calibration will matter 10-1000x as much as vinyl vs digital. 

Are you able to do digital? Is this a case where you're able to get 500 records for basically free?

[Leychee]

1 hour ago, saintlouisbagels said:

That's a very low budget.

From checking this site, I think 85 is the lowest I can find for an amplifier that has both RCA input and RCA output. Most other options are just digital input (optical, USB) and analog output.

https://www.audiophonics.fr/en/sedentary-headphone-amplifier/xduoo-mt-602-tube-headphone-amplifier-class-a-2x-6j1-p-15034.html

In that case I'd rather spend a bit more and go for a decent pair of speakers. Preferably with jack out, any ideas?

 

1 hour ago, cmndr said:

If you want vinyl for the same reasons you might want to have 3000 physical books vs say a kindle... it can make some sense.

Just be warned that vinyl means higher costs, lower quality and less flexibility. The cost to store a HIGH quality song digitally is basically 0. The cost to store a medium-low quality song on vinyl (that will progressively degrade and get worse the more you play it) is something like $1 per song. 

I would NOT consider spending $100+ on a record player until you've also spent $300+ on speakers. The speakers, room treatment and calibration will matter 10-1000x as much as vinyl vs digital. 

Are you able to do digital? Is this a case where you're able to get 500 records for basically free?

Yes, I would rather have physical books than a massive ebook collection. Thank you for your concern but I am aware of the costs, most hobbies aren't free after all and I've had this idea in my mind for a few years now.

[saintlouisbagels]

17 hours ago, Leychee said:

Yes, I would rather have physical books than a massive ebook collection. Thank you for your concern but I am aware of the costs, most hobbies aren't free after all and I've had this idea in my mind for a few years now.

I was going to say the same thing to you but I stopped myself... but since someone else said it... (I agree with @cmndr)
Vinyl records and having a book collection isn't really the best comparison

 

EBooks aren't necessarily better than having books. The "analog" feel of holding a book and flipping through pages cannot be matched by e-books. I hated using e-books when I was in college. Scrolling through hundreds of pages sucked. The benefit with e-book is choosing your own font, having a built in backlight at night, and saving space.

 

Vinyl records though... CD's and digitals are the superior format. You want to quickly switch songs? digital files. You want fidelity? CD or .flac files.

Vinyl records are mastered extremely differently from the artist's original vision due to the inherent limitations of the format. You want all of your music to "sound warmer" ? Play with the EQ settings on your computer or phone. You want cracks and pops in your listening experience? Fine, vinyl records win. Vinyl records are just for showing off that you have excess money and living space.

[tikker]

On 9/21/2023 at 3:13 PM, saintlouisbagels said:

Vinyl records though... CD's and digitals are the superior format. You want to quickly switch songs? digital files. You want fidelity? CD or .flac files.

Vinyl records are mastered extremely differently from the artist's original vision due to the inherent limitations of the format. You want all of your music to "sound warmer" ? Play with the EQ settings on your computer or phone. You want cracks and pops in your listening experience? Fine, vinyl records win. Vinyl records are just for showing off that you have excess money and living space.

You can say the same about books being only for showing off you have excess money and living space (like their status in the early days). There is no meaningful quality difference reading from a kindle or a book. You get the exact same story. You do it for the experience. Sure,bvinyl is inconvenient by modern standards and inferior, but that is not the sole purpose of vinyl. Just like flipping a page cannot be matched by an ebook, putting on a record and dropping the needle cannot be matched by a CD or digital file. I also enjoy the large format in terms of album cover. It's the package deal. I'm also not an audiophile chasing the highest of audio quality though. Vinyl is perfectly good quality for me so it is a concious choice in my case and I mostly focus on "special" things like soundtracks or great albums that make it worth "the hassle" of a record.

 

 

OP: people generally seem happy with that player, so I doubt it will be a bad buy. You can always change or upgrade down the line. For speakers it depends what you are after. If you don't mind passive speakers then you could opt for getting a simple stereo receiver with a headphone out, for example. Then you could already start using it with your headphones and continue looking at speakers for later on.

[Edit] whoops, missed the other thread. I see you already bought it.

[Leychee]

On 9/23/2023 at 12:06 PM, tikker said:

You can say the same about books being only for showing off you have excess money and living space (like their status in the early days). There is no meaningful quality difference reading from a kindle or a book. You get the exact same story. You do it for the experience. Sure,bvinyl is inconvenient by modern standards and inferior, but that is not the sole purpose of vinyl. Just like flipping a page cannot be matched by an ebook, putting on a record and dropping the needle cannot be matched by a CD or digital file. I also enjoy the large format in terms of album cover. It's the package deal. I'm also not an audiophile chasing the highest of audio quality though. Vinyl is perfectly good quality for me so it is a concious choice in my case and I mostly focus on "special" things like soundtracks or great albums that make it worth "the hassle" of a record.

 

 

OP: people generally seem happy with that player, so I doubt it will be a bad buy. You can always change or upgrade down the line. For speakers it depends what you are after. If you don't mind passive speakers then you could opt for getting a simple stereo receiver with a headphone out, for example. Then you could already start using it with your headphones and continue looking at speakers for later on.

[Edit] whoops, missed the other thread. I see you already bought it.

Thank you! Totally agree with you and absolutely agree.

I ended up getting a pair of Edifier R1700BT speakers. Like you, I'm not (yet?) a full-on audiophile so I don't think I'll be able to appreciate the sound quality of more expensive speakers since I don't know what to look out for. These have been working perfectly for me so far.

 

Replying to the other posts: I'm not seeking high end, lossless audio with the best equipment out there. I'm not specifically looking for convenience either (like you would with flacs or MP3s), and trust me, I definitely don't have a lot of room to work with. My apartment is very small and having a turntable with vinyls and speakers means I'm sacrificing a lot of room for the sake of this newfound hobby. It's far from being a cheap one mind you, but it's also far from being a huge money sink, in my case at least. Owning the physical copy of music I listen to, being able to appreciate the album art, and the entire process of using a turntable is, in my opinion, much more satisfying and enjoyable than running Spotify or opening a file. Which I still do of course, but using both digital and analog mediums means I'll be getting the best of both worlds.

[Omon_Ra]

For a simple budget setup, though not the most space-efficient, hit up your local thrift stores/yard sales and look for a cheap receiver. Since your turntable has a built in pre-amp, you don't need to find one with a dedicated phono input; anything with RCA audio inputs will work. As a bonus they will have a headphone jack; though typically a 1/4" one. You can find 1/8" female to 1/4" male adapters super easily and for cheap. A lot of over-ear headphones will come with them too. You can usually find some bookshelf speakers as well. Also, while you're at the thrift store go ahead and dig through the crates of records. 90% of it will likely be awful music you've never heard of, and would never really want to listen to, but you can find some gems. Try to figure out what day the thrift store puts out new items, better chances of picking something up worthwhile before others get to it.

 

As for those turning their nose down at records, I get it; it's an antiquated medium. But one could argue gaming on a PC is the same as well. Takes up a lot of space, expensive; why do all that when you can just have an Xbox or PlayStation or even just game on your smartphone? A properly setup turntable won't pop and crackle..and it's not even that hard to accomplish nor requires a multi-thousand dollar setup. I DJ, I still use turntables, though I mostly mix DVS when I'm playing out; but still carry some records around. There's something about the tactile feel of placing a needle on a record that isn't the same with a CD or pressing play on a lossless FLAC file. Audio fidelity be damned, putting on records is a pleasant experience. Listening to an album from front to back, without 'playlist syndrome' is a lost practice and is a worthwhile way to experience music.

 

Also, when it comes to buying new records, go to your local record store and support a local business; or buy pressings direct from your favorite artists. Your local store and favorite artists deserve the money more than Spotify or Amazon who pay out fractions of a penny per play. Also, most new releases include a free digital download as well (though annoyingly typically 320kpbs (sometimes 192kbps even...wtf??) mp3's).

 

Edit: Also, just some notes on that turntable. It's a great one, basically AT's clone of the Technics 1200. Though just be mindful it doesn't have auto-stop. It's an actually nice feature that's not typically found on mid to high end turntables. Nothing worse than making dinner, and half way through cutting up chicken, a side ends and it's just spinning on the run out..XD. Keep the pitch lock on, no need to adjust that yet; but look up how to calibrate the platter speed with the strobe light if you're curious. Look up how to balance the tone arm (tons of YouTube videos) and generally set your anti-skate to the same weight as your needle weight. Most are usually 2.5-3.5 grams. Also set your tone arm height to usually 3-4; but check the instructions on that, it varies from deck to deck. If you need new needles, which will probably not be for at least a year if not more; I like Jico stylus for replacements now that Shure is out of the vinyl game. Down the line you could upgrade the headshell to 'higher end' ones if you'd like. But I'd focus on amp/speakers and keeping your gear clean before going down that path. 

[HAL90000]

Ok, so the DT770s are actually significantly more capable than you're probably aware of having never amped them properly. So, $50 for an amp is doable but I'd go higher. No harm in saving up money. My favourite cheap turntables are by Pro-Ject. Make sure you get a turntable with a phono stage or an amplifier with a phono stage if you'll be feeding an amplifier.

What do I suggest? Turntable with phono stage, RCA out to a Fiio K7 ($200 USD) which is a headphone dac and amp and ALSO a dac for anything else you want to output to. This can be speakers or an amplifier for speakers, etc. You can also use the K7 digitally with your PC and have everything clumped together. TIDAL on the PC for digital audio, or Vinyl when you feel like it from the turn table, all feeding into the same DAC/amp from which you can feed your DT770s and later when you want you can add a pair of active speakers such as Presonus Eris 4.5 or 3.5 which are very good cheap speakers, and run those off the RCA out on the back of the K7.

[artuc]

Agree with second hand gear, that was my initial setup. A Technics amp I got very cheaply and an old JVC record player

 

Classy wood veneer, had a solid base with aluminium platter and arm so just put on a new cartridge, new belt as the old one had turned to sludge and set it back up.

 

Nice little setup.