Seems my ga-gaing about vinyl has bitten a few of you - or was just the nudge needed to get you back into it. Welcome!! I've been into vinyl since the 70s. Got out of it for a while mainly because I was the only one would move the 21 crates full of the stuff. When I moved five times in less than two years I slowly decided to get out of it. But, now I'm back and I'm making enough money to afford to have someone do the moving for me! And to afford a MUCH better turntable.
I was just going to recommend that very Bellari/Rolls phono preamp! I had one and gave it to a friend who needed to hook up her Technics tt to a system without a dedicated phono jack. Works like a charm. Bellari also makes tube preamps too.
Was just listening to the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band's Will the Circle Be Unbroken on vinyl with my Scott 222C tube amp. I've also got it on CD, but it doesn't have the life and sonic warmth that the vinyl does. It's like the difference between witnessing that line-up live at the Grand Ole Opry versus hearing the CD while shopping at Walmart. Clearly no comparison. Vinyl usually always wins!
Mark, consider getting yourself an Audio-Technic cartridge over the Shure. I've got both - and more - and the AT 440MLa is a truly musical cart. Worth the extra few bucks. Do some hunting on Audio Asylum's Vinyl page. Amazing resource there. A bunch of folks (men and women!) who love vinyl and are not greedy about it! I've learned a ton on there and met the only person I trust to work on my Dual 1219 turntable on that site.
I still find that best place to get used records is still in garage sales and thrift stores. Sure, I go to other lengths to bid top dollar for rarities, but if you like the idea of happening upon something, break for yard sales!
On the note of finding vinyl that's not available on CD, I recently started to wish for a way to hear certain CDs I have on vinyl - ones that were made only in the CD era. I have a few, like Sarah McLachlan's Fumbling Towards Ecstasy, which sound amazing! But I can think of about 100+ CDs I'd wish were made in the vinyl era. I believe that the original format albums were made for are usually how they sound best. But I wonder what some albums would sound like if mastered for vinyl listening.
Just some thoughts as I strayed away from the stereo for a moment.
Zoë
