Being a "Persistent Nutjob" Pays Off!

By Michael Fremer • Posted: Jul 6, 2012

We're working on a "letters to the editor" section but until then we'll post comments as "Ask Mikey"s even though this reader isn't asking, he's telling! I thought you'd get as big a kick out of his letter as did I!—ed.

Dear Mr Fremer,

I curse you, Sir! You are the devil.

Not only have you converted me to appreciate the many virtues of vinyl playback.... But you have also quite remarkably managed to make me question my own sanity!

I have been reading Stereophile for over 15 years... But somehow always managed to avoid your 'ramblings'. I mean, why would I want to pay any attention to the guy who has a small soapbox proclaiming what I know to be false?? I was never really in tune with TV evangelists or paranoid nuts standing in the heart of the city preaching the world was coming to end - but I appreciated and respected their right to do so... After all, they made me realize that I was in fact, sane!

But holy shit.... I've got to hand it to you... You are a persistent nutjob. And you finally got me!!

I mean, in 6 months you're wholly and solely responsible for me:

* Abandoning $50,000 of digital playback gear and media

* Buying a high end turntable, tonearm, cartridge, phono pre rig. No price description necessary - but lets just say the Mrs is going to have to wait for a new Sports Car.

* Spending every spare minute trying to source the vinyl to replace my CD collection... And reading reviews as to which of the 200 various pressings is the most sonically desirable.

* Clicking onto Analog Planet every hour waiting for an update... Any update.... Arghhhh

* Looking anywhere I can to learn about this stuff... I can't get enough on VTA, SRA, etc...

* Preaching to anyone who is within earshot about why they should burn their CD collections and return to the Lord Vinyl.

Are you proud of yourself? Glad that my Mrs, family, friends, colleagues, clients think I'm insane?

Well, you've successfully enlisted me as a disciple. Now I implore you to look after me and make sure no harm comes to me.

Thanks mate ;)

Kind regards,

Rob C

(Canberra, Australia)

Comments

Rob, He did it to me as well

Submitted by figaro on Sat, 2012-07-07 05:20.

Rob,

He did it to me as well, and all my friends think I am nuts for abandoning digital.But life is short and I would prefer to spend it listening to great music that sounds great.Eventually others will come around to the truth. It took me years to finally believe, now instead of gear, I look for records!

Welcome to the top of the mountain, enlightened one!

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And me too!

Submitted by bob.saccamanno on Sat, 2012-07-07 14:15.

Guys, been loving Vinyl for many years, but you must experience where the analog action is really at - magnetic tape. I sold all my turntable and vinyl for a great reel-to-reel setup. Afterall, its the closest you get to the studio master tape.

Vinyl is still great - I love the colorations it provides, very soothing and warm. But tape is the next logical step.

Enjoy!

Tape and vinyl "colorations"

Submitted by Michael Fremer on Sat, 2012-07-07 20:40.

Bob, I don't know to what you are listening but your musical choices are seriously limited if you've jettisoned vinyl for tape! Plus tape has its own issues. When you buy used commercial R2R tapes, they've been high speed duped and not from the master tape. They do still sound great. I've got a Revox G36 and stacks of 7 1/2 IPS commercial releases.<p>

But I think vinyl's "colorations" depend upon your playback system and after comparing some very expensive Tape Project tapes, which are third generation tapes (the master is copied and then copies of that copy become the commercial product), to double 45rpm issues of the same material cut from the master tape, I concluded that the records were much quieter (less tape hiss) and were more transparent as well. <p>

Of course I was playing the records back on the Continuum Caliburn so that kind of influenced the results! Still, there are many more records than tapes!

There should be a 12 step

Submitted by vinyldaze on Sat, 2012-07-07 21:56.

There should be a 12 step program for inhaling too many vinyl pellets. I admit to the addiction. There is no substitute.

Nice Photo Mickey!

Submitted by Don_C on Mon, 2012-07-09 08:34.

Were you in the cast of the Rocky Horror Picture Show?

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Pre-Echo

Submitted by Mercury on Tue, 2012-07-10 12:44.

Hi Mike,

Is there any adjustment i can make, or have done wrongly that gives me this very anoing fenomena of hearing the loud passages on records 1-2 revolutions ahead of the right time.

Super site i must say :O)

Best regards from Copenhagen

Asger Sigfusson

Summer shipping of vinyl

Submitted by alan james on Wed, 2012-07-11 19:11.

I have been buying some lp reissues recently. My copy of Frank Sinatra Come Fly With Me (Capitol) arrived OK, but my lp of Come Dance With Me had a slight warp in one area as the disc rotated on my platter.

Over night I placed in on a hard surface desk in the white paper sleeve and stacked some boxed sets upon it that were quite heavy. The next day I would say about 90% of the rim warp was gone, but it has me worried.

With all this heat we have been getting, plus here in Atlanta it is always this way, I am wondering if I should be concerned about LP shipping my mail? The albums have been coming in decent cardboard outer packaging, but on the corner of the last one it did have a crease in it, but I am more concerned about the heat in the mail track and how the lps are handled...bottom of the stack of mail, top? I doubt they will ever be stood up vertically for safe keeping, plus the temps inside the truck are generally what ever it is outside. If he goes somewhere to get lunch and leaves the truck in the sun it could reach 1300 F inside...not good for vinyl.

Does the thought of this bother anyone else or is it just me?

hey Alan

Submitted by deckeda on Thu, 2012-07-12 08:06.

I haven't had any records delivered in about a month, and the last was placed on the front porch by the front door.

In hot sunshine. I'm also in the ATL. (But it was OK.)

I think your choices are:

1) Stay home and watch the mail.

2) Arrange for delivery at work.

On the other hand, with "1300F" temps in the delivery truck, you'd never receive the package anyway, and you'd hear about it on the local news, am I right? :)

1300F

Submitted by alan james on Fri, 2012-07-13 00:05.

It, the 2nd zero, started as the degree symbol o See? When you save it it reverts back.

You Got Me Too

Submitted by redwoodzz on Sat, 2012-07-14 09:29.

After my 11 year old asked me what a turntable was after looking through my Stereophile I finally went out and bought a used table off Craigslist. My daughter and I raided my mothers old records and started shopping. We are having a great time and enjoying it. I ran into Mr. Fremer at a show in San Francisco some years back and took a picture with him and told him I loved his column and his political slant in his column. I also told him that I didn't own a turntable and still read his column every month. His comment to me after I told him that...."What the fuck is wrong with you"....Well Mr. Fremer I finally have that turntable....thanks!

If he ever ran for congress...

Submitted by alan james on Sun, 2012-07-15 01:15.

DC better hang on to their hats. Press conferences would carried nationally, but with all the "beeping out" it might be like verbal texting. Lol

Mikey's advise

Submitted by djv2011 on Mon, 2012-07-30 04:44.

I was wondering, IF Mikey ONLY had a budget of $4000.00 what new turtable would he buy? I just sold my Music Hall MMF-7.1 for a better table. So with my budget of 4 grand, I need direction.

Thanks,

Darren

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