Amol Mategaonkar
What got you into collecting records?
I grew up listening to records as my father was a big lover of records. As I moved out of the home town, I missed the purity of the sound that I was so used to since childhood. I finally started collecting records in 2016 when I got my turn turntable.
Is collecting vinyl expensive?
Not necessarily. The good news with a hi-fi setup is that it is very componentised, as opposed to a monolithic home theater system. You can start off with a relatively entry level setup which is not very expensive. You can upgrade different component if you feel. Every component in the entire chain can be upgraded. Some rare vinyl are super expensively. But most of them are not.
Does music on vinyl sound better than any other format?
Any day. There is pure physics behind the difference in quality of music from vinyl and any other digital formats. It is scientific and not a perceived notion of a vinyl lover. The sound from vinyl is purely loss-less as it is in 100% analog throughout the chain - from the recording source to the final output via speakers. Vinyl gives you better dynamic range of sound and the separation of frequencies is superior.
Plus, music on vinyl lasts longer. I have vinyl in mint condition that are more than 60 yrs old.
How often do you listen to vinyl?
Everyday. At least one record for sure. Weekends its more elaborate. May go into many hours of listening together.A lot of my erstwhile TV time goes into listening to vinyl now. And I am very happy about it. I am happy that my family including my wife and kids love vinyl too.
How large is your vinyl collection and which is the most valuable record in your collection?
We have around 500 vinyl in our collection - Old hindi, ghazals, marathi, hindusthani classical and a little bit western music too.
It is difficult to pick one record as most valuable. But if I have to, I will pick up Dil Padosi Hai - A private album by R. D. Burman, Asha Bhosle and Gulzar
Tell us about your turntable setup
Turntable - Audio Technica LP120
Amplifier - Marantz 6005
Speakers - Canton GLE floor speakers
Cassette Deck - Marantz PMD 300 CP
Radio - Sangean WR-11