Advice on turntable and speakers! Any help would be appreciated!!!

[Josh03]

I have always been a big music fan, and I have a pretty large collection of cds, but I want to start a record collection. Right now all I have are some beatles, beach boys, and simon & garfunkel albums, but there are tons more that I want to buy. Anyways, I'm looking for a nice record player to play them on. I'm on kind of a tight budget... I don't want to spend anymore than about $300, and I'd like to spend less than that if I could. I need a decent turntable, and then a speaker/amp to hook it up to. That is my biggest question, actually... where can I get a good speaker/speakers/amp to hook up to my turntable, keeping in mind my budget. Thanks guys, I would appreciate any advice you have.

[sreten]

Your biggest problem is getting a decent turntable, a turntable
that can compete with a decent CD player is not cheap.
The cartridge can cost more than a budget CD player alone.

Seems to me you need a decent system for your CD's first.
Get a decent second-hand amplifier with a phono input and
a decent pair of second-hand speakers.

IMO your going to need $300 for a decent second-hand turntable.

sreten.

[planet10]

For $300 i'd be looking to find a used TT. Put aside $50 for an entry level Grado and then go shop eBay... some pretty decent TTs can be had fairly cheap. Even some of the old entry-level CEC (Japanese) belt-drives (properly set-up of course) will rival new CD players that cost much more -- it would be a challenge finding one that cost $100 let alone $300. That remains the league of ole Rega IIs, Thorens, tweeked ARs & other late 70s early 80s TTs.

dave

[Josh03]

Well if it's gonna take $300 dollars to get a decent used TT, than I think I'll settle for a not decent one. But I still need to know where I can get some speakers. And do I want two bookshelf speakers, or one big amp? And if my TT has phono preamp, then can I hook it up to any kind of amp, or do I still need phono input?

[sreten]

Even some of the old entry-level CEC (Japanese) belt-drives (properly set-up of course) will rival new CD players that cost much more --

Only the bad examples of CD players.

We'll have to agree to disagree on this.

The basic japanese belt drives usually need a complete rebuild
and some fairly serious modifications to the arms to sound half
decent. Ideally the arms should be replaced.

But I still need to know where I can get some speakers. And do I want two bookshelf speakers, or one big amp?

You've lost me here......

And if my TT has phono preamp, then can I hook it up to any kind of amp, or do I still need phono input?

Most turntables do not have a phono pre-amp.

You could do a lot worse than this :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=48649

sreten.

[planet10]

Originally posted by sreten
You could do a lot worse than this :

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...category=48649

That is not a good example of a decent sounding TT -- you'd almost have to dig oot a budget garrard or BSR idler wheeler to do a lot worse. A cheap Japanese direct drive linear tracker....

From personal experience i know that this TT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3065202614

will outperform the Technics.

dave

[sreten]

Originally posted by planet10


That is not a good example of a decent sounding TT -- you'd almost have to dig oot a budget garrard or BSR idler wheeler to do a lot worse. A cheap Japanese direct drive linear tracker....

From personal experience i know that this TT

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tem=3065202614

will outperform the Technics.

dave

well we'll have to agree to disagree again.

Without mods the basic belt drives are awful. In stock
configuration the Technics have a surprisingly competent arm
( being a short square section for the TP4 type cartridge)
and a half decent suspension system, the best example being
the SL7, which is a very competent sounding turntable.

Likely cost vs. reasonable performance the Technics is good value.

A cheap Japanese direct drive linear tracker....

From personal experience i know that this TT............will outperform the Technics.

Give me a break, personal prejudice rather than personal experience IMO.

Without mods I stand by my opinion, and suggest you ought to
stop trying to foist your own opinions onto others who know
different, you just appear to be pointlessly belligerent to me.

sreten.

[planet10]

My opinions (as opposed to yours) are based on comparisons of 100s of TTs, testing done on an almost daily basis for a period of some 4 years, and less often since then.

The japanese DDs were consistent losers -- the budget belt-drives from the same company -- properly set-up (not one of them has correct arm geometry) -- would outperfom the more expensive DD. Next tier up were the ARs, Connisiours, ERAs, then Thorens, AR with arm transplant, then Regas, Linns, Oracles at the higher end. I have not, unfortuneatly, had a lot of listing time on the wealth of even better TTs that have sprung up since those times.

The cheap japanese linear tracking DDs (like the one shown above), i classify as junk, not even anything worth salvaging -- not even at the $10-20 i often see them go for. I'd rather listen to an SL-20.

For a $300 budget, a quite reasonable TT can be found... for a little more even a new one can be had. A cheap Japanese one can be found for $25-50 (and a $50 one should have a working cartridge).

dave

[sreten]

You didn't answer the direct question,

Give me a break, personal prejudice rather than personal experience IMO.

Technics DD linear tracking turntables in particular.

sreten.

[planet10]

Opinion based on personal experience.

dave