To get into vinyl, or not?, I was set on constructing an analogue system, but.. Options

[almostmitch]

I was set on constructing an analogue system, but I have seen several users criticize the various aspects of the vinyl medium.
(sound quality/accuracy, cost of equipment, effort to play/digitize)

I'm 20 years old and have never truly experienced vinyl. However, I am extremely intrigued by it. I very much like the idea of setting up an affordable but quality system to listen to vinyls on. Also, I would be digitizing my dads old albums and some of my own. I look at it as more of a hobby/interest than its practicality regarding current tech and sound quality. I like the idea of starting a record collection and listening to them with my friends. The nostalgia and audio technology are other aspects that interest me (big tech geek here). I'm aware of the imperfections of vinyl's sound and this is why I want to make sure I get a quality system to achieve the best possible sound the LP will produce (within budget). For my system, I had the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and a pair of decent floor standing speakers in mind but was not set on which components I wanted to use with it (pre-amp + receiver, integrated amp, or just a receiver w/ phono inputs). This was originally the question I was going to ask you guys. Something I could connect my computer to in order to play music files is something I'd like to be able to do. I have always cared about sound quality and the majority of my albums are perfect CD rips (.flac). I currently do not have a hi-fi system to fully enjoy my music on which is another reason why I'm looking to purchase one. Also, this is something I plan to take with me and enjoy for many years to come.

-So I ask, how do you like the vinyl experience compared to the CD experience? Can the added complexities with vinyl add to the experience?
-Also, if I decide to go for a system, which device(s) combination might produce the best sound quality at a reasonable price?

Thanks for any input!

[Engelsstaub]

Do it, almostmitch.

The Pro-Ject Debut III is a decent turntable...especially so for someone who doesn't want to throw a small fortune at analogue hardware. Mine (pre-"carbon tone arm") has a bit of rumble but it's not really noticeable unless listening to quiet passages on headphones. Good news is that can be filtered out if you plan on digitizing.

You'll likely be told by a lot of people here to not bother. The general consensus around here is that records are crap. I am not here to try to minimize their often legitimate complaints about the format, but I don't think you'll be doing wrong. Especially if you buy a decent, but not overpriced TT like the Debut Carbon. As long as you take care of the equipment and the medium it's a solid investment. You can sell the TT later if you decide it's not for you. Trade-in value of LPs at my local indie store far exceeds that of CDs.

I have a love/hate relationship with vinyl LPs: when they're good they're great. When they're bad it really irritates me. Be prepared to get about one shitty record out of every fifteen new ones you buy. If you're into metal, Century Media and Back on Black have always been above average pressings for me. Earache, OTOH, is has been IME an example of crappy quality control (that actually surprises me for a British company.)

Appreciating and collecting music, on any format, is about fun and what's right for the individual. Your system doesn't have to "measure well" as long as the sound is pleasing to your ears. Some people are understandably sick of records and have long moved on to digital. I personally am grateful for both. Just today I listened to music on my home stereo that consisted of two records, a CD, a DVD-A, and a full album that I downloaded from iTunes. Long story short: I don't care about the format as much as I do about the music.

Make sure you get a decent carbon-fibre brush and keep your needle clean.