What kind of turntable do you use?

I shot a question out the the Twitterverse last night:

What kind of turntable do you use?

Here are the results:

• Sony PS-LX300
• Sony RS 250
• Sony PSLX250H.. works great. my only complaint is that i can't play 78's.
• I have an Ion USB turntable - I've only used the USB connection once or twice though.
• 2* sony djs (something or other)
• an Ion that I bought about 4 years ago
• Audio-Technica AT-PL120
• my brand new Crosley CR249 BK Keepsake USB Turntable -- it's portable! before that i had a beat up Sony (i loved it too).
• Is use a Rega Planar 3 - 16 years old and still going strong.
• I'm on a Technics 1210. Not ideal for my jazz vinyl, but it's not too shabby either. Does the trick.
• Technics SL-1200MK2. Two pair. One pair in cases for gigs. One pair always set up in the studio. Both w/ Vestax 05Pro III.
• Stanton.
• Numark
• Old semi-working AR with a vintage Shure V15 cartridge.
• Rega P3 :)
• I use a vintage panasoinc se-1510 that was found in a dumpster, which I restored: http://twitpic.com/uei9
• I have a turntable from Montgomery Ward...I saw that face! Someday I will upgrade...
• I use a compact little Sony turntable my parents found me. Line level output and small size works perfect with my setup.
• black Technics SL-1200 Mk II with a Stanton 500 AL II cartridge.

I myself use a Technis 1200 with Ortofon Pro cartridge and an old Bang and Olufsen with linear tracking tonearm.

Leave your turntable of choice in the comments if you like!

Original or audiophile reissue?

An interesting question for vinyl collectors from came in from @SixtyWatt on Twitter earlier this week. I wanted to share the responses here. Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments!

Question:

Which is more important to you, original or audiophile pressing?

Replies:

• probably an original, but it depends on the record. bonus when the originals are audiophile quality.
• I would say audiophile, because i'm more of listener than a collector.
• I prefer first pressings! And I also take colors into consideration
• Originals. I think it's a psychological thing that audiophile pressings sound better.
• I prefer originals if possible, but I don't have the best record player. One day, I may change that.
• depends on how bad the sound of the orig is, but generally, audiophilia is for snoots

I myself can go either way - really depends on the album. Generally, I'm a listener first so audiophile pressings are great for that but if I had an original and audiophile pressing in front of me (which actually happened on Friday), I'd probably go original.

Headphones with artwork by Parra

An interesting choice for a unique pair of headphones, this set is made of Finnish birch and features artwork by Dutch artist, Parra.

The headphones were originally put out (sans artwork) by The Perfect Unison, a label by David Burel and were available in different sizes to fit your head. They were only available via email order and some sites have reported that they went for 250 GBP. You can contact them via email if you are interested in picking up a pair of the originals and it looks like they'll continue to put out new versions.

The headphones themselves feature 30mm Ultrasone drivers which have a frequency range of 20-20,000hz and an impedance of output of 35 ohms.

As for this pair featuring artwork by Parra, it looks like they've only made 50 of them and they're only availalbe at select retailers including The Lazy Dog store in Paris.

Here's a bit about Parra:

An underground star in his hometown of Amsterdam, where fans scour the streets to tear down his posters, Parra's work is treasured by a new generation of design fanatics.

A natural self taught Typographer and Graphic Artist, Parra grew up living with his artist father. Surrounded by colour, oil paint, wood, & Rubenesque paintings he immersed himself in early nineties music and street culture, developing the unique style he's know for today.

Taking a handfull of selected commercial design jobs every year Parra prefers to make the bulk of his output flyers, posters & identities for friends & admirers, making his work available for everyone to use, keep or discard as they wish.

His first solo gallery show, "Jobs I did for friends for under £100" took place at London's Kemistry Gallery in March 2005 and sold out in three days. Hugely prolific, Parra also designs his own streetwear label, Rockwell clothing, launched in 2000 and stocked in London, Tokyo, Berlin and New York.

For additional photos, stop by LimitedHype.

Records by Mail by Craig Moerer

Another great site for ordering records by mail is Craig Moerer's appropriately titled Records by Mail. They have an extensive collection and an interesting story.

Our story begins in 1974 when an 18-year-old blues lover decided to turn his hobby into a business serving similarly obsessed collectors.

Armed with $1000, Craig and his even younger brother, Keith, set off across America in a '65 Ford Galaxie. Over the course of six weeks, they covered a dozen states and 6,000 miles, diving into dusty stacks in already plundered warehouses and stuffing what they bought into the trunk of their car. Despite the suspicion they caused among Texas state troopers and by-the-hour hotel operators, the trip proved to be a shoestring success, leading to hundreds of other trips over the next 31 years.

Today, Records By Mail offers one of the most comprehensive selections of vinyl LPs and 45s available anywhere. Housed in a 6,000 square foot warehouse that currently holds 1.3 million records, Craig and his talented, dedicated staff (Erik, Deb, Claire, Howard, Ken, Jeff, Sean, Andrea, Haim & Nate) serve music lovers in more than 70 countries.

While a network of computers and a newly re-designed website helps Craig and his staff satisfy the cravings of his customers more efficiently, he still logs thousands of miles each year - usually by plane rather than muscle car - always in search of more collectible gems.

We are always looking to improve the quality of our service, and we update our database continually, so expect new titles and new improvements with alarming frequency.

-Craig Moerer

Check out their sections on Rare, Rock, Soul, Funk, Jazz, Rap, Blues, Punk, and Soundtrack vinyl. Free shipping on orders over $99.

Vinyl is Forever by Human Empire

Love collecting vinyl? Love tee shirts? Check out the first in a series of designs / garments that will feature the phrase "Vinyl is Forever", as interpreted by various design studios.

Here's a bit more:

Inspired by iconic visual slogans such as "I (heart) NY" and "Virginia is for Lovers," and referencing music obsessives' everlasting love of vinyl records, Soundscreen Design is curating a series of t-shirts, hoodies and tote bags featuring artists' iconic interpretations of the phrase "Vinyl is Forever."

The introductory edition of the line, designed by German design studio Human Empire (www.humanempire.com), will be the first installment in an ongoing collaboration between Soundscreen Design and prominent design studios, with subsequent editions introduced throughout 2009.

All wearables will be printed on environmentally friendly garments, and feature the specific edition signifiers (studio and edition number).

Tees are available from InSound here for $17.99, along with hoodies and tote bags.

Special thanks to SixtyWatt for sending this our way.