Advice needed regarding Hi-fi for parents

Abbafan1972

Ok. My parents have a really old hi-fi that is nearly 25 years old with a turntable that no longer works and I know my Mom has been talking about replacing it.

Now my Dad still wants a record player! My Mom said she has seen one with a record player in one of those catalogues you get inside the Daily Mirror (can't remember the name). Put she's likely end up with something really crap.

I think that the way to go is something with an Ipod dock or music port to plug on in). I have bought them an Ipod for Xmas (a used one, so wasn't expensive), but I have a feeling that I may have wasted my money.

I have also considered the possibility of getting a USB turntable and digitising his albums (he doesn't have that many) so he can listen on an Ipod. I would have to do that part of it, because they don't have a computer.

What do you all think?

dispossessed

I think the item your mother saw in the Daily Mirror catalog was a device primarily intended for digitalising records (LPs & singles). I seem to recall it was at least a couple of hundred quid !

I wonder if it my be cheaper and easier all round to simply by them an Ipod (or whatever) and download (via a legal site) whatever albums your father wanted.

When compared to the price of the device I remember seeing (with a very limited scope of application and thus "useful life") I would reckon on you having some spare change to spend on other goodies.

Trevor

macman

Since they don't have a PC, why not forget about digitising or iPods, and just find him a replacement turntable-shouldn't be too hard?

dispossessed

I've just found this.

Perhaps of interest ?

Trevor

macman

There are literally hundreds of vintage turntables and spare parts for them listed on eBay, if it's just something simple like a snapped drive belt, then the old one is repairable.

amcluesent

What about a Brennan JB7? You can digitise LPs and then have them on disk, plus it'll rip CDs.

Abbafan1972

dispossessed wrote: »

I think the item your mother saw in the Daily Mirror catalog was a device primarily intended for digitalising records (LPs & singles). I seem to recall it was at least a couple of hundred quid !

I haven't seen the item, but I don't think it was as much as that, simply because my Mom wouldn't spend that much.

Putting music onto an Ipod isn't a problem as I can do that. And charging it can be done with a USB plug. They do have a few Cds as well, so I can rip them here.

I am not sure what is wrong with the current Hi-fi as my Mom hasn't said.

Abbafan1972

amcluesent wrote: »

What about a Brennan JB7? You can digitise LPs and then have them on disk, plus it'll rip CDs.

Looks good but is far too expensive. I know they won't spend much more than £100.

googler

As was said over at avforums, you won't get much in terms of replacing turntable or whole system for £100.

What do they have at the moment, and what's wrong with it?

fpcat

My FIL bought a hifi unit with a turntable from a newspaper advert last year. He only reads the Daily Mirror so it must have been from there. He uses it for radio and old LP records, he has a better quality one, bought without a turntable, for his CDs. I've heard his LP one, and I wouldn't say it's high quality, but he likes it. I don't know the model my FIL bought, or whether it is the same as the one you mother's seen. I think he said it was around the £100 mark. I suppose it all depends on your parents. Do they like high quality, or do they have possibly hearing problems, which would affect what they hear?

Abbafan1972

Managed to get some info last night. The hi-fi that they saw in the Mirror catalogue was about £250, a wooden looking thing.

The old hi-fi, according to my Dad, doesn't turn on all the time, I suspect it might be a loose wire somewhere, a lot of things at my Mom's house suffer from the wrath of the duster.

OH said he would go round at some point and have a look, he is good with techie stuff like that.

They do seem quite keen to get an Ipod or something, I did my "sales pitch" last night

I think my Mom wants a laptop and get connected to the internet......but that's another story entirely. :eek: