[thirtiesradio]

Any Philco members using vinyl as their main audio source? I've been getting back into vinyl the last year or so and have been using a worn Miracord 10H I've had for many years. It has a Shure V15 III and sounds pretty good but still not as good as some CD's on my player. I finally got my old SME arm tuned up with new parts. I'm using a Ortofon SPU cartridge on the arm. I have an original black Ortofon plinth that I'm going to spruce up a bit before putting the Thorens back in it. I went completely through the turn table and it comes up to speed within 1 revolution! I also have a slate arm board. Can't wait to get this thing finished.

There is a Garrard 301 in my garage that has been boxed up for 20+ years. It belonged to my brother. He gave it to me a few months back when he heard of my new interest in vinyl. I may get it out and rebuild it if I like the sound of the Thorens. It had been set up only for 78's with a professional transcription arm when my brother last used it. Nice to get the vinyl spinning again

Here's the refurbished arm and turn table.

[dixierat]

I listen to vinyl,cds, and FM. Tonight its jazz on my Stromberg Carlson SR-405 receiver feeding a Bogen shelf speaker. Last night I listened to Peggy Lee, Don Williams, and Ray Conniff on vinyl using a Fisher Studio-Standard MT-6250 turntable. Amp is a H-K  A230 Ballad and speakers are shelf JBLs. Have over 1000 records collected over a few decades.Have a Dynaco system in my shop. Nothing modern except CD players. Love vinyl.

[Ron Ramirez]

Occasionally I will listen to some older LPs I have on my Motorola hi-fi that used to belong to Joe (w4rtc). Joe fitted it with a stereo cartridge (connected as mono) so no worries about a 1 mil mono stylus damaging an early stereo LP.

I also have a Realistic turntable with a Pickering cartridge. I don't remember the model number of the turntable - it's in the basement and I'm upstairs. It also gets used occasionally.

I only have two new LPs and both are Elvis records, surprisingly - a reissue of the 1957 "Elvis' Christmas Album" (on red vinyl) and "Essential Elvis Volume 2: Stereo '57", a set of previously unreleased binaural studio takes.

[Ron Ramirez]

Oh, in case you're wondering, I have quite an eclectic collection of vinyl - from Living Strings, Roger Williams and Mantovani, to Vaughn Monroe, Tony Bennett and Patti Page, to Elvis and Paul Anka, and some Mario Lanza for good measure. Not a lot of albums, but a good variety, I think. When I get back to work I'd like to pick up a few Nat King Cole LPs. What a great voice.

[jerryhawthorne]

I have a Dual 1229 with a Shure cartridge I have had since new. Now installed in my Scott 800B which I bought without a turntable but it had a preamp mounted. It does sound nice on records but I need a lot more. I curse the time I sold a lot of my records from the 60's believing that CDs were the answer for the future. I guess we all make mistakes in life.
Jerry

[morzh]

I have a Technics direct drive....
Recenly have not been listening much to any thing at all, but once we move and I get my own nook, I will reward myself for all these years of abstinence....I have vinyl, classics, rock, jazz....

I also think of building a tube amp...after I am done with the essential part of the radios queued for restoration.

[codefox1]

I have maybe 150-200 albums, almost all late 60's to mid 70's, don't play them much except when overhauling or building an amp. Even then, I have to get a kid to have a listen to confirm highs are present and clear. Guess my ears are AM bandwidth by now.

[thirtiesradio]

Great responses! 

Some really great artists mentioned too. There is nothing like relaxing to the sounds of Nat King Cole, Ray Conniff or one of the many greats that sound so good on vinyl. I enjoy music from the 1930's -70's but find there is great music from most every era.

I have been hearing how vinyl is making a comeback but it must be people who remember putting on a record. Every younger person I talk with has hundreds of songs on an Ipod. Their idea of a stereo system is their Ipod sitting in a speaker dock. Nice to have so many songs in such a small place but the sound quality sure isn't there. Great for a car but not at home.

  Vinyl does seem to sound best on a vintage system too. When I was 15 I received my first good stereo. My oldest brother had a girlfriend and our families would occasionally gather together. Her father was an electrical engineer and on one visit to his house I told him how much I admired his stereo system. I found he loved talking stereos and we talked the next few visits. One visit he ended up taking me into his garage and giving me his retired Sherwood tube amplifier and tuner as a gift. Great guy! They served me for quite a while and I still have them on a shelf in my garage. 

The same brother recently told me how he had sold (gave away) his entire record collection to a used record store years ago when CD's became popular. He had over 3000 LP's, mostly 1960's and 70's, but some 30's and 40's. Every one had a special anti static protective sleeve and were very carefully played. He said the used record store that bought them were very excited to see so many records in such good shape. I'm glad I kept the few hundred albums I have but I would have loved to have gotten his record collection.

Everything in my stereo is tube powered. After many years and stereos I've found tube equipment and efficient speakers have everything I was looking for.

[captainslack]

I'm listening to vinyl right now! Steely Dan's "Gaucho", to be precise.

I'd say I've bought more vinyl over the last 3-4 years than I have CD's & MP3's combined. I really like the sound of a record better, especially on a vintage system.

My TT is a Technics SL-D2 which uses an Ortofon 2m Red cart. It's connected to a Sansui G-4700 receiver I got from a hamfest and plays through a pair of Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers.

[thirtiesradio]

I'm listening to vinyl right now!  Steely Dan's "Gaucho", to be precise.

I'd say I've bought more vinyl over the last 3-4 years than I have CD's & MP3's combined.  I really like the sound of a record better, especially on a vintage system.  

My TT is a Technics SL-D2 which uses an Ortofon 2m Red cart.  It's connected to a Sansui G-4700 receiver I got from a hamfest and plays through a pair of Boston Acoustics bookshelf speakers.

Very nice captainslack! I've read good reviews on the Ortofon colored cartridges. I've been buying almost all vinyl as well. There is a local store that caries the 180 gram vinyl which I've been buying. Lots of classics.

[thirtiesradio]

Oh, in case you're wondering, I have quite an eclectic collection of vinyl - from Living Strings, Roger Williams and Mantovani, to Vaughn Monroe, Tony Bennett and Patti Page, to Elvis and Paul Anka, and some Mario Lanza for good measure. Not a lot of albums, but a good variety, I think. When I get back to work I'd like to pick up a few Nat King Cole LPs. What a great voice.

That is a good selection! Very well rounded. I have a few Vaughn Monroe 78's that are from early in the swing era. One of my 50's jukeboxes is filled with most of what Elvis recorded on 45's. Elvis and 1950's jukeboxes go good together

[captainslack]

Very nice captainslack! I've read good reviews on the Ortofon colored cartridges. I've been buying almost all vinyl as well. There is a local store that caries the 180 gram vinyl which I've been buying. Lots of classics.

Thanks! That Ortofon is a steal at $99, too. The guy who I bought the TT from installed it for me and was very impressed with it. Said it sounded as good as some carts that were much higher priced.

[thirtiesradio]

I have a Technics direct drive....
Recenly have not been listening much to any thing at all, but once we move and I get my own nook, I will reward myself for all these years of abstinence....I have vinyl, classics, rock, jazz....

I also think of building a tube amp...after I am done with the essential part of the radios queued for restoration.

A tube amp is the way to go Mike!

[thirtiesradio]

I listen to vinyl,cds, and FM. Tonight its jazz on my Stromberg Carlson SR-405 receiver feeding a Bogen shelf speaker. Last night I listened to Peggy Lee, Don Williams, and Ray Conniff on vinyl using a Fisher Studio-Standard MT-6250 turntable. Amp is a H-K  A230 Ballad and speakers are shelf JBLs. Have over 1000 records collected over a few decades.Have a Dynaco system in my shop. Nothing modern except CD players. Love vinyl.

Very nice! I should have bought records when they were cheap. Wish I had 1000!

[thirtiesradio]

I have maybe 150-200 albums, almost all late 60's to mid 70's, don't play them much except when overhauling or building an amp.  Even then, I have to get a kid to have a listen to confirm highs are present and clear.  Guess my ears are AM bandwidth by now.

I have the AM bandwidth ears as well That's why I like horn driven speakers for the highs....they can blast out the highs while sounding smooth if you use good drivers. I prefer the 1940's RCA theater horns. Electro Voice T350's sound nice to me as well.