Hi Fi Turntables

Thanks for visiting and welcome to my Squidoo website about hi fi turntables. I'd like to tell you a story about how my passion for records and turntables was re-ignited over the past few years and also share with you some of my favorite records and turntables that I've owned or would like to own.

Where to begin... I remember quite vividly as child, my family would gather with others on a Sunday afternoon to listen to all manner of records. Sometimes these get-togethers were just family events but often my childhood friends would come over to play as well as friends of my parents. I remember running around laughing, having fun and listening to the beautiful music that emanated from our turntable, it was a backdrop to these parties that I'll never forget.

A few years ago, my mother passed away after a short illness. For quite sometime, I put off cleaning out the attic and removing a lot of her belongings. A difficult process for anyone and something which only those people who have lost a parent can understand. Fortunately, this story does have a happy ending.

My brother in-law helped me sort through all the bric-a-brac that had belonged to my mother and we organised a yard sale so that we could find a new home for all her stuff. You couldn't believe the amount of stuff I found up in that attic. Many things of mine that had long been forgotten or considered thrown away were packed ever so neatly away in the myriad of boxes. Trust my mom to pack it all away safely!

I couldn't believe the shock when, in one of the boxes, I came across her old record album collection. Many of the records were older than I am (51 years old). I'm talking about the greats like Frank Sinatra, Jo Stafford, Tommy Dorsey and many, many other artists of that era. I had not heard many of these tunes for sometime and quickly searched to see if one of her old hi fi turntables had been packed away up in the attic. Yes! Looking no different than how i pictured it in my memories, our old SL-1200 hi fi turntable was there, sitting and waiting all this time just to be found again, to be treasured and loved.

This was something I could not fathom selling at the yard sale. My wife had asked that I not bring any junk home as we were a little limited space wise at that time but the albums and turntable were something I could not bring myself to part with now we were re-united. I put them in the car and when I got home, put them aside for the time being.

Given how busy life is for all of us, it's not surprising that I once again forgot about the treasures I uncovered in my mom's attic until one day my youngest son Jim happened across it while searching for some of his own junk left at our house. Being young, he asked me "what's this old thing." I unpacked it, set it up, and gave him a demonstration and told him about it's history in our family. I played one of Jo Stafford's albums and a feeling of nostalgia washed all over me. I could've cried. The sound was incredible.

I wasn't surprised by my sons lack of interest given he has grown up through the time of Cd's and now online music. Hi fi turntables and the beautiful music we play on them is for the most part, something that only interests those that grew up during the golden era of music. Having said that, I've noticed a growing trend amongst younger people frequenting my local second hand record store which I think is fantastic!

Now that you've read my story about how my passion for hi fi turntables was re-ignited, I hope it's drummed up feelings of nostalgia in you about your own memories of spending time with family, friends or perhaps just yourself laying about and listening to the wonderful music that only a turntable can provide you with. The great thing is, whether you're in the market for either digital turntables or vintage turntables, you can find a hi fi turntable to suit your budget.

Turntables range in price, which is determined by the build quality and age of the turntable. Some fetch quite a price at auction but if you're just looking for one to play your old records on at home, I'd suggest spending your money wisely and purchasing low to mid range turntables. The audio quality is superb and the increase in audio quality isn't enough to justify spending thousands of dollars on a turntable unless you're truly passionate about owning such vintage turntables.

The best way to purchase a turntable is online. An advantage of doing so it's fast, you get warranty and you can purchase a new turntable that looks like the old classics or you can opt for a more modern look if that is your thing (this often appeals to the younger crowd). This way you have a fully functional turntable and you won't have to worry about finding old replacement parts should an older model break down and require repairs as they often do.

Be sure to come and visit my website too, it's provides a lot of information about hi fi turntables that I'm sure you will find interesting!