Can you hear your records when the electronics are off?

[cstory]

Howdy,

I'm just getting back to playing LP's and I admit that I have a very inexpensive system (Project Basis with Grado Gold). I am also using an old Meridian 101 preamp as my phono preamp into my Marantz AV-8003 AV-processor. The Meridian gave me state of the art sound back in the early 70's when I bought it, but I really don't have a good way to compare it to curent products to see how it stacks up.

Anyway, given all that, records taken on their own sound pretty good. However, when I played Frampton Comes Alive on LP and compared it directly to my SACD version, the LP sounded like I tossed a thin blanket in front of the speakers, or like I stuffed cotton in my ears (over all volume was the same however). Across the frequency spectrum, eventhing just seemed less clear, and sort of muffled.

So, I will admit that at some point I will have to convince the wife that a new TT will be in order, but in the mean time is there anything I can do to try and improve what I have? Hence my question about can you hear the music when the electronics are off. I'm guessing that the fact that I can tell what record is playing from the tonearm (I guess) vibrating indicates that I am losing clarity from lack of resonance control. Is that a valid assumption? And more importantly is there anything I can do about it short term?

Later I will be seeking opinions on how to best allocate $1500 or so for upgrades.

TIA,

Chuck

 

[DTB300]

Anyway, given all that, records taken on their own sound pretty good. However, when I played Frampton Comes Alive on LP and compared it directly to my SACD version, the LP sounded like I tossed a thin blanket in front of the speakers, or like I stuffed cotton in my ears (over all volume was the same however). Across the frequency spectrum, eveything just seemed less clear, and sort of muffled.

All sources are like this, some sound great, some do not.

Just because it is on LP, SACD, CD, Tape, or whatever, does not guarantee great sound.

 

[risabet]

Needle talk isn't at all uncommon. The mechanical nature of LP playback leads to a little sound directly from the stylus/LP interface. Vacuum holddown or reflex clamped systems (e.g. SOTA, Oracle tables), tend to minimize this but if you get close enough you can hear it.

 

[Jeff Zaret]

Cstory,
I concur with both DTB300 aka Dan and Risabet on this. There are albums which do sound great and others which do not. This is the same with all CD types. Frampton Comes Alive, although selling a huge amount, was not because of the sound quality but more of the performance of that time than anything else. Peter Frampton would be the first one to tell you it was recorded at one of those nights when everything worked and fell in to place.

That being said I would listen to some more/other vinyl first before making the plunge in to more expensive gear. There are many albums of that time period which do sound better. There are many things which you could do incrementally which may help like Risabet alluded to.

All you have to do is ask. Yes there are times when you can hear some of the album but this should be difficult unless you are right next to it and it is dead quiet.

Good Luck

Jeff

 

[cstory]

Thanks for the replys.

I was curious to hear a little about what others have experienced. I have a fair number of good LP's. I have about a dozen or so of the early Mo-Fi 1/2 speed masters. I listened to Aja last night and it sounded pretty good. The next test will be for me to compare my Mo-Fi DSOTM to the SACD. That should really tell the tale. I'm just waiting for a little alone time for that one, the getting up and down and switching back and forth would drive my wife crazy if I did that when she was home.

My earlier vinyl set up was an HK ST-7 turntable with a Sumo moving coil cartridge going into the Meridian 101, then to a GAS Grandson to a pair of Magnepan MG II speakers, and so far, the records have sounded better on my current system with the Vistas then what I remember from the older system, so it's not all bad news.

 

[SundayNiagara]

"I was curious to hear a little about what others have experienced. I have a fair number of good LP's. I have about a dozen or so of the early Mo-Fi 1/2 speed masters. I listened to Aja last night and it sounded pretty good. The next test will be for me to compare my Mo-Fi DSOTM to the SACD. That should really tell the tale. I'm just waiting for a little alone time for that one, the getting up and down and switching back and forth would drive my wife crazy if I did that when she was home."

You might try to listening to the British pressing of the "Dark Side."