Vinyl Gear 101 - Putting together a stereo system to play vinyl 

Im starting my journey boys.

For the sweet love of christ, YES! All the information I want in the same place! I don’t have to search through random forums or subreddits just to find out what I need! Thanks Amoeba! Not only do you have THE best record store in the USA, but you also have the best channel for beginners in vinyl.

Sorry to be dark but i imagine once the 60s genereation passes away there will be a lot of great used audio equipment online.

These 5 minutes covered my whole night's research. LOL. Good job!

I've never in my life seen a more simple, quick, and helpful guide on anything ever, thank you so much!

Wish I had this video when I first was researching how to set up my system

I started my journey in 1986 with Iron Maiden's Somewhere In Time album and was addicted into collecting everything by them, then all metal and everything punk rock. I am so glad vinyl is popular again, these are good times again we are living in. Cheer's mates! 🍻 🍺

Just inherited my parents’ Bose 321 sound system (circa 2004) and pulled my Pioneer PL-7 direct drive turntable (about 1982) out of the attic. After replacing some missing speaker wires, I discovered what a preamp is. Now listening to some Rubber Soul. Sweet.

This video has by far the BEST information to video length ratio of any of the ones I've watched. Thank you so much for this.

the “and what the hell is a pre-amp!?” Got me lmaooo

For me, the key to enjoy old vinyl is CLEANING records. I used a Dishwasher cleaning brush back when, but my records still crackled. I thought that was just how vinyl was. But I have since learned the importance of proper cleaning. I bought a Spin Clean and made my own cleaning solution. BIG improvement! I recommend it.

Literally the only video / article I've found that expressly says WHAT you need to make it work, telling the 4 essential components and their reasons.

This was the most informative basic instruction on how to set up a system -- either for the beginner or the veteran. Clear, concise and really well presented. In a short period of time I received all the information to compare systems that would help me set up my first system. I can't wait to go shopping! Thank you, what great instruction!

For a newbie like me this distilled all the information i needed in 5 short minutes. now i can actually understand what i need to buy for my sound system, thank you guys so much!

THANK YOU! OMG in less than 6min you explained exactly what a beginner-beginner needed to hear! Now... time to shop! Thank you, Amoeba!

THIS WAS THE BEST, HOW TO VIDEO EVER. It's hell finding good how to videos. So many people do a terrible job. This was the perfect length, all the info, was very succinct. Great explanation. Thanks, will check you out again.

I lucked out setting up my first sound system, so it'd be great to see more videos like this .

Thanks Steve Buscemi

This was everything I needed to know to start, I looked through all my dad‘s old equipment it’s all from the 80s and 90s but I’m gonna try and piece something together and get this record player in the sound system working wish me luck!

This is a great and very informative video for beginners. I wish this was available when I started getting into the vinyl game several years ago. It would've saved me some time and a little bit of money from buying things that were not what I really needed.

Perfectly explained! For anyone who wants a solid setup, you’ll need to do the research in what fits your price range. Currently I use this 3 piece setup, due to my speakers being passive and not needing a standalone receiver. Shiit Mani Pre-Amp ($140 typically) Fluance RT-85 ($500) with a 2m Blue Ortofon needle Edifier speakers (can’t remember the exact name but they’re in the $140 price range). Hope this helps someone!

After watching this, my brain feels like it's just run the mile in under 4 minutes.

Most detailed explanation I’ve found that is also simple enough for a 15 y/o to understand lol thanks :D

You cover some interesting points. As for doing the DJ thing, in addition to a direct drive unit a cartridge with a stylus that can be "back qued" is essential. I've been into hifi since 1974 but have been out of the loop a while, never knew that receivers were being built without phono hook ups. Virtually every receiver built in the 1970's thru 90's was phono friendly, except for moving coil cartridges. One other thing worth mentioning is that only the phono cartridge and speakers are transducers. They turn electric impulses into sound (short explanation), otherwise, fine suggestions for a basic system. Though, you could get some vintage components; speakers, turntable/cartridge, receiver (15wpc) for less than $400, have a few bucks left for some LP's and skip the MP3's, C3PO's, USA or B ports, giga bites, mega bites or bug bites, and all that 21st century stuff. Yeah, spinning vinyl is pretty simple. My first system (in 1974) consisted of a Pioneer SX-434 receiver, BIC-920 turntable with Shure M-70 pick-up and KLH model 31 speakers at a cost of less than $240.

Decent to good gear can be had at Goodwill and there is always your phone to do research or get info. It takes luck to get the gear you want, retail or otherwise. I have gotten audiophile grade units like Adcom and California Audio Labs, next to nothing.

Ive collected and spun wax for years and learn something new....all the time. with this video, you went above and beyond and really appreciate it!

Superb video, it is intimidating! Thank you! I wish I could like it a thousand times! I've started buying records but just don't have a room spare for a set up currently! So tempted haha!

Who would downvote this???I don't need the info (I've been buying records for 35 years) but it is EXACTLY what one starting out needs to know, sheeesh.

Within 3 minutes all my questions have been answered. Thank you!

omg FINALLY!!! thank you so much!! i traded a pair of passive speakers and an old turntable for some *cough* oregano ;) and i havent been able to figure out to to hook them up. this video had everything i needed to know. subbed.

Thanks for explain this,best viedo before I buy my first turntable🤩

Growing up with vinyl records and cassette tape and didn't think vinyl would become popular again, sold all my records 1995, today i have a real stereo setup and I'm bying record's again, my setup is Rega RP3 with Goldring 3200 and Lejonklou RIA, Hegel H80 amp and Acoustic Energy Reference 1 speakers, not the cheapest set up.

Was thinking of just taking my parents 80s Technic home stereo (5disc CD player, pre amp, receiver, dual tape deck, and turntable. Some items may not work so I can salvage some parts. I had a Marantz receiver that my ex sold not sure for how much but it was a beauty. I have Tascam record player and a dual cassette player brand new that I can Frankenstein something out of all these. I collect lps people give me but most are old and scratched. Still this project will be fun!! Thanks Ameoba!

This is an absolute must watch for beginners like me! The information in other forums are so overwhelming and this video is way more informative! Thank you so much!

Just what I needed to get started.

You certainly don't need 1000$ to get started. You can get used equipment that was "high end" in the 70s/80s for fairly cheap.

1:50 any video with a Donald in Mathmagicland reference is top tier.

ya'll should really cite in the description the names of the products shown in the video, for reference sake. Whenever my pals ask me what tables they should invest in to get into vinyl, my defaults are the atlp60 or 120(like you've shown), just due to their ease of use!! Now when they ask me i'll show them this video too.

Great video! This will be a great resource for my customers at my little record store!

Leave it to Amoeba to break it all down. Used to live within walking distance of their store in Hollywood. Spent a LOT of $$$ there back in the day.

Great information! My local record store has that Audio Technica package for about $300 and I have been leaning towards that.

Amazing how many people even those that grew up with vinyl don't understand any of this. So straight forward.

OMG! i love you already! I know I'm gonna have to watch this over and over, and take notes, as most of it is like a foreigh language to me, but I finally feel like I'm in the wheelhouse! Can't wait to tell you of my success!

The perfect 101 vid for getting into vinyl! THANK YOU!

Thanks, man who looks slightly like Bill Hader. You just answered so many questions of mine that I wasted so much time scouring through google and forum posts for. Especially that point about the phono ports on the back of receivers being a sign of a built in pre-amp. Very informative video.

i just got the same exact Audio Technica turntable.. so i just need the speakers. thanks! cant wait to finally listen to my records i've been collecting for years haha

Picking up my turntable and speakers tomorrow! I'm psyched!

I literally said “What the hell is a pre amp” Thank you this was so helpful!

Honestly, when all is said and done you can do it however works best for you with what you just happen to have around (if you have things lying around that is). My setup has always been a little unorthodox: Turntable > Pre-Amp > Mixing Desk > PC Speakers was my first set up and the only thing that has changed is I'm now using studio monitors that I also had lying around.

A lot of people on the vinyl bandwagon at the moment. Interesting to see how long it lasts.

Damn I’m glad I grew up on vinyl in the 1970’s.

Thank you buddy ✌🏽 A got lost, many video on youtube and people make it so hard to simply connect as you explain 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽

i was so confused about these systems before watching this. thanks!

Here’s a tip they won’t tell you: get your stereo components slowly at thrift stores. I’ve got mismatched speakers and a nice, powerful Onkyo receiver.

To all newcomers, it could definitely be argued that you would likely spend close to 1000.00 for a good setup. While that is certainly doable just like it's just as doable to drop 4000.00 on a good setup, neither are required. *Example with my setup:* Turntable: Audio Technica LP120 = 300.00 Phono Preamp: Schiit Mani = 130.00 Cartridge: Nagaoka MP110 = 140.00 Speakers: Audio Engine A2+ = 250.00 So the total for my system is roughly 820.00 *HOWEVER* I'm also pushing my hardware for a more *budget* audiophile system. You do not have to purchase the phono stage or cartridge upgrade immediately. You could use the built in preamp for a while and still get decent sound for 270.00 less and still get by using the stock AT95e cartridge that comes with the AT-LP120 turntable. In other words, you can get by with spending 500 - 600 dollars in the beginning and worry about the upgrades later.

Thank you so much for having all the vital audio stereo answers in this pratical, small but otherwise very useful video guide!!! YESS!!!

This actually makes a quite a bit of sense, though it's thoroughly simplified, not mentioning anti skating and overhang and whatnot. But I get why that's the way it is :). Can I just say, for a new budget system; Topping TP30: 75 dollars U-Turn orbit: 150 dollars Pro-ject phonobox: 80 dollars Pair of Pioneer SP-BS22-LR: 180 dollars Grand total: 485 Maybe add an AudioTechnica AT95E for 40 bucks :) Second hand on a budget there's no beating the NAD 3020E, Tannoy M1's and a Pioneer PL-12D with again that AudioTechnica AT95E. If you're patient you should be able to stay way under 300 bucks for this rig. There's plenty of good cheap speakers though, it's worth just buying a few pairs (old Celestions for instance, or Acoustic Research AR7) and have a listen yourself. Sell on what you like least. It's a nice hobby and if you get it right with the buying, you may actually make a little profit, making your rig cheaper. Please do stop telling people they need DD's for DJ'ing though. Though it's through, it's always been a common misconception that ANY DD will do DJ'ing. So many hi-fi record players have been abused... As for DD's adding noise; Amoeba dude and me probably both know this isn't true. It's a bit too complex to explain why the overly tight speed regulation of a DD motor does more harm than good to your sound. Belt drive is the way to go, always has been. Want to try this speed regulation thing out for yourself: Find a player that has Quartz Lock, listen to a few songs properly, then turn it off and hear what happens. Overly exact platter control actually takes away from the musicality and looseness of the table. So yes, if you have an SL-1200, which is actually a pretty decent hi-fi player, turn that Quartz lock off.

ive been looking for this video for months....finally.

It's best to buy components for upgrade reasons. I have both types of systems. My large system is comprised of a pre-amp/power amp and speakers with the music source being my PC. The PC has a good quality sound card that translates the digital music to an analog line out signal. Some sound cards even have a digital optical input for use with some recording interfaces. My "small system" is my laptop as the music source, an external sound card and powered speakers. I use a Digidesign Mbox recording interface as my sound card. All the tonal tweaks are done via the media player software. I can't emphasize enough the importance of having more than enough amplifier power. All too often, most systems sound decent if not driven too hard. If you turn up the volume on a system with anemic power, you start over driving your amplifier(s), you end up with distortion. A lot of folks are quick to condemn the speakers when in reality, the amp is being over driven beyond its capacity. Better known as "clipping".

Very nice straightforward information for setting up a turntable.

Just went yesterday to amoeba and there were super helpful i got excaly what wanted ...i got the Denon dp400 with the Edifier R1280dbs and im happy with my set up

A 3rd option set-up not mentioned in the video: Turntable (with no preamp) -> Preamp -> Powered speakers This is the setup that I have and it's really convenient for people who already have powered speakers and don't want to shell out the money to buy a brand-new turntable (meaning that if you buy second-hand/vintage, the turntable will most likely not have a preamp already installed).

Excelent!

Thanks Amoeba, we love you!

I'm pretty new to vinyl listening set ups, so this was extremely useful. Thanks!

Most helpful record player setup 101 for dummies. Thank you!

Thank you for this video! I'm a beginner and this helped me so much!

My turntable doesn't allow for cartridge upgrades, but sounds fantastic! I noticed just exchanging the factory stylus to a name brand stylus totally boosted the fidelity of my system, where the music almost sounded like a solid object, like you could reach out and touch it if you will!

Real short and informative video. Best combo. Thank you!

im starting to get into this hi-fi stuff, can't wait to make my own setup :) !

Finally a straightforward and intuitive video, thank you. Hitting subscribe.

Great break down of the info and questions I had

Really well made video!

What you need? A 70's Dual turntable, a 70's Yamaha receiver ... and a pair of gorgeous Wharfedale Denton 80th anniversary speakers❤️

Searching for this video like years, simple and clear. Thank you very much!

The preamp doesn't just amplify. It also applies the RIAA curve. That's why you ought to call it "phono preamp", not just "preamp". The integrated amps and receivers (whether they contain a phono preamp or not) also have a preamp section, and this could easily confuse beginners.

good video, but something that you didn´t really mention in the video is that you don´t necessarily need to buy all pieces brand new. especially when it comes to turntables or speakers, you might as well buy a used one. a lot of pretty decent older turntables are being sold for next to nothing on classified sites, and if you keep in mind a few basic guidelines on how to buy used gear, you can get a great sounding turntable for as little as $30, and finding used HiFi speakers is also quite easy as a lot of people decide to give away their old set of speakers while, say, in the process of moving.

Best explaination iv come across by far. Subscribed!

Great basic systems, think of all the other input devices such as reel to reel tape, 8 track tape , cassettes and CD's, for starters.

Amazing video as always, thank you so much amoeba !!!!!!

super helpful, particularly describing the purpose of the equipment like the preamp!

Man, this is such a great summary I've been looking for, cheers!

I just bought my first record at Amoeba! 🎼🎧🎧🎼🎼 Michael Jackson Bad ! Lol 😎

Great basic info presented clearly and succinctly!!!

every word of this video was helpful, thank you

They are some tricks you should know. If your dealing with a Rega or tables with built in pre amp you often have to lash up a ground wire to prevent hum . If these are hooked to anything else like a computer etc that has a three prong plug you don't The OEM DJ tables will often cut out on quiet passages using thier preamp . They use a noise gait instead of correct grounding.

I just picked up a used Technics 7 band EQ and what a difference in sound!

Great 5 min video. I'm looking to upgrade my system and this really helps. Thanks!

Bought a turn table without realizing how much equipment i'd need to actually purchase to get it up and running and i'm now $1400 in the hole....This is great :D

Perfectly clear and to the point 👉

Very informative, well done, detailed yet simple video. Thank you!

Excellent! This is the video I was hoping to find. Good job!

I just bought my setup today! Super stoked! And I forgot to buy the speaker cables :( lol damn! Ah either way I can't wait to jam to some oldies! Btw awesome video! A must have for all those who are starting like myself

Thanks mate! for telling about a Pre Amp never heard of it ! cheers mate

Saw your excellent RU-vid video on how to connect a turntable. Our system has a Panasonic SU-CH7 amplifier, ST-CH7 tuner, and a SL-CH7 CD player. We are attempting to connect a SANYO TP 1005 A turntable to this system. It does not appear that the SANYO has a pre-amp. We plug the turntable into the amp via the RCA jacks, into either the VDP or VCR/DAT inputs on the SU-CH7 (the other option, OUT, doesn’t produce anything). Those are the only RCA inputs on that amp. Adjusting the Volume knob on either VDP or VCR.DAT shows it going from -82 to 0 , but even at that highest level the volume is quite low, on either VDP or VCR/DAT. When we switch it from VDP or VCR/DAT to FM, the volume level is very high! We have to turn the volume knob down by about 180 degrees. We figure we’re missing something, but don’t know what. Can you assist? Thanks! Jim in Thunder Bay Ontario.

Very informative and impressive video ,👌👌👌👍👍👍👍👍💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐💐, thank you sir.

Thank you for simplifying the process! Appreciate your help!

Thank you so much really needed this video

Very helpful, I’m just lacking the pre amp but I’m almost ready

On off switch for built in preamp, lol thanks!! Saw that when i was reattaching the belt. XOX