New to Vinyl

[luke_fin]

Hello friends,
Ive decided to get serious about Vinyl. im buying entry level gear and upgrading each part over time until i have an awesome system to enjoy sweet sweet vinyl.

I know a lot about musical equipment e.g P.A's and guitar amps but im a bit lost when it comes to vinyl and have a few questions. I would really appreciate the help!

first off. i will have the Pro-ject debut III in red as my entry level turntable. i have read on the net this is a great starter turntable and will let me upgrade the cartridges etc.

my first question is. what else do i need? im under the impression that i need the following:
Project debut III turntable - A Pre Amp - An Amplifier - Speakers. Is this the correct chain and all i need to get the most of out the vinyl?

second question: is this a good little preamp:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAQIN-MS-22B- ... 4798wt_947

it has valves which i know are a bonus. i know its not a well known make but i often find with audio gear (e.g guitar pedals) the hand made unknown stuff is often brilliant. will this get me started?

and finally can anyone recommend a decent amplifier and speakers? id like floor standing speakers and again a valve amplifier. do i need a valve amp and a valve pre amp or is this over kill?

thank you for any advice you can give, i really appreciate it.

[elbrack]

I'd like to double up on this post. I've got the same turntable and the Head Box S from Pro-Ject. I am also running Active KRK Rokit 5s. I've read how these speakers are loud and such, but I'm not hearing anything loud from these at all. Do I need an amplifier also? Am I missing something?

Thanks.

[duficity]

The phono preamp you have the link to doesnt have a volume control. It is only a phono preamp, not a control preamp. So, if you want to control volume, you need a regular line amp to run that phono preamp into, or a preamp that includes a phono input. The Yaquin is a chinese item and I dont know its quality, could be good or not.
For speakers in Britain, B&W comes to mind. Over here, PSB. Pick a speaker you like, then get an amp that can drive it.

[luke_fin]

thanks for the reply. so if i purchased that phono preamp and also an integrated tube amp like this one:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAQIN-New-10L ... 5527wt_947

would that be good enough?

[youngdand]

The Preamp you have listed is ok, but is only suitable for MM carts so will limit you upgrades to MM only.

Valves are not necessarily better, it really depends on what you like from your music. yaqin gear gets good reviews, and people tend to like them. I use a yarland FV34cIII which i thinks has a lovely sound.

I was using a NAD PP2 phono stage until recently (for sale in the for sale section) which was very good for a starter phono stage. and have recently upgraded / side stepped to a creek obh 15. the reason i say side stepped, is i actually think the NAD does somethings better than the Creek. For instance the creek is a little laid back in comparison to the NAD. with A solid state phono, ou will be able get one which handles both MM and MC opening up our cart upgrade possibilities later on.

Also if you spend a bit more on a phono stage, you can still get a fairly decent integated with the change. i would be looking with you combined budget to spend up to 200 on the phono stage. then the balance on a decent amp. also the angle audio phono stages get good reviews. for about 150 - 200 you will get one with a battery which will considerabledrop the noise floor.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audiophile-Ph ... 1e6d27986f

i believe satan friendly bought one, send him a pm and see if he will let ou know what its like.

[awkwardbydesign]

I use a Yaqin MS-12B phono preamp; 2 inputs, (1 RIAA for phono, 1 line for CD etc) volume control, just add power amp, or integrated if you wish. It worked fine as it came (make sure you get a 240v version), but I have been modding it and it sounds even better now. I think BigEars HiFi in Cornwall sell them in the UK, but I got mine from ebay. Changing 1 resistor inside made the valve heater voltage better. There are many other phono preamps around, but at the price this one can perform very well.http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/YAQIN-MS-12B- ... 4844fa1cf2

[satanfriendly]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Audiophile-Phono-Stage-amp-preamp-MM-MC-Brand-New-/130680330351?pt=UK_AudioTVElectronics_HomeAudioHiFi_Amplifiers&hash=item1e6d27986f

I did indeed buy one, but with all the bells and whistles they could throw on it. However performance wise even the cheaper end are getting good write ups on the web and I can well believe.

Astoundingly good and personally I don't think there is much out there to match at the price. Behaves way above what it should cost.

Good service from the manufacturers which also matters.

[duficity]

yes, a phono preamp and integrated amp will work fine.

[luke_fin]

thanks for the advice everyone. ive been researching all weekend so im gonna go with this set up! im very excited about finally getting my vinyl up and running! cheers

[pivot]

I'd like to double up on this post. I've got the same turntable and the Head Box S from Pro-Ject. I am also running Active KRK Rokit 5s. I've read how these speakers are loud and such, but I'm not hearing anything loud from these at all. Do I need an amplifier also? Am I missing something?

Thanks.

You need a PHONO PREAMP to amplify and equalize the phono cartridge output from the turntable. The HEAD BOX is a headphone amp NOT a Phono pre-amp.

Phono cartridges put out much less voltage then line level output from CeeDy players and such.

"Phono pre amp" - search it here - get one - your are set.

This group needs a FAQ so we don't need to answer this question over and over and over and over....etc.

[awkwardbydesign]

Isn't there a sticky for this? And if not, why not? And where should it go?