I have Victrola's "The Empire" (6-in-1) vinyl record-player.

And I have old vinyls from the 1960s and 1970s and they work well, all things considered, though they've been scratched and have lots of dust on them.

I used a tool-kit to clean the dust as much as I can, but it can only go so far.

And there are clearly marks and scratches too.

But this is old Dominican music on a vinyl CD so I'm not worried.

Though my replacement needle is accruing dust... I should clean that.

But yeah, sound quality is off the charts. Don't know how to describe it. the stuff I've been listening to on Spotify or Apple Music (yeah, I know, I know) doesn't come close to the reverberations and timbre here. Honestly, I'm glad that I'm collecting vinyls now. I got this from the Dominican Republic; a person was just giving his old vinyls away. He said take as many as I could, too.

Anyway, gotta put in the gel to clean the needle.

But yeah, works like a charm.

What vinyls should I get?

Thinking of getting the "Big Wave" album by a certain Japanese artist.

  • LaGG_3 [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    16 days ago

    What vinyls should I get?

    Speaking as someone who has recently downsized a record collection - get stuff you'll play a lot. Starting with a few all-time favorite albums is always great.

  • Skeleton_Erisma [they/them, any]
    ·
    17 days ago

    You should totally get the single for blue jean by David Bowie only because it comes in a super cool vibrant blue (I'm a sucker for whacky colored vinyls).

  • NewLeaf
    ·
    16 days ago

    Finding albums "in the wild" at local record stores is a real thrill, but sometimes you have to buy online. Look at Discogs.com.

    It's the biggest marketplace and community for vinyl online. You can buy from little shops all over the world, and they usually have everything! You can also catalogue your purchases and have them all on your phone, so when you're at the shop, you don't have to guess as to whether you already have a certain album

    One trap people fall into is buying vinyl that is overpriced for no good reason. Shop around a little. A rule I made for myself is "never pay over $25 per disc." If it's a two record set, I wouldn't pay more than $40-50 for it. Unless my want for it overshadowed my thriftiness.

      • NewLeaf
        ·
        16 days ago

        Also, not trying to be a record snob, but you should consider upgrading to a turntable at some point. Those all in one record players aren't always the best quality, and can ruin your good albums. They're fine for playing albums that aren't in perfect shape, or if you aren't going to dice headfirst into this hobby.

  • FumpyAer [any, comrade/them]
    ·
    16 days ago

    Local used record shop uses a dawn dish soap + isopropyl alcohol + water solution. Similar to this: https://vacationvinyl.com/cleaning-vinyl-records/

    • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
      ·
      16 days ago

      Water solution? Like, any water solution?

      I'll try that combination.

      • FumpyAer [any, comrade/them]
        ·
        16 days ago

        A solution combining water and isopropyl alcohol.

        It's described in the link. Equal parts isopropyl alcohol and water + some drops of dish soap.

        • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
          ·
          16 days ago

          I have that last one and I'm pretty sure I have filtered water and purified water last I checked.

          So I should be fine. Thanks!

  • Evilphd666 [he/him, comrade/them]
    ·
    16 days ago

    Pro tip - don't store the vinyls vertically. My parents had an extensive vinyl collection from the 70s and 80s. Most of them became warped and unplayable after 20+ years on a shelf. But yeah they have an authentic feel to them and I've started collecting a few years ago.

  • Leon_Grotsky [comrade/them]
    ·
    16 days ago

    I am the most discerning of audiophiles, and as such I only have 3 vinyl records:

    one is Crack the Skye album by Mastodon (GOAT album)
    two is Random Access Memories deluxe album by Daft Punk
    and three is the single "West End Girls" by the Pet Shop Boys.

      • Leon_Grotsky [comrade/them]
        ·
        16 days ago

        It was really the first album to sell me on vinyl being distinct as a medium, was kind of a "there is no difference" contrarian up until that point.

    • Pluto [he/him, he/him]
      ·
      16 days ago

      Starring this comment.

      But yeah, get Big Wave album by Tatsuro Yamashita, would be my recommendation to you.

  • chauncey [he/him]
    ·
    16 days ago

    A spin-clean record washer is a good investment if you build a large collection.

    Also suggest you look into high quality inner sleeves (mobile fidelity).

    As far as what to buy, I'd suggest focusing on albums you love, that way you actually listen to them.

  • peppersky [he/him, any]
    ·
    16 days ago

    vinyl are plastic trash that's going to rot in landfills for all eternity (even if you only buy used records you are still supporting the industry and generating demand for new records, most of which probably being taylor swift records that never even get played). also playing them releases toxic chemicals into your home

    just listen to good quality cd rips or even vinyl rips if you want to, you can get them for free using a little program called nicotine