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It seems like Bob Seger was being prophetic when he sang the opening lyric of “Old Time Rock and Roll”: “Just take those old records off the shelf.” Vinyl records are making a comeback. The old “8 records for a penny” Columbia House Record Club and its parent companies have gone through bankruptcy, but the newest owner has plans to relaunch a record service, as hinted at by the “coming soon” on the columbiahouserecordclub.com website. (Competing record subscription services cost about $30 a record, so don’t expect “8 records for a penny.”) With two subscription-record services operating and plenty of vinyl records available in used-record shops and online, now might be a good time to re-evaluate you audio equipment. We put together a list of some reasonably-priced audio setups that would let you pull those old records off your shelf: 1) If you’re going to play records, you need a turntable. The one we chose is the Audio Technica AT-LP60 USB, which sells for about $95. This model has a built-in phono preamp so you can use it with an amplifier or receiver that doesn’t have an input for a turntable. It comes with several adapter cords, so it can also be used with just a set of powered speakers. It also has a USB output, so you can plug it into your PC or laptop and record your records with the included Audacity software. The turntable is belt driven and has controls for speed (33 1/3 or 45 RPM), record size (7 or 12 inches) and on/off. There’s also a lever to raise and lower the tonearm so it can positioned over the record. 2) If you’re using the turntable with a pair of unpowered speakers, you’ll need an amplifier or receiver (which contains a radio tuner). For our setup, we chose a $120 Griffin Technology Twenty Digital Audio Amplifier. This stereo amp has inputs for an optical connect used with devices like a game console or Apple ’s ( AAPL ) Apple TV, and a 3.5 mm adapter so you can use your turntable. It puts out 20 watts per channel, and has an output jack to add a subwoofer for even better low-end sound. It has Bluetooth, so you can pair the amplifier with your smartphone or tablet and play the music stored on those devices. 3) With the turntable and amplifier, you’re going to need a nice pair of speakers. Monoprice, owned by Blucora ( BCOR ), has a stylish pair of two-way bookshelf speakers for just under $100. “Two-way” is audio-speak for saying there are two speakers inside of each cabinet. Each brushed finished black speaker measures 9.9-by-6.1-by-10.5 inches and weighs a hefty 8.5 pounds. With a 5.25-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter, these easy-to-hook-up speakers sound even better than they look. No speaker wire, which is needed to connect the speakers with the amplifier/receiver, was included with our review speakers, so figure on ordering some. 4) If you want to do without the amplifier completely, consider the $249 Grace Digital Bluetooth speakers. One of the speakers has a built-in amplifier that powers both speakers with 18 watts each. These bookshelf speakers are a bit smaller than the ones from Monoprice, measuring 8.5-by-4.6-by-7.5 inches, but at 8.6 pounds they weigh a tad more. Inside each speaker cabinet are a large magnet 3.5-inch woofer and a 1-inch tweeter. The controls are positioned at the top of the left speaker and include volume and audio source. The input is 3.5 mm jack, and while the Grace Digital speakers include an adapter, it’s the wrong one for the Audio Technica turntable. The adapter included with the turntable, however, worked just fine. The speakers have another advantage — built-in Bluetooth, so you can sync up your smartphone or tablet and play music stored on those devices as well as play records. Connect one speaker to the other (speaker wire is included), plug in the turntable or sync your mobile device, and you’re good to go. 5) Last but not least, if all you want to do is listen to your old records without fussing with components, we tested an updated record player — the Archer Turntable Home Stereo System from Canada-based Electrohome. For about $100, this small-suitcase-sized phonograph has a good quality turntable, stereo speakers, a USB plug so you can connect it to your PC and make MP3s to listen to your “records” on the go, and an AUX input so you can plug in a smartphone or tablet to listen through the Archer’s stereo speakers. While the turntable and speakers aren’t quite the same quality as the components we tested, the whole system, ready to use out of the box, costs less than just the Audio Technica turntable. For a hundred bucks, you’re up and listening in minutes. Not a bad deal. Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News