Most the newly released vinyl is still mastered digitally which theoretically negates the "warmth" an analog turntable provides. (However, most of us can't tell the difference anyhow).
Yeah, that's what I'm seeing. Some, apparently, still sounds pretty good (e.g. the Ziggy Stardust reissue), but a lot of it I gather is a mixed bag, to the point where, even if it sounds good, you might as well just get the CD for 1/3 of the price.
Have to ask, what turntable did you get and what are you running it through?
Subscribe to The Absolute Sound and Stereophile. They mostly have gear reviews but have articles about superb vinyl as well.
What electronics & drivers are you running?
I'm running a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Esprit SB (DC) through an Onkyo TX-8020, out to Sony SS-B1000 speakers. I wanted to get something that would sound solid, but wouldn't break the bank. I figure I can upgrade other parts over time, but for a starter setup that's just in my living room, this was perfectly fine, based on the reviews I saw.
I have great luck at garage sales and thrift stores. I get near mint records for anywhere between $1-$3 and most are original releases.
Yeah, I'm definitely gonna hit up some thrift and used-record stores and see what I can find as far as original releases go. I'm still curious about the reissues, though. I managed to swipe the following albums from my folks:
- Johnny Cash Live at Folsom Prison
- The Grateful Dead -- Workingman's Dead
- James Taylor -- Sweet Baby James (my girlfriend LOVES his stuff, so it was a safe bet)
- Miles Davis -- Kind of Blue
So far, the first three sound fantastic. They'll need to be cleaned, but on the whole they're in great shape. Not pristine, of course, but for physical records that are actually older than I am, they sound terrific. Unfortunately, Kind of Blue was kind of warped, to the point where the record would kick the needle out of the groove, and you could actually see the tonearm move side to side while it tried to play. I turned that one off quickly.
Vinyl is making a huge comeback, I build these
http://www.vinyldiscovery.com/
That's INSANE, and I love it. I think it may be a bit much of an investment for me at the moment, though.
The Classic Records SV-P 200 Gram re-issues are generally regarded as top quality. I only have one, a copy of the John Coletrain album Blue Train and it sounds fantastic. I also have a 200 Gram re-issue of In The Court of the Crimson King from Discipline Global (Robert Fripp's label) which is cut from the original masters and sounds equally fantastic.
Aside from those two, I generally prefer to collect original pressings and don't spend too much time on re-issues anymore.
Cool! I'll check those out. I've heard Rhino does some decent stuff, or at least gives you the info to determine if what's there is just a digital-to-analog conversion, or is analog-to-analog, but I'm looking for customer testimonials. Otherwise, I think I'm gonna stick with vintage.