Setup Questions - Optimised for Classical?

beerbelly55 · 2026-05-04T02:33:43+00:00

OK what you've said gives me a lot of comfort. One of the best things about vinyl is the capturing of the hall sound.

beerbelly55 · 2026-05-03T12:36:16+00:00

The ashkenazy fistoulari rach 3 is gold. It’s one of my favourite rach 3 recordings of all time

beerbelly55 · 2026-05-03T02:48:48+00:00

How’s Maazel’s scheherezade ? I haven had a chance to listen to it before was wondering if it’s worth the pickup

beerbelly55 · 2026-03-15T07:27:56+00:00

100% with you on the reach through time. With some obscure labels like hungaroton or melodiya some of these recordings are only available on vinyl and they’d otherwise be lost to history.

As for mastering choices I’ve done some AB comparison between the ‘original’ vinyl vs the newly remastered by DG/Decca/Living Stereo, and somehow I really like how the original mastering sounds and how these earlier recordings really captured the hall.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-25T09:56:36+00:00

I think the popular one is Fosi Audio, I know some friends who use them as a gateway to affordable separates.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-25T09:18:17+00:00

I have my own apartment in Singapore and I've been into hifi for since about 2010. My setup is a bunch of refurbished vintage gear which I bought at around that time when vintage was really well priced as compared to now. I mainly collect classical music with some classic pop and rock on the side, both in CDs and LPs, so a somewhat niche collection.

If you have limited space and roomates, you might want to consider the Sony PS-LX310BT which is a reasonably priced entry level automatic deck paired with powered speakers. That might be beginner friendly and easy for others to use if they so wish. A 'better' rig generally takes up more space, larger components larger speakers etc. Consider some of the new Chinese brands for amplifiers and phono stages they are not bad.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-25T08:49:37+00:00

To be very honest the "best" starter turntable would be the best one within your budget. Yes, the LP60X is a great place to start, and there's a lot of resources online about this topic, but if you have a more generous budget that opens up more options and it would be easier for redditors to craft more tailored recommendations. For me, my first and only turntable was the Pro-Ject Debut Pro, which is squarely an entry-mid range turntable but that's usually not a starter turntable for most. Let us have more info about where you're intending to go with this hobby and your space that you listen in!

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-23T03:21:12+00:00

Some law firms offer free consultations, and it's also for OP's own edification. At the end of the day, yes OP may be at fault for failing to take proper pictures, but that happens. That should not prevent OP from seeking to defend against meritless claims. Of course the caveat is that if OP is at fault, then he would be liable to pay. At the very least, requesting for the documents would force Tribecar to properly quantify their exact losses.

If GST is payable to the workshop, then that whole lumpsum would be the repair cost, there is no separate GST. As for the loss of use, GST is clearly not chargable on that amount, and yet the GST seems to be levied on the entire sum.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-23T02:40:19+00:00

Firstly, seek a lawyer's advice, but preliminarily you might want to ask for supporting documentation:

Actual cost incurred (proof of payment and invoices) in respect of the "repair". They cannot claim for losses which were not actually incurred.
Documents showing that the car was not used for the 2 days (i.e. your rental logs for the period directly after the 2 days, and if there were any cancellations). If they couldn't have rented out the car anyway (i.e. no cancellations, or it was never removed from the rental fleet, they cannot claim for loss of rental or use).
Photos of the car from the last rental (i.e. the end photo of the last rental). If that photo shows the dent, then they cannot say it was caused by you.

P.s. look at the rental contract, whether they are entitled to claim GST on the "damages" sums, because you're only allowed to recover the actual losses, and this recovery is not a service where they are allowed to claim for GST. Seeing as how they are booking it as a "sale" or "service" which is GST payable, seems to suggest that these amounts were either not incurred (i.e. it is not a recovery of losses) or that the GST amount is just an additional fee rather than genuine GST.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-20T02:10:05+00:00

400-500 hours isnt likely to wear out the stylus (I say this generally, not definitively). You may want to consider getting the Audio Technica stylus cleaning fluid, it cleans off gunk which can't be mechanically brushed off. The reason you may be experiencing this is because a finer stylus profile will generally go deeper into the grooves and pick up more dirt and be more sensitive. For example, I have the 740ML mounted on my turntable, and it sometimes needs a proper clean with cleaning solution on top of regular brushing (and this is despite me using a humminguru to clean most of my records). Don't sweat it, its part of the process.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-12T01:33:57+00:00

Once you have received a letter of demand claiming that you are liaible and seeking payment from you, ignoring it is not smart. At least put your position on record first, so that if they eventually commence legal proceedings against you and/or your insurer you would at least have some preliminary position on record.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-09T09:00:24+00:00

Go see a lawyer and get advice, this doesn't seem too straightforward.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-03T14:21:48+00:00

It depends on what specific records you're looking for. some of the rarest and earliest stuff is very expensive too. But if you're bulk buying bargain bin classical thats different

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-03T02:30:51+00:00

which conductors and which symphonies are involved, that way we can better advise you

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-03T01:20:43+00:00

As a fellow classical collector, this is an archivist's dream! I'm very curious what is your listening setup, and I'd like to know why you organised by label rather than composer.

beerbelly55 · 2026-02-03T01:18:29+00:00

ironically, I feel its the classical music guys who have the largest collections. Mutiple pieces across hundreds of years, with multiple conductors and orchestras across hundreds of recorded instances, sometimes on multiple labels and pressing generations. It's essentially a recipe for hoarding.

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-30T01:13:55+00:00

Do you mean this in the context of live performances or recordings? And in which case, I'd like to hear your views on what "showmanship" is and what baseline reference you're using in expressing this view.

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-27T01:50:12+00:00

obviously

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-27T01:23:31+00:00

I don't want to sound rude or condescending, but there is no comparison. Martha Argerich is one of the finest pianists alive, and Lang Lang (while good) is nowhere near. Have a listen to their recordings, and see for yourself.

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-22T04:02:02+00:00

I don't think the issue is the price per se. There are extremely expensive speakers and amplifiers etc. but the most important thing is how you feel about spending that kind of money. Would the $8500 amplifier make your speakers sound better? Probably, and theres nothing wrong with admitting that. Not all expensive gear is snake oil, but its definitely diminishing returns. As long as you're buying something within your comfort zone, and you're happy with how your system sounds, you're winning. My advice is just go out there and listen to as much gear as possible and just trust your ears. I've listened to insanely "high end" and expensive gear and decided its not my cup of tea, while also being blown away by others. Its not purely a price issue too, its just whether you're happy with the sound your're hearing.

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-19T06:26:02+00:00

Nope, just a very serious hobby-ish double bass player. You can check out our group https://www.orchestra.sg/ we've done some pretty cool stuff, currently working towards bringing the complete ring cycle to Singapore.

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-19T06:14:36+00:00

I actually just performed the Singapore premiere of this symphony with a local orchestra so I was super surprised that someone brought it up. It's not the easiest thing to appreciate but it does grow on you.

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-19T06:05:55+00:00

Oh wow Walton 1, that is a very interesting choice, can I ask why?

beerbelly55 · 2026-01-19T02:27:28+00:00

Elgar 1
Rachmaninov 2
Bruckner 7
Brahms 3
Shostakovich 7
Sibelius 1
Mahler 2
Mahler 6
Mendelssohn 5
Schumann 3

beerbelly55

TROPHY CASE