Return to Vinyl |
Is the old vinyl coming back? Wit ill be the
classic black disc, the microgroove, the long-playing, the LP, that was declared
obsolete already in the 80s, the legendary "successor of the CD", the magic
object that music industry has not yet found to overcome the long period of
decline in the market of music on physical media? |
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The music machines |
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From British Rega, a company that has never stopped believing
in analog, a classic of simplicity for playing vinyl records: the Planar 2
or P2. Essential realization, but everything that makes a difference in
sound is designed and built with the utmost care. Unchanged for decades in
the project but continually improved, has always been one of the turntables
with the best quality / price ratio. For those wanting a better look Rega
offers the disc plate in different colors. Read more: www.rega.co.uk |
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An alternative to the latest Rega P2 by the Austrian
manufacturer Pro-Ject, which produces in the Czech Republic. A house that
was born a few years ago, when it began to glimpse the resurgence of vinyl.
The best ideas are always the winners, and the Debut, entry level within
Pro-Ject models range, has a structure very similar to that of the Rega. Read more: Pro-Ject website |
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The third alternative in the current market among the most popular makes and widely available is represented by Clearaudio, a German company that is specialized in turntables, and currently has the widest range of products, likely. The entry level model is this one, called Emotion, also available in other elegant finishes (including one fully transparent). It costs more than Debut and P2, 3-4 times as least, we are at the level of a giant TV. But the difference in quality is all. Read more: www.mpielectronic.com |
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The best
seller of the '60s, an alternative to the Rega Planar, which was much less
sold, it was the base model of the German Thorens factory. An excellent
machine, made with great precision, and also more complex and complete
that the Rega (adopting a floating frame design). |
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At a higher
level than the TD-165, but with the same architecture, the TD-125 was the
flagship within the Thorens models range (together with the next TD-126, a
bit less elegant). It's even more worth. Interestingly, it also included the
speed of 78 rpm, and can then be used, changing the cartridge, to read the
discs produced before the II World War. |
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Another classic of the 60s and 70s, at that time an
alternative to the Thorens high level models, produced by the Scottish
company Linn. A company that has never stopped producing and perfecting his
workhorse Linn Sondek LP12, making in time one of the most successful music
machine to read the LP, one step away from perfection, without resorting to
flights of fancy esoteric turntables. Read more: www.linn.co.uk |
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We talked about esoteric turntable? Here's an
example, the latest version of Michell Gyrodec (now Gyro SE), a model that
perhaps some will remember (a little different) as the turntable of the
future, in the classic Stanley Kubrick's film A Clockwork Orange. See also the wbsite of J.A. Michell |
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This other example is instead really esoteric. Designed and produced by Clearaudio, a German company that specializes in turntables, and that currently has probably the widest range of products in this sector, this is the Master Reference (a name that is a statement of intent). Made with the care and the materials of a component of a spacecraft, is also enriched by a tangential arm (thus without tracking error). And it costs, all complete, as a mid-sized car. See also: www.clearaudio.de |
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But back on earth with another model very concrete, much higher quality of an entry-level priced model, but still reachable. The top models are called the Rega P5, P7 and P9. The P9 coast as a maxi scooter, but the P7, which is still excellent, costs a half and it could be already a final choice. |
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And also the P5 of the Rega is an eqtually valid alternative, at a price reduced of another half, and can be subsequently updated to the performance of a P7, upgrading it with the separate power supply. |
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Also the Pro-Ject company produces top level turntables, in these models nothing is missing, even an aesthetic reminiscent of many original esoteric products. The model in the picture is the RPM-9, we are at the level of the price of the Rega P5, the opinions about the quality are different (the Rega is a classic and the Pro-Ject is a newcomer), but there is no doubt that both are excellent. |
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The top of the range model is the Pro-Ject RPM-10. Different design, equivalent quality, but price reduced in comparison with Rega's top products. |
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Also in the range of Clearaudio you can find
turntable almost defintive, but with a price still accessible. For example
this beautiful model "Ambient". |
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And the cartridges? There are dozens, and they are not so effective in pictures. We quote only two. To get an idea. The first is a classic, moving coil, in production for decades, by the Danish company Ortofon, another producer who never gave up and is currently one of the top producers in the world (with models including economic ones) in this sector. The model in the picture is the SPU-85 in its elegant packaging. Read more: Ortofon website |
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The Switzerland company Benz Micro is one of
the houses that produce phono cartridges of the highest quality (and cost),
as the moving coil model named Glider, in the picture. Someone will notice
that the delicate stylus (in which is grafted the diamond for the
microgroove's reading) is "naked", ie without protection. According to Benz
this choice improves the sound, but for the lucky owners of this exceptional
object for listening to music, able to extract all possible information from
the vinyl records, is certainly a source of stress. See also: Benz Micro USA |
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A more feasible and accessible choice,
expecially for the beginners, it can be found in the Grado company range.
The house founded by the American Professor John Grado, specializes in
moving magnet phono cartridges and dynamic headphones. It is always been
considered at the top level for the quality / price ratio. Starting from
models really cheap arriving at the top models, the available choices are
proportionate to the various options that exist between the turntable. See also: Grado website |
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And the phono preamp what aspect has? This example is one of the units considered between the best choices for the quality / price ratio, produced by the German company Lehmann, the classic and popular model Black Cube. That of course is black and as a form, if not cubic, of a simple little box. See also: Lehmann website |
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But if you want, you can have something much more important and more impressive in the field of the phono preamplifiers. For example, this component of the American company Audio Research, one of the first in the world in the field of electronics. This one is the model PH-7, even has a remote control to change the interface parameters with the cortridge, but it costs like a compact car. See also: Audio Research website |
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Questions? |
Questions about the magical world of vinyl? Write to Music-Graffiti. |
... and a clarification |
The images and the texts on this page are not "tips for shopping" or even advertising (we have no contact with the companies mentioned and we do not sell anything) but only "sensations" for those entering the world of analog. They are chosen from the known and respected brands in the industry, without wishing to take anything away to others who, by chance, are not mentioned. |
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© Alberto Truffi - Music-Graffiti / 2013 |
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