[lextek]

Seems wrong posting about USB in the vinyl circle.  I'm thinking about picking up a USB turntable.  I have a bunch of LPs from my youth I would love to rediscover.  I'm looking at the Music Hall and the Pro-Ject ones.  Any thoughts?

[Wayner]

I did a review of both tables a year ago, actually buy (and returning) both and running them thru the paces. The Music Hall USB-1 is a complete POS, in almost every way, from horrible tonearm to all around crummy build and finish. While the very modest $250 might be attractive to a newbie or returnie, I'd look elsewhere.

The Project Debut III USB was of better quality, but not much better. Now that turntable is up to $500 and to me, just isn't worth the cost.

Audio Technica has 2 USB tables, the AT-LP120-USB and AT-LP240-USB. The LP120 is a pretty good build, for the money, but the anti-skating doesn't work at all, and it comes with a disc "sctatchin" cartridge, made to track at 3 grams. It's larger brother, the LP240 is a far better machine, and is the base machine for the $2500 Denon Anniversary machine (now reduced to $1500), but still has many short comings, including lose horizontal bearing on the tonearm and a headshell that is very flimsy.

My opinion is that you are way better off buying a good table, and buying a phono preamp that has USB out, as almost all do.

For a table, I like to recommend the Rega RP3 (at $900) and you can pick from a handfull of $300 phono preamps with USB out.

Wayner

[Stu Pitt]

As Wayner said, the USB tables are pretty much junk.  You're far better off buying a decent deck and phono preamp.  If you've got a good amount of albums, you'll be happier that way.  If you'll listen to the albums on the turntable and digitize them for mainly portability or archival sake, you could look into an external ADC rather than a phono stage with USB built in.  I bought a Cakewalk UA-1g a year of two ago to digitize some vinyl.  Cost me about $100 or so from Amazon.  Cakewalk is another brand name for Roland.

I used that with Audacity to digitize some vinyl given to me.  Made a high-rez copy for myself and a redbook copy for the gentleman that gave them to me.  They sounded very good (I actually haven't heard the high-rez versions yet).  I was going to do more, but life got in the way - work, second master's degree, daughter, and on and on.

If all you want is something to use and get rid of afterward, maybe look on Audiogon for a good deck and preamp, and buy something like the Cakewalk.  Sell off the stuff afterward for minimal to no loss.  Places like Guitar Center may have used ADCs. 

[SET Man]

Hey!

    No, I think your post about USB table is fine here.

    I see you want to rediscover vinyl again. But why USB turntable? Are you looking to digitize you vinyl? Or you just want to enjoy them at home again?

     Anyway, either way I agreed with Wayner. Don't know your budget but get yourself a good used turntable like Rega, Pro-ject and etc than get a used phono pre with USB or without and take it from that.

     Oh! Look what I've found in Trading circle....
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=103594.0

      Personally I prefer to listen to vinyl in analog domain. Well, maybe digitized for on the go.

Take care,
Buddy

[lextek]

So I've rethought the USB route.  Now I'm looking at two entry level tables.  The Music Hall mmf 2.2 or Pro-Ject Debut III.  Then some type of phonopre with USB.  Only reason for the USB is because my wife has some albums you would like in digital format.

[Delta Wave]

You don't really even need a USB if your PC has analog inputs. You can come straight out of a tape loop to your PC and just use the good ol' Nero wave edit/recording software which usually comes bundled with just about every new PC or optical drive these days.

[lextek]

Using Macs.  I think the Macbook headphone jack is also an input.  I use the optical.  Something to look into.  Thanks.

[DaveyW]

How many albums are you planning to digitise?
Would it be worth considering just buying the CD's - most are available cheaply used through the likes of Amazon.
Seems like you might be going to a lot of trouble and expense to achieve your objective.
Just a thought
Cheers
Dave

[lextek]

I just don't want the turntable for the conversion.  That is a selling point for the wife.  For me it is rentry to vinyl.

[cafe latte]

I did a review of both tables a year ago, actually buy (and returning) both and running them thru the paces. The Music Hall USB-1 is a complete POS, in almost every way, from horrible tonearm to all around crummy build and finish. While the very modest $250 might be attractive to a newbie or returnie, I'd look elsewhere.

The Project Debut III USB was of better quality, but not much better. Now that turntable is up to $500 and to me, just isn't worth the cost.

Audio Technica has 2 USB tables, the AT-LP120-USB and AT-LP240-USB. The LP120 is a pretty good build, for the money, but the anti-skating doesn't work at all, and it comes with a disc "sctatchin" cartridge, made to track at 3 grams. It's larger brother, the LP240 is a far better machine, and is the base machine for the $2500 Denon Anniversary machine (now reduced to $1500), but still has many short comings, including lose horizontal bearing on the tonearm and a headshell that is very flimsy.

My opinion is that you are way better off buying a good table, and buying a phono preamp that has USB out, as almost all do.

For a table, I like to recommend the Rega RP3 (at $900) and you can pick from a handfull of $300 phono preamps with USB out.

Wayner

Can you post a link to your review?
Regards
Chris

[usedabuser]

Better off buying a phono amp with USB built in. I think Rega has one for $170.