I’m getting a turntable so I can listen to old records, and buy new ones. I don’t like streaming, don’t like buying MP3s, and I never really liked CDs.
I am starting totally from scratch though. I am fairly decided on a Rega Planar 2, but then things get hazy.
I have a pair of Genelec 8030s for my music-making, so I was thinking I might get another pair of those for the living room vinyl setup. But it’s a grand for speakers, and then I’d still need a phone stage and a volume knob (!).
I do love the Genelecs though.
It might make more sense to get passive speakers, plus an amp that has a phono stage. I’d like to spend as little as is required to to get a setup I that never have to upgrade. I don’t need super high-end, but it should be good.
Help!
( I posted this in the AudioBus forums too, so sorry if you are a member in both places).
I have used NAD integrated amps for a long time, with a couple of different turntables, plus other sources. They are rock solid, very affordable, and sound great
I would suggest a Rega brio and some used KEF ls50s. Simple and analog focused. Very enjoyable sound and I actually discovered the ls50s (before they became so ubiquitous) from a pro engineer who secretly mixed on them in his home setup.
We have a Rega Planar 2 at home. It’s great- doesn’t require too much setup. We have a decent Yamaha amp and Mordaunt Short speakers and I’ve been super happy with them- had them for about 10 years now and can’t see the need to upgrade unless the blow up.
If you want best bang for your buck, getting a secondhand amp off eBay could be the way to go, but will mean doing some research on brands and models. But if you want new and you’re in the UK, Richer Sounds has a good selection of Hi fi gear and lets you try it out before buying.
Raga turntables are decent home hifi products. What you will then have to look for is the cartridge that suits your personal taste and the type of recordings you listen to.
Obviously if you want to make heavy duty use of the turntable (DJing) then Raga is no longer a good choice, you will have to choose something more robust.
There are external preamps (technical name: RIAA) with which you can transform the turntable signal into line out. Looking for quality I strongly suggest you to use one of these, since the RIAA integrated in the amps is often of poor quality.
Genelec 8030 are great speakers. To get a frequency response that goes lower you will probably need to add a subwoofer.
I would recommend an integrated amp with phono stage too. Great buys, and unless you want to go down the rabbit hole of matching speakers to amps to preamps to phone stages, its got all you need.
I would choose your speakers first, then the amp. I would hesitate to recommend studio monitors: they are not meant to be “enjoyable” but surgical. You want to ensure you enjoy your music. There are beautiful sounding speakers for less than a pair of Genelecs. Think of a budget for the entire system and start looking around at local audiophile shops and publications (WhatHiFi, Absolute Sound etc)
Dont sleep on a great and comfortable pair of headphones and headphone amp.
