Tuning into an Analog state of mind

gobble · May 15, 2012

hydra said:
Well, I can't thank you enough for the tips and for your voluntary offer of help, Santosh!

How much does he normally tip you? Is it enough to afford HiFi gear? :licklips:

Hey Santhosh I gotta spend more time with ya!

hyeah:

--G

santhosh · May 15, 2012

hydra said:
Well, I can't thank you enough for the tips and for your voluntary offer of help, Santosh!

Anytime buddy. Those suggestions were given to me by other Vinyl enthusiasts when I entered the format around 2 years ago, so just passing it on

.

gobble said:
How much does he normally tip you? Is it enough to afford HiFi gear? :licklips:

Hey Santhosh I gotta spend more time with ya! hyeah:

--G

Grrr....Grrr. You little red devil!!

Gerry_the_Merry · May 16, 2012

Hydra, here is some good reading (some basic, some not so basic) to get you going...

Tweaking your Record-Player | Stereophile.com

hydra · May 16, 2012

gobble said:
How much does he normally tip you? Is it enough to afford HiFi gear? :licklips:

Hey Santhosh I gotta spend more time with ya! hyeah:

--G

Aha, the devil makes his presence known! :lol:

@Gerry_the_merry, that is indeed some really good reading!

hydra · Jun 30, 2012

Just to update.

I bought my first 3 LPs today, online, from elusivedisc.com. I wanted to spin brand new LPs on my TT when I get it, so I decided to loosen the purse strings a bit. I had trouble choosing what to buy, as there are at least 10 more LPs there that I want right away, but the purse does not permit.

The LPs I bought are:
1) Diana Krall - Live in Paris (180g 45rpm 2LP Numbered Limited Edition)
2) Diana Krall - Love Scenes (180g 2LP)
3) Norah Jones - Come Away with Me (200g LP)

I'm still reeling from the expense (I come from CDs and I've never spent so much in one go on music) but I want to start my analogue journey nice and proper.

BTW, My TT is not here yet. It should be here by the 10th of next month, I think.

I had been vacillating yet again, between saving up for a speaker upgrade (Prem's thread mention the Nola Boxers got me thinking) and getting a TT, but I decided I had to take a decision one way or the other. Ordering these LPs will help cement my decision.

ajay124 · Jun 30, 2012

hydra · Jul 9, 2012

Sorry for not responding for so long, Ajay. I thought I had replied to your post the same day you made it

I'm not that much into classic rock nowdays, but there are 3-4 LPs on that list that I would like. Thanks for digging these out.

I got elusivedisc to add one more LP to my purchase before they shipped it out:
NATALIE MERCHANT - TIGERLILY (Numbered Limited Edition 45rpm 180g 2LP; Mofi)
More bang for the shipping buck!

hydra · Jul 9, 2012

To update, I've ordered a Rega RP3 with the Elys2 cart. I thought I'd rather start with a better TT than originally planned (and avoid the upgrade itch for a bit). It should be here by this weekend at the earliest, or the next weekend at the latest.

The Phonostage is about done (thanks again, Santhosh) and should be with me by the weekend.

Hopefully the 4 LPs I've ordered as starters should also be here before mid-week next.

Placement of TT
I tend to worry about a lot of things in advance, and I've been concerned about where I should place the TT. I need some help and advice from you folks on this. I have 3 options:

Option 1: On the top of the rack, about 0.5-1 ft behind the RHS speaker.

Though this is a convenient location (keeping all the kit together, and shortest interconnect length), I'm not so happy about it because the rack is not exactly vibration free, the top shelf is only 0.75" MDF, and the TT will be too close to the speaker and the TV (SOundwaves/EMI/RFI interference).

Option 2: On a spiked pedestal made of plexiglass (raised about 4" from the floor), right between the speakers.

This option would look good, and I like this option (despite the extra cost of a pedestal done right). The interconnect length would not be too long (3ft would do), and operating the TT would also be quite easy and convenient. But,

- Will the TT and the phonostage sit too close to the TV and the speakers to be affected by the soundwaves/EMI/RFI? There's also a stabilizer right behind the TV.
- And the TT would sit pretty close to the amp and the Music PC (about 2 ft away form these). Will this also cause interference?
- I clean this room and the room behind it myself, and I shudder to think of navigating around the TT and the pedestal while vacuuming/mopping. Not very convenient that way.

Option 3: On a concrete shelf/hollow in the wall, about 5 feet away from the nearest speaker (the RHS speaker).

This option seems to be the best common sense option in terms of going by the book on TT Placement. Very solid base, on the wall, away from speakers and even away from the fan/gust from the A/C.

The problem with this placement is that the interconnect length between the phonostage and the amp would be 12 feet. I've already ordered a 12ft pair of Mogami Neglex 2549 (thanks for the pointer, Malvai) RCAs with low capacitance, anticipating that I might use this placement option. With the interconnect length be too long?

Another problem with this place is that my Cable Internet Modem would sit on the (12mm thick) Glass shelf above the TT, just about 2ft away from it. I can switch it off, so that's ok, but I'd like not have to do that. I'll also need to relocate a UPS from the Glass Shelf above to the shelf below the TT (covered) to make sure the power cables are well away from the RCA cables as they move to the rack. The UPS would sit about 3ft away from the TT, under the 2 inch thick concrete shelf on which the TT is sitting. The UPS will need to be on while the TT is playing. Will either of these be a problem in terms of EFI/RFI?

I'm also not too sure if the TT's dust cover will open all the way in this position, that I think I can manage.

Do comment on this, folks. I know I might be overthinking this and I guess it will all work out when the TT comes in. But I'd still like to know what the experienced people here think. Which placement would you guys suggest?

jls001 · Jul 9, 2012

hydra said:
The LPs I bought are:
1) Diana Krall - Live in Paris (180g 45rpm 2LP Numbered Limited Edition)
2) Diana Krall - Love Scenes (180g 2LP)
3) Norah Jones - Come Away with Me (200g LP)

Live in Paris is supposed to be a reference-grade recording. And your's should quite nicer than a normal LP since it is 45. I have only the CD and even that sounds damned good. Her cover of Billy Joel's Just The Way You Are is spookily good.

BTW, have you decided on TT?

sachu888 · Jul 9, 2012

You should place in a wall shelf if possible to avoid any feedback,vibration problem.Here's mine

By [URL=http://profile.imageshack.us/user/sachu888]sachu888 at 2012-01-21[/URL]

Regards,
Sachin

hydra · Jul 9, 2012

@jls001, Yup, it is supposed to be an excellent LP! And only 2500 copies issued. Live In Paris is my favourite Diana Krall album. I had the CD too (now ripped to PC and sold) and this is the one album I listen to the most! I'm particularly partial to her version of "A Case of You".

Looks like we posted at the same time, heh, heh. I've ordered a Rega RP3 with the Elys2 cart.

hydra · Jul 9, 2012

@sachin, I'm tending towards the shelf in the wall for the same reason. Being concrete it should be really isolated from any kind of vibrations. That's a lovely shelf your TT is on, BTW!

Thad E Ginathom · Jul 10, 2012

I'd be worried about putting a TT behind that speaker.

Consider the practicalities. You need good access to a turntable. You don't want to be reaching around something, or knocking against something as you lower that stylus. Oh, LPs are so fragile!

hydra · Jul 11, 2012

I think I'm going to go with the concrete shelf (option 3). I just hope the dust cover will open widely enough in there.

I hunted around for a circular level and couldn't find one my city. I do have a carpenter's level, but I don't think that will cut it. Leveling two axes individually might not be really accurate, I guess. I ordered a set of 3 circular levels (8mm, 15mm and 30mm) from ebay.com yesterday.

hydra · Jul 31, 2012

It has been a busy few days since I took delivery of the TT, so I haven't yet been able to update.

I took delivery of the RP3 and Elys2 last thursday. Since the cartridge did not come fitted on the tonearm, I did not want to take a first-timer risk and fix it myself. I did watch a few setup videos and I almost mustered up the courage to do it, but the sensible side of my mind asked me to wait till sunday. I was planning to drive to Kottayam to meet FM kuruvilajacob on sunday. He had graciously agreed to fit the cart and setup the TT for me. So I managed to hold off the itch till sunday.

On sunday (two days back) I drove to Kottayam with two friends and the TT, and met up with kuruvilajacob at his home. He took us around his house that's stacked to the rafters with TTs and LPs and all manner of audio kit. We also listened to a few of the TTs that were connected, including a brand new Rega RP1. All of them sounded divine. The pice de rsistance, setup in his music room, was the Garrard 301, which made music that sounded truly out of the world.

We then went on to setup the TT.

Once the TT was setup, we tested it on kuruvilajacob's setup. It couldn't hold a candle to the Garrard 301, but it sounded good enough to make me happy I'd picked it up.

There was a small hitch with the phonostage I had taken over, and kuruvilajacob right away disconnected his phonostage and asked me to take it with me. He said that after all the waiting and assembling of various stuff over the last month, I shouldn't go without listening to the TT that night. I don't know how to thank him for his gracious and voluntary gesture. You're a lifesaver, sir!

My friends and then I had a nice time admiring all his TTs and LPs, and we also had a great time talking about music with kuruvilajacob, and a friend of his who had swung by. We left after a bit and I got home by about 10.30PM. I set about putting the TT back together right away. As you can imagine I did not sleep that night. It has been sonic bliss ever since!

I must say kuruvilajacob is a most helpful gentleman, and the one person I've met so far who really knows his analogue stuff. He's an encyclopedia on TTs and phonostages and music, and I'm glad I could meet him. He's also a great guy to listen to music with!

On a side note, as chance would have it, a brand new Cambridge Audio 640p fell into my hands today. But that's another story (which I cannot narrate, unfortunately)

I've not unboxed it yet. I will do so and hook it up to the TT tonight. I know it's going to sound awesome, because a friend of kuruvilajacob's (he's another analogue enthusiast) had visited me with his CA 640p yesterday evening, and I loved the way the RP3 sounded with it. Talk about coincidence, and about how some things were meant to be!

I'm now waiting for the two sets of LPs I'd bought from Shivam to land, so that I can try out the TT with older LPs. They should be here in a couple of days.

I'll put up photos in another day or so. I need to sort out the TT placement properly before I snap pics.

I'll also soon put up listening impressions of the RP3 with the CA640p, and a Analog-source vs. Digital-source comparo with the same music (I have CDs of all the new LPs I've bought ripped into FLAC in the Music PC). I just want to wait a bit for the TT and the CA640p to run in properly. (The TT's sound characteristics were discernibly changing by the hour on the first day I played music on it).

jls001 · Jul 31, 2012

hydra said:
(The TT's sound characteristics were discernibly changing by the hour on the first day I played music on it).

Great audio friend we have in kuruvilajacob. Hats off to you, sir.

@hydra: congrats on the TT and phonostage. Must be sounding heavenly. Give it about 30 hours of play and you will see the cartridge really bloom.

Enjoy!

iaudio · Jul 31, 2012

Hydra ji, Not fair! One phone call and I would have joined you guys!
But anyways, congrats!

malvai · Jul 31, 2012

Good show kurvilla sir! and congrats Hydra! start spinning the good stuff now!

also, you might want to burn in your cart & your phono! the sound will improve drastically after about 40 sides of play time!

musicbee · Jul 31, 2012

Very impressive collection. I'm especially impressed with the decision to not upgrade for the sake of upgrading and instead venturing in a new direction.

Congrats!

hydra · Jul 31, 2012

@Joshua, Titus, Manav & musicbee, thank you

@Joshua and Manav I'm spinning Natalie Merchant's Tigerlily right now, and boy does it sound way better than it did just yesterday! Can't wait till the 40-50 hours are up.

@Titus, I'm sorry I couldn't call, buddy. I know I should have -- you were probably in Kottayam right that day

You should come over with Gijo the next sunday. I'll have these babies all burnt-in and ready to rumble by then! (Bad choice of words, I know, heh heh).

@musicbee, thank you for the nice words. I intend to get the best out of my room first, before I upgrade any of the equipment. I can't upgrade the room (heh heh), but I'm definitely going to try and milk it to the max. Next weekend, I'm going to build two acoustic panels (for each side of the room) for the first-reflection points. If I see good enough results, I'm going to do the same for the wall behind the speakers and behind my listening position.
In any case, LP purchases itself have killed my wallet. I (unfortunately) have located a source for Speaker's Corner Records very near my house. They have very little ready stock, but I still saw 3 Blues records I wanted very much. Since I've already burnt a HUGE hole in my pocket, all I can do is look and drool. It looks as if I will have to limit all future cash outflow to either LP purchases or upgrades. Both will definitely not happen.

Tuning into an Analog state of mind

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