Rating  - Doesn't look expensive, but it works.
Some reviewers have commented on the "plasticky" appearance of this unit. No doubt, it isn't the kind of equipment you would have expected to be sitting next to an expensive amp, receiver and huge speakers twenty years ago, but it doesn't serve the same purpose.
The way I look at it, once I have copied my 100 or so LPs to a hard drive, I'll just put this puppy on eBay and get most of my money back. Frankly, for what I spent on it, I could throw it in the trash and come out ahead b/c I didn't have to go out and replace my (some irreplaceable) vinyl with CDs.
Let's make it plain, however, that converting your LPs to digital (even with the pretty good scratch removing software included) won't render the clean, clear quality of the identical recording which was later released on CD. In other words, this USB player works just fine and the software will allow you to disguise the defects of your old, used records somewhat, but it isn't going to make them new or even come close to a new CD. As for the reasons, lets just say that so much new recording technology has come down the road since you bought your old records that they didn't sound as good as you thought they did when they were brand new.
Now that we're over those few hurdles, let's talk about the turntable and software. The TT will play 33s and 45s, but not 78s. Well, really - do you care? Maybe. I have about as many 78s as LPs. My wife has a slew of 45s. So, yeah, it might be an issue.
The TT works just fine with as little "wow" as you used to have on much more expensive units. The stylus seems to be up to the task, also. The software can be a little daunting at first, unless you have already played with similar apps. Actually, once you get over the hump, it's pretty much a matter of play and record. You'll probably just stick with one scratch removal setting and copy all of your records w/o changing it.
This unit does have a switch which allows you to turn on or off the preamp, which is handy if you decide to use it as a part of your home entertainment system instead of putting it on eBay.
Incidentally, my unit is hooked up to an XP equipped Dell laptop. Like others, I was surprised and disappointed to discover that I could not monitor the sound through the laptop's speakers while it was being recorded. Other than that, getting it set up and operational was fairly easy (but I do have a background with computers and A/V stuff).
I recently had the opportunity to set up another brand of unit for a friend. It had a few more features, such as a fancier mechanism for dropping the stylus on a track in the middle of the record and it would play records backwards(!?) But, it cost more money.
The Sony works well enough that I recommended it (and Amazon, too) to an older friend. She immediately purchased it, but I'm pretty sure her techno savvy son had to set it up for her!
Rating - USB vs. Line Input & Software Choices
After reading the reviews about my top choices for an afforable USB turntable, I came to the conclusion that unless it had some major flaw that made it unusable or introduced some intollerable noise, one turntable at this price was just about the same as any other. I chose the Sony because it came with software that you couldn't just download for free. Sound Forge Audio Studio is quite easy to use and the the fact that it supports .wma so I can edit clips recorded from other sources.
I did download Audacity and like it too. In fact, I switch back and forth, depending on the project. What suprised me was that the sofware wouldn't detect the breaks between songs very well while using the USB interface. I think the gain is just too high and can't be adjusted down that I can tell. Luckily, this unit has it's own preamp and allows me to hook it up at line level to the computer's sound card input. Now the software will detect the individual songs and treat them accordingly.
I don't know if this is a flaw with this particular unit or all USB input. The other benefit of using line level over USB is that you can hear what is being recorded. With the USB input, you can't (unless I'm missing something).
All in all, I'm pleased with my purchase and even more pleased that my decision to go with the Sony model got me two choices of recording software.
Rating - Turntable is great, still learning the software
I haven't had any problems with the turntable, it's being very kind to my old albums. I'm pretty impressed with the quality and am glad I chose the Sony over several other brands I researched. I would definitely recommend this one.
Like several other reviewers I've had a not so fun time trying to figure out the software. I do have sound through my computer. To make a long story short, here's what I ended up with for my settings: click "Tools" then "vinyl recording and restoration", be sure "monitor recording level" is checked. My Device Properties on the Audio tab is: Sound Playback: Realtek HD Audio Output
Sound Recording: USB Audio CODEC
MIDI Music Playback: Miscrosoft GS Wavetable SW Synth
I can listen to an album even if I don't want to record it by opening up the vinyl recording and restoration window and just letting it run in the background.
Hope this helps.
Rating - Neat product!
What a neat product! I've got several hundred 45's that have been collecting dust for years now. I love the tunes, but the labor of playing a 45 is too much in today's world of mp3 players, take your music with you, create your own playlists, etc. Now I can listen to my old tunes.
The product is easy to set up and use. The sound quality of the recordings is fine.
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Customer Reviews for Sony,PS-LX300USB,027242731271,0027242731271,B0015HOFZI, |
