some specs

Before I get started on this, I thought it would be a good idea to describe the system I've got.  None of the components are high-end at all.  In fact, everything is pretty much middle of the pack. But then again, I'm not trying to get into electronics porn here.  I'm going to indulge in vinyl porn (and come to think of it, that sounds much seedier).

Let's start with the most important piece.

I. Turntable:

I've got an old Pioneer PL518 - one of their mid-level direct drive platters, and I've been using it for over 30 years now.  The table is semi-automatic (no on/off button, but with auto return), a very responsive queuing stick, and speed controls (33 and 45 - no 16 1/2 or 78) all located on the top of the plinth in an control aggregate.


The tonearm has a standard cartridge and adjustable counterweight and anti-skate.  Wow and Flutter (a measurement of speed consistency) is 0.03% WRMS and rumble (which measures the low-frequency interference caused by the turntable and picked-up by the stylus) is -75dB.

All in all, this is a very solid platter, and has given outstanding performance since I first unpacked it back in the early 80's.

II. Cartridge:

I've got an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge for this, which has given me nothing but amazing performance.  Of course, I may be biased because not only am I a long-time Ortofon fan (the first cart I had with this table was an Ortofon OM 20), but as an Inter supporter (Pazzo Inter!) I am very partial to a blue and black color scheme.

III. Phono Pre-Amp:
My current receiver does not have native phono inputs, so the only way to connect a turntable is by way of a phono pre-amp.  These are little devices that boost the signal from the turntable to the receiver in order to make them audible.  You need this because turntables do not have built-in amplifiers, and most receivers built after the adoption of CDs tended to not include phono capabilty.

Pre-amps can run anywhere from about $15 to well over $300, depending on sophistication and the level of control you have.  For a system like mine, a high-end preamp would be overkill, so I opted to go with a mid-level Cambridge Audio Azur 640P, which has both Moving Magnet and Moving Coil inputs.  Now, there's a lot of gobbledygook concerning preamp performance, but those are really only of interest to super audiophile geeks.  Suffice to say, for me the Azur has been rock-solid, and hasn't produced any interference, noise, or negative performance issues.

IV. Receiver:
I've had three receivers in my life.  The first, from the late 70's through the early 90's, was a Kenwood, back when all a receiver did was tune the radio, power a turntable and tape deck, and run sound out to two speakers.  If you were really into audio, you'd add a graphic equalizer, or get a separate amp and tuner.  But regardless, the receiver basically just did radio, phono, and tape - the end.

My second, from the early 90's through the middle of this year, was a Panasonic, which not only added dedicated CD capability, but also had 5.1 surround sound and the ability to connect the TV audio out to the AUX inputs, making the receiver the default audio control for the everything in the living room.  It was a completely different world, and marked the beginning of my long neglect of vinyl.  Shootz den, I was too enamored with watching DVDs in full surround to worry about records.

The Panasonic was a real workhorse, but it finally took a major dump early this year, and so I got my current receiver.  It's a Sony STR DH450 and has as much future-looking ability as engineers can imagine.  And the thing is, this really illustrates how receivers have evolved as the centerpiece of any home entertainment system.  It almost seems as if audio (whether radio or vinyl or CD) is an afterthought, replaced by handing things like HDMI inputs for gaming consoles, Blu-Ray players, satellite/cable inputs, and video.  There are USB ports and even a jack for MP3 players.  It even is ready for the upcoming 4K video wave.  As a way to centralize the home entertainment this thing kicks ass.  But something tells me that an old school receiver - one dedicated to pushing audio through speakers rather than coordinating video outputs - may actually serve better for plain old vinyl.  At some point I may try and find an old Marantz or Kenwood receiver from the 80's, but for now this will have to do.

V: Speakers:
Lastly, everything gets pumped through a set of Pinnacle BD100 speakers, with a BD200 center channel and an AC125 powered sub for essentially a 3.1 system.

So there you have the setup.  The next step, some listening!