Analog Lives! A Guide to LP Playback (TAS 197)

So the kids are off to college, you have more free time, and maybe, if you’re lucky, at least a little more disposable income. And you’re getting back into one of your first true passions: listening to music over a high quality sound system. But somewhere along the way you either put your old turntable in the attic to gather cobwebs with other outdated stuff—you know, like compact discs—or you got rid of it altogether when it became obvious that LPs were finished—you know, like compact discs.

Okay, I’m exaggerating the demise of the CD for effect, but it is more than a little ironic that the generation that grew up with compact discs has largely abandoned the format in favor of MP3 players, while simultaneously embracing the once again flourishing vinyl LP. And while not every twenty-something spins black plastic, I’ve recently advised more than one young friend on his first turntable purchase.

But if you’re reading this magazine chances are you probably owned a turntable way back when, or maybe got into audio with the CD’s ascendance and never took the vinyl plunge. Either way, it’s reasonable to ask if all the buzz about an analog renaissance is true, and, if so, if it’s worth the considerably greater effort it takes to operate and maintain an LP playback system.

As vinyl enthusiasts, we at TAS can confirm that, yes, the analog resurgence is very real, as are the accompanying musical rewards. Even if you haven’t visited a CES, Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, or other recent audio show, the evidence is in plain sight—not only between the pages of magazines such as this one but also in mainstream media as well as catalogs and on-line sales sites.

Turntables are cool!

Vinyl is hot!

Moreover, with the exception of classical record companies, pretty much every other major label has jumped on the LP bandwagon (and why not, with CD sales plunging and vinyl sales rising?), issuing new pop releases while also mining deep back catalogs. Those doing it well, like Warner and Sony, have learned their lessons from reissue specialists such as Analogue Productions, Classic, and Mo-Fi, and are releasing LPs cut with superior mastering techniques on quality vinyl.

But even with the demise of brick-and-mortar record stores, purchasing vinyl is in some ways easier, via the Web, if not cheaper, than it’s ever been (see our accompanying sidebar: Where to Buy Vinyl).

And while I’ve not attempted a formal census, I would venture to say that there are actually more LP playback choices available today than ever before—and at an ever-widening, even wilder range of price points.

Where to Begin?

Let’s assume you already own a fairly decent audio system. Although it may be obvious to say so, it is absolutely critical that whichever record playing devices you choose fit into that system’s overall quality in both build and sound.

Practically speaking, if you have a fairly high-end system you shouldn’t purchase a lower quality turntable because you think you want to check out vinyl but aren’t yet committed. Likewise, if you’re lusting after a fine LP playback system but the rest of your system needs a makeover, then spending a lot of money on a great record player doesn’t make much sense—unless, that is, it’s the beginning of an upgrade path you’re already in the process of mapping out. In other words, go about selecting your record player thoughtfully. 

Hah, you might be thinking, that’s easy to say, but where do I find dealers for such products? This is the one area where making an informed purchasing decision by way of hands- and ears-on experience is much more difficult than it was twenty years or so ago. Back then you could walk into any number of high-end audio retailers, such as the one I worked at, and, over the course of one or more listening sessions, actually hear the difference between, say, a Rega Planar 2 and 3; what your money bought if you graduated to a Linn Sondek (and is the Ittok arm that much better than the Basik?); the difference between a Linn and a Sota and an Oracle; and, if you had the bucks, the musical ecstasies (and attendant mechanical agonies) awaiting if you could reach for that Goldmund or Versalab.

Today, even if you live in a major city, quality high-end dealers are increasingly hard to find. And those willing to invest the money, time, and commitment it takes to set up, maintain, and properly demonstrate even a handful of turntable, arm, and cartridge selections are rarer still.