Columbia Classic 180G LP's

[NOSValves]

I have a chance tonight to buy any of the following LP's still sealed. Anyone have any Opinions on which to get and which are duds ?? Need feddback soon. Also have a line on descent price 1/2 speeds od Miles Davis and other I will post here later on what all this guy has available they are all brand new !! I need feedback on these soon though !!

$14 Bob Dylan - Greatest Hits (first one)

$14 Janis Joplin - Farewell Song

$14 Janis Joplin - Greatest Hits

$14 Bob Marley - Birth of A Legend

$15 Thelonius Monk - Band & Quartet Live

$14 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Couldn't Stand Weather

$14 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Soul To Soul

$21 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Live Alive (2 LP)

$14 Stevie Ray Vaughan - In Step

$14 Stevie Ray Vaughan - Family Style

[NOSValves]

Here's the rest of the list the guy sent me in email.

$21 HIGHLIGHTS - Billy Joel, Springsteen CBS MasterSound -- 1980 1/2-speed

$13 Spectrum - Direct Flight (Direct To Disc) DirectDisk Labs -- 1978 D-2-D

$16 Japanese VIM-4044 Steely Dan - Can't Buy A Thrill M- / M

$ 4 Air-Play 12" Howard Jones - Life In One Day VG+ / un-played

$ 5 Air-Play 12" sampler Jim Capaldi - Electric Nights LP EX- / un-played

$ 6 12" design cover Yes - Owner of A Lonely Heart + 2 VG+ / M-

$ 7 45 rpm English 12" Tom Petty - Live Boston 1978 VG / M-

$ 7 Air-Play 12" Pete Townshend - Face the Face M- / M

$ 7 12" Picture Cover Kate Bush - Running Up That Hill EX- / M-

$ 8 12" Picture Cover Kate Bush - Cloudbursting EX / M

$ 9 Air-Play 12" Lynyrd Skynyrd - Simple Man un-played

I can QUICKLY get HUNDREDS of Columbia / Classic 180

gram titles : Miles Davis - full catalog (over 40)

Stevie Ray Vaughan and Janis Joplin - full catalogs

Santana, The Clash, Van Morrison,

Bob Dylan and Sly & the Family Stone - full catalogs,

Bob Marley - full catalog, Chambers Bros, James Brown

John Coltrane and Thelonius Monk - full catalogs

Jimi Hendrix - 180 g RE-MASTERS : single, 2, & 3 LP's

Rolling Stones catalog - digital RE-MASTER virgin vinyl

BOX SETS : Pink Floyd PULSE Live, Jimi Hendrix,

Rolling Stones, Allman Brothers

The Simply Vinyl 180 g catalog : I sell BELOW RETAIL

Def Leppard, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Simple Minds, Bush

Metallica, Deep Purple, the Who, REO Speedwagon

Elton John, Traffic, Free, Blind Faith Cream, ELO,

Eagles, Steve Miller, The Band, Beach Boys, Byrds

Clapton, Don McLean, Carole King, Ten Years After

Santana, Steve Winwood, Stevie Nicks, AC/DC, Bowie,

Elvis Presley, Van Morrison, Dire Straits, Genesis

Phil Collins, Mike & the Mechanics, Kate Bush

HUNDREDS of NORMAL sealed LP's :

Pearl Jam - Binaural, Ten, Live On Two Legs, No Code

Tom Petty - Echo +, CCR, Lynurd Skynyrd, Wishbone Ash,

Blues Magoos, Buddy Miles Express, Captain Beefheart

vanderGraaf Generator, Peanut Butter Conspiracy, etc.

[jazman]

Craig,

First of all, Congratulations on your soon to arrive MM-7 package. The break in period as mobile posted will apply, but I'm positivie you'll really fall in love with that cartridge and total package. I know from experience that it's never easy to sink major bucks into hardware. Often I simply devide the number of years I expect to use it into the total cost. Then the "average" cost per year is always an easier figure to live with(but it still cost the same).

As a serious vinyl lover, and as I posted in another thread, I tend buy 180 vinyl only when it is less than $15, with $8.99 and $9.99 most preferable. The original used vinyl versions you can find still tend to sound better at much less cost if not badly abused by visible scratches and other abuse like rubbed suffaces from the old stacked post turntables or being kept laying about out of covers. With the upper ceiling on price I mentioned, I have purchased a Columbia Masterpiece 180 gram Lp(Miles Live at the Plugged Nickel) and non Masterpiece 180 gram Columbia Charles Mingus Ah Um, but they were $8.99 and $9.99. Cheaper than a CD.

My advice is not to dump too much money into expensive 180 gram vinyl, especially when careful shopping for used and sometimes still shrink wrapped original vinyl will yield as good if not better sound, and at a fraction of the cost. Buy only the "MUST HAVE" 180 gram versions or "Can't wait to look for used". YMMV.

Klipsch out.

[lynnm]

Grab the SRV Couldn't Stand the Weather and immediately listen to Tin Pan Alley!

[NOSValves]

I'm just looking for which of these albums have good music on them. I really don't mind $14 a piece for brand new sealed vinyl myself. That way I know its not abused or wore out from over playing with a bad needle or something.

Jazzman,

Thanks the MMF-7 has already arrived I'm breaking it in and I do like it. I think the Documentation is Horrible. Also I wonder if the stylus is replaceable haven't looked real close but a casual look didn't reveal any easy way for it to remove !! I will be very upset if I can;t by a stylus replacement a couple years down the road.Seems like a $400 cartridge would have slytus replacement ? But I haven't looked at it closely.

[mobile homeless]

Most of the better cartridges DO NOT have replacement styli at all. In fact, hardly any do as this compromises the performance.

Some companies do, however, offer re-tipping of the cartridge. I am not sure if Goldring does offer this or not. In fact, you will be hard pressed to find ANY quality MC cartridge that offers this convertable nature.

So, in other words, TAKE CARE of your stylus! There have been cases of people "lunching" their styli at SETUP with cartridges that cost MORE THAN YOUR WHOLE SYSTEM! Imagine the pain! heh...

My dad crushed a Linn Troika MC cartridge on our Linn LP-12 the second day! GONE. Dont ask the price. Amazingly enough, the shop actually gave up a new cartridge since my Dad was such a great customer... So be NICE to your dealer!!!

The MMF-7 does need a quality stand since there is minimal suspension so try to put it in a good place. The type of stand affects the sound of ANY table and sometimes HEAVY MASSIVE stands are not always better ie The Linn.

Hope its going well. I knew the instructions were slight from ole Chris. Hopefully, the near $200 off the average retailer price makes up for it.

kh

[jazman]

Craig,

I believe you have the Eroica. If so, it can be retipped, but not cheaply, about $300.

Klipsch out .

[NOSValves]

Well I guess I better take real good care of that baby then !!! That really sucks !! Does Goldring have a web page ? I can't believe they didn't even include anything at all on the needle. I mean there is absolutely no documentation at all !!! The only thing you get is a one page half a$$ instructions on how to set it up which if I wasn't mechanically inclined I would of been completely lost ! They say to set the tracking force to 17 wonder what the heck that translates into on downforce 1.7 ? What if someone wants to try a different cartridge ?? I'm not complaining I like the table it already sounds great !! It widened the sound stage a good bit and also brought out some major detail I wasn't getting before and this is on my third album LOL !! I just wonder if most of that is the needle. They also include a Protractor for setting up the cartridge but absolutely no instruction on its use at all !! Does anyone know how to use it ? I have already noticed that I get less surface noise but still get some. I wonder if this setting needs tweaking ? I read a review at audioreview.com where a guy said he had the shop he purchased it at redo the setup and it was much better the Bubble level was way off and the cartridge was out of line or something. Doesn't proper cartridge settings give rewards in the surface noise you get on the table ? I remember when I was at Dnaocasters house his setup was very quite as far as Album noise I bet his needle was installed by his shop or maybe he does it himself. Someone must be able to give me some pointers on the protractor deal.

Also Kelly the shelf I have it on is 3/4 MDF board attached to a solid concrete wall up at about 6' off the floor very solid steel braced brackets very solid setup and I don't think you can feel any vibratations from the music at all when playing it at ridicules levels. But if I tap the shelf with the volume up loud I can hear the taps thru the speakers. Although I really don't think this is harming me from the music back feeding but I really wonder if some motor noise is being transmitted thru this table. I have been searching for better dampening in my head but haven't thought of anything yet. I used Vibrapads on my other table and no noise comes thru it at all when tapping the table. I was trying to figure a way to incorparate them but haven't come up with anything yet.

Back to the music Craig

[NOSValves]

Jazzman,

That can't be right you can buy a new one for that !!

Craig

[Randy Bey]

Don't ever drop your guard when working with your cartridge.

A moments lapse of attention made me pooch an Ortofon X3 moving coil. The cost of retipping a MC is about the same as a new cartridge.

One 'opps' and about 3 seconds later, pooched!

As Budda says, 'Attention'.

Asked to expound on his statement, Budda thought a while and said,

'Attention, attention, attention'

[NOSValves]

Respect Daaaaa Budda !!!!!!!!! A good friend of mines wife is Oriental and a Budda and there daughter hangs with mine. You should here the way she say's that statement !! Her mother preaches it to her all the time. Its just a grin ! you made me think of it !

[NOSValves]

Well I have progress I figured out how to use the Protractor ! Amazing what you can find on the Web ! The cartridge was way off and now my best records are absolutely noise free. Incidently my other table was off also ! Haven't tried that one yet to see if it helped quite it down. The review at Audio review was correct these Music Hall tables are not plug and play by no means !! I'm going to check the bubble level next and see if its good.

I also searched and found a Goldring Eroica H for 195.00 shipped from the UK at least if my exchange figures are correct !! its 123.19 shipped UK dollars from Manta Audio. What a deal !

Craig

[@silverfox@]

Hi Craig,

Just wanted to say congrats on the upgrade you've made,and know that you've taken a step closer to that sound that tends to motivate music lover's.

possible as time goes on there might be some classical overtures in your collection.a table like this must cry out for you to see what it is capable of reproducing .hope fully one day i too will make a simillar leap.

ENJOY

Errol

[NOSValves]

Thanks Errol,

Hows the Scott 299 doing ?? Hope all is well !!

I would venture to say I will step into Jazz and big band first before classical. But its in the music. My collection is pretty rounded for the rock and roll so I think your right on its about time to try out some new waters.

Craig

[@silverfox@]

par excelent, you know it kicks, Stuck in some el84 more musical,really just playing with it.

Its sweet.

[mobile homeless]

Craig, what protractor did they send? Great they actually sent that - the DB Systems protractor costs about $50 now and all it includes is two pieces of plastic, one clear, one solid, and both with the proper markings (and some serious instructions, which you DO need). I will say that even WITH instructions, it is hard to get the cartridge perfect. You need to have some practice. I would practice with your other table and be VERY careful with the new beast.

One thing is for sure, they got you started with it mounted at least. To mount a cartridge on a tonearm without a headshell requires a bit more work as you will find out sooner or later.

Next thing you really want to pay attention to is the VTA and the Azimuth of the cartridge. the VTA is VERY important to how balanced it will sound. I find that you usually end up setting the tonearm almost parallel to the table with the stylus on the record... I then usually move the rear down just a hair but this depends on the table, arm , and cartridge. This has to be done totally by ear and it takes awhile to get used to how you are affecting the changes. The azimuth needs to be correct or you will wear records as well as bring distortion and mistracking. I wrote in another thread how important cartridge setup is. With the rear of the arm higher than the front, you will often get sound that is too forced in the treble and strident.

This table and cartridge will start to sound BETTER and BETTER as the time wears on. You will notice an improvement within a week.

The table and arm have a LARGE part to do with the sound. As is the setup. Most people that dont like vinyl have:

1. Never had their analog setup correctly

2. Never heard a GOOD table and cartridge

3. Never had the analog part of their playback chain up to snuff

4. Had the whole shabang on a terrible stand/shelf, which can ruin the sound

kh

[NOSValves]

Mobile,

Thanks for the insight. The Protractor they sent is just a premade cardboard type that has 2 test points one say 250 and the other 130. Then you set the needle on the test point and check the allignment with the provided lines on the cardboard pretty simple but they had it WAY off !! I also printed one off the web and it confirmed the same thing. I had my other table closer than they had this one !! I'm a carpenter by trade so this stuff is pretty straight forward for me. I understand angles and square relative to whatever it needs to be. Please define what VTA and the Azimuth are I understand Azimuth I believe (means the angle of the tone arm compared to the table) what is VTA ?? How do you set it ??

I played with more dampening and already achieved silence when tapping the shelf with the volume 100% so I would say I'm all set there !!

On another note are you leaning toward Kiwame resistors for Chris's phono section ?? I just put in a request for a quote on 150 of various values required for Scott and EICO's to try to get us all a deal on them.

Craig

[Randy Bey]

VTA is the angle described by the cantilever and the record surface. 20 degrees is considered an acceptable compromise.

Adjusting the rear of the tonearm up or down is what changes it.

Some arms this is easy, others it's a b*tch. Still others you can't do at all.

It _definitely_ changes the sound of the cartridge. Getting it right is, IMHO, very very hard. And even then it will only be right for the same thickness record.

[NOSValves]

Randy,

So VTA and the Azimuth are the same thing under different names ??