Two turntables and a... thought experiment

Joe Mac said:
That said one step curation is a steaming pile of shit anyway so I’d be more likely to be going after rare out of print stuff instead.
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I would do a mix of both. It would be fun to spend a year only focused on gems.
But I would say don’t write off one step entirely. I’ve heard a few that are stunning. But I will say if you have a good pressing, it might not be worth it. I’d equate it to DSD vs CD. It’s not going to save a lesser recording or master.
But in the spirit of this game, PLENTY of rare gems exist to focus exclusively on those too.
 
displayname said:
This should have been a poll so we could have a quick count, lol.

Personally, I’m going gear. I already own decent copies of most records I like. It’s hard enough to give love to the 800+ records we own. Plus I really enjoy rediscovering details in the music I’m familiar with. So for me, the choice is easy.

Now to counter those saying they wouldn’t have space for $16k in records… you might actually. My first though I had it I were to choose records is that it would allow focus on extreme quality and/rare records. I’d replace a lot of records I already own with One Steps or rare gems. If I’m doing that, I’d assume cost per album jumps to a $125-150 per album average. That only results in 110 - 130 albums. I think everyone has space for that.
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That's a good counterpoint on the amount of records $16K may actually represent.

HOWEVER, if I may deploy some counter countermeasures...this thread, IMO and by the answers elicited (ie a preponderance of TT choice), is attracting a certain mindset (at least as of now). Likewise, I believe that mindset, if forced into the record scheme would probably spend like you suggest. I think I probably would.

But 2 things...one I'm assuming that the bank has to be spent in the one year period? That would hasten decisions. I could probably spend the money in a few days on rare/expensive records. But ones that I deliberately want in my collection and see as value added? That would be much more difficult. Second, and I'm no one's financial warden, but there is a large contingency of people who would not spend like you suggest and would just start going Pac-Man on a discogs wishlist. That is, restraint, planning, and prudence would be lacking. Then again, $17K on a TT or records and I guess we've kinda tossed prudence out the window.
 
Perforated Baby Salve said:
I'm assuming that the bank has to be spent in the one year period?
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For the sake of argument, yes but given we're only on Jan 3rd, you have 362 days to get the job done which- for me anyway- would probably be enough to ensure that I had the time I needed to chase down the majority of the various gremlins that have eluded me up to this point. I suspect I could sort 95%+ of what I yearned for in one year.
 
I’d go with the records + $500 TT. I’m not an audiophile and would be upset if I missed a 2022 reissue/release I really like. I could use a second TT for my basement, and would be glad to pick up my white whales and replace some of my (many) beat-up records.
 
At this point, when I have 1600 records, I'd say go with the turntable. Like others have said, letting 16K go at once is much harder than even $125 a record. No way I'd spend that much on a TT at once and especially when a worthy cartridge likely costs more than my current turntable. I've been pretty happy with my setup, I've gotten the upgrade bug a couple times, but have never jumped. My phonostage handles both so I'd be ready to go. There are lots of records that I'd like to have, but not too many white whales left for me.
 
displayname said:
I would do a mix of both. It would be fun to spend a year only focused on gems.
But I would say don’t write off one step entirely. I’ve heard a few that are stunning. But I will say if you have a good pressing, it might not be worth it. I’d equate it to DSD vs CD. It’s not going to save a lesser recording or master.
But in the spirit of this game, PLENTY of rare gems exist to focus exclusively on those too.
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I’m not complaining about the pressing. The Dylan one I have is outstanding. I just want very few of the albums they press because their curation is trash.
 
Perforated Baby Salve said:
I do like comments disliking the choices and/or asking for another choice. I feel like maybe some don't know what a thought experiment is and legit believe you've got the infinite gauntlet and some very specific goals.
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Reddit contains both some of the cleverest and the very dumbest outpourings of humanity I've ever seen; often seconds away from each other. My love/hate relationship with it is ongoing and immutable.
 
Kris said:
At this point, when I have 1600 records, I'd say go with the turntable. Like others have said, letting 16K go at once is much harder than even $125 a record. No way I'd spend that much on a TT at once and especially when a worthy cartridge likely costs more than my current turntable. I've been pretty happy with my setup, I've gotten the upgrade bug a couple times, but have never jumped. My phonostage handles both so I'd be ready to go. There are lots of records that I'd like to have, but not too many white whales left for me.
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More I think about it, everything I've written here screams "take the money and buy records". Part of the reason I haven't upgraded is that my TT plays everything and it sounds good to me. I'm not really interested in getting something that's super-fiddly. What someone said about missing 2022 releases hit me too. No way I'd want to miss out on new music. So give me the Rega and point me to Discogs...haha.
 
Another way I'm thinking about it too is...let's go with buying really expensive records and say, for arguments sake, that you add 200 records. Now, mix that in with your general collection and what percentage of the time are you actually listening to each record in your collection? Not gonna figure out an actual number...although I guess I could give it a WAG using my own collection. Anyway, I do know one number easily...100. The percentage of time I'd be hearing that TT everytime I listen to music.
 
Perforated Baby Salve said:
Another way I'm thinking about it too is...let's go with buying really expensive records and say, for arguments sake, that you add 200 records. Now, mix that in with your general collection and what percentage of the time are you actually listening to each record in your collection? Not gonna figure out an actual number...although I guess I could give it a WAG using my own collection. Anyway, I do know one number easily...100. The percentage of time I'd be hearing that TT everytime I listen to music.
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True but I don’t own a record to listen to it all the time. I own it because there will be times when I want to listen to that record and nothing else will scratch the itch, even if that beautiful turntable makes it sound it’s best. Would I rather be able to scratch that itch more often and more accurately with a turntable that is going to sound good, or less often and less accurately with a magnificent beast.
 
To use a car analogy too, I’d love to drive a Ferrari once, but do I really trust myself to own one, or even more pertinently, do I really want to live with the reality of owning one as my daily runaround.
 
Joe Mac said:
True but I don’t own a record to listen to it all the time. I own it because there will be times when I want to listen to that record and nothing else will scratch the itch, even if that beautiful turntable makes it sound it’s best. Would I rather be able to scratch that itch more often and more accurately with a turntable that is going to sound good, or less often and less accurately with a magnificent beast.
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Yes and I, more or less, look at it the same way. I guess the fact that, in this scenario, that large sum is marked for one of two things influences my perspective.
 
Perforated Baby Salve said:
Yes and I, more or less, look at it the same way. I guess the fact that, in this scenario, that large sum is marked for one of two things influences my perspective.
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And equally for all of that I’d love to have that beautiful piece of kit, that I could never justify buying, dropped into my system. But at the expense of buying records? And I suppose that’s where the fun of the debate lies!
 
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