buying budget tt

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I posted a similar question to this about a year ago on a number of forums. I identified the same set of "entry level" turn tables that you did. The consensus was to spend the same money on a Technics SL-1200 from ebay. There are, of course, other used tables that are quite nice. The idea is that dollar for dollar, you are unlikely to find a better engineered table than an older one that was well-built.
 
I don't know about that...where I am, in the isolated northwest, nice 1200s are $400, thorens td-160s are $500ish and duals are $200ish. I might prefer an rp1 to any of them, although the 1200 might be interesting.

The DJ market is pushing 1200 prices up and the vinyl resurgence has led at any table that works costing at least $150. I bought a rega p5 used a couple years ago for $500. It seems like the vintage stuff might actually be overpriced, once you get past the starter decks.

Personally, I'd look for a rega p3 or p25 or a music hall 5 series used. You should be able to get one for $400-500. Or a vpi hw19 Jr.
 
well look here...

here's an ebay listing for a SL-1300, "buy now" for USD$170. Apparently so similar to the '1200 as to be near performance twins (the '1300 is auto lift , so semi-automatic...).

The first turntable I bought was a (us) Akai AP306 with a Goldring G820 cartridge... there is something that I still miss about that old table. All the japanese makers had good direct drivers, whether Kenwood/Trio, Matsushita (Technics/Panasonic),Victor Company of Japan (JVC), Micro Seiki, Pioneer, Sansui, Denon, Yamaha et al.

The thing about most of these is that their drive systems are very robust. If a manual DD, most any arm can be fitted as well, allowing for a very interesting and potentially great sounding turntable for what amounts to not much money. For USD $170 + shipping, the '1300 looks like a good alternative. But like I said, any of the big Japanese makers had good DD tables, if that's what you're after. Denons are apparently still being produced. If looking at new, Apparently the Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB available for under USD$250 is something of a marvel allowing USB connection and passive./active analog out (that can use an existing preamp or an internal one) , and it is very well reviewed. Is it as good as the old Matsushita products? I don't know...check for online reviews on that one, which is among the best of its type.

Now if wanting a great table for not much money, any mid-level or higher japans table from the golden 70's or any good British deck (LP112, Dunlap, Systemdek, Ariston, etc.) can be very good buys as well. Even the old AR (original) turntables can be an incredible buy, allowing for future upgrades and (Merrill) mods making it into an "almost" super deck.

Regarding the stupidly high price of some of the Dual (which I think are way under-rated) , Thorens (way over-rated 14X-16X models), and the SL-12200, look for similar products, that are not as coveted. I once bought a Heybrook TT1 (very similar to the Dunlap/Systemdek/Audio Note/Ariston/LP12 ) for under USD$250 + shipping. I thought it's Alphason titanium arm (and still do believe) outperformed my SME 309....

If a Dual is a must I have a good 510. PM me if that's something you'd be interested in. And no, it would be more reasonable than any of the prices you've suggested.
 
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My turntable journey has been:

Pioneer pl 518
Thorens td190 (rebadged modern dual)
Thorens td145
Rega p5

Obviously the rega is the best table, but I miss the td145 sometimes. I added a plywood bottom plate, rewired the arm and added some dampening to the plinth. There is a big difference in sound between an out of adjustment thorens and a well tuned one. They are temperamental for sure.

The rega has a more modern sound for sure. Very precise and accurate in comparison. The pioneer was ok, nothing special.

I have a friend with a 1200 that has an audio origami arm on it. It's pretty nice.

Technics are popular because it's a well known name. They made tables from terrible to awesome. Typically, people like the mk ii versions. I have an sl-b2 mkii in my garage that I plan on converting to a record cleaner. If it was an sp or 1200 I would be running it in my system. Duals sound ok, I've heard the 1009 and 1245 but they look funky and lots of gears, mechanicals to go bad.

I'd suggest a listen before you buy anything. To me, the dd tables are a bit duller and more mechanical sounding than say a rega or music hall. But I have not heard anything hi end other than the 1200.

I think the best deals are the systemdeks and older, hi end belt drive stuff that aren't made anymore. Ariston, maybe some of the older sota stuff. But you need to know how to work on them...definitely less plug and play than a new rega or pro-ject.
 
If you're trying to do analog on a budget, the only thing that's really going to save your wallet is talking yourself out of it. This link might help.

The reason is, analog audio is not budget friendly in any way. If you're looking for ultimate quality audio, you also need to invest in a very good amplifier that will have noise floor and distortions below the -96db present in digital audio storage in order to accurately reproduce what digital cannot. But that's child's play compared to speakers. Even some of the best and most expensive transducers (e.g. Zaph Audio ZRT) Still have high order harmonics at -70-80db to the signal, and low order harmonics at -50db to the signal.

Now lets get realistic. You like vinyl because it's fun. It's vintage. There's an indescribable feeling when you pull Dark Side of the Moon out of its paper sleeve. You look at the intricate grooves, trying hopelessly to fathom that these little squiggles are about to take you on a more powerful trip than any drug. It doesn't matter to you what transistors and nonlinearities lie within that turntable when you drop the needle. Meanwhile, some kid listening to the same song in FLAC with his high end speakers won't even come close to the rapture you feel, distracted by his Angry Birds in one tab and his porn on the other. Vinyl isn't about music quality. That's why all recording is digital now. Vinyl is about music EXPERIENCE. That's why it's not going anywhere.
 
Like I said. . a mistake.

the ones I have looks cheap but sure work good. SLD2 and SLQ303. the q is a bit
(very little bit ) steadier. I am happy with the arms on both. dust covers and mats
can be very brittle on old table but worth a workaround.

adason I was also very surprised to see some VERY high end JVC tables. I had no idea.
 
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If you're trying to do analog on a budget, the only thing that's really going to save your wallet is talking yourself out of it. This link might help.

The reason is, analog audio is not budget friendly in any way. If you're looking for ultimate quality audio, you also need to invest in a very good amplifier that will have noise floor and distortions below the -96db present in digital audio storage in order to accurately reproduce what digital cannot. But that's child's play compared to speakers. Even some of the best and most expensive transducers (e.g. Zaph Audio ZRT) Still have high order harmonics at -70-80db to the signal, and low order harmonics at -50db to the signal.

Now lets get realistic. You like vinyl because it's fun. It's vintage. There's an indescribable feeling when you pull Dark Side of the Moon out of its paper sleeve. You look at the intricate grooves, trying hopelessly to fathom that these little squiggles are about to take you on a more powerful trip than any drug. It doesn't matter to you what transistors and nonlinearities lie within that turntable when you drop the needle. Meanwhile, some kid listening to the same song in FLAC with his high end speakers won't even come close to the rapture you feel, distracted by his Angry Birds in one tab and his porn on the other. Vinyl isn't about music quality. That's why all recording is digital now. Vinyl is about music EXPERIENCE. That's why it's not going anywhere.

I have a feeling this thread is about to spiral out of control in 3...2...1:

I have spent a lot of time/money to get my digital setup to sound as good as my analog setup (Rega P5/2M bronze/Salas phono - Pass Ba3FE, Pass F5, KEF R700). I haven't been successful yet. I would actually rather not deal with vinyl cleaning, space, etc. And I have 2 small children who like to touch delicate phono cartridges and spread records out everywhere.

I haven't been able to enjoy digital as much as vinyl, I've tested many times. And I find the difference in DAC's/Digital source gear to have less variation than the difference in say phono stages or cartridges. That being said, I have never tried and DACs in the uber-expensive price ranges. I do prefer digital with headphones, however. The surface noise of LPs is much more apparent through headphones.

What I prefer about vinyl is the sense of space. Instruments/voices seem to be presented in a more way that makes more sense to me. Digital always feels flatter, front to back and seems to exist in a more 2D plane. The tonality feels similar but cymbals and bass drums seem to be "rounder" and more dimensional with vinyl.
 
Sorry for the legth of this post...

...so to further this thread and keep it moving, audiostar I've sent you a PM regarding my DIY turntable and re-plinths.

And to stay on topic. I offer up the following responses to others' comments.

Kevin, the U-turn does seem like a great bargain. It seems that there are three reviews listed from three well known reviewers (whether you agree with their reviews or not may be something all together different). I do see that there are several areas of improvement that could be had with very little to no dollars spent.

adason , I agree whole whole-heartedly with used turntables, and as I previously stated there are other alternatives to the Technics SL-1200 for direct drive types, even other Technics. (I do think the SL-1300 I suggested seems like a reasonable "deal" and at least it is not obscenely priced). Other DD tts can be had if not stuck on the Technics for other than their reputation. But remember that even the SP10, SP15, SP25, Sl12XX and other highly priced tts can fail, and the question then becomes where does one get a replacement motor (which is the only truly catastrophic failure). There are JVC, Denon, Yamaha and others that are good.

Contrasseur, where do I begin? If the original poster, msj965, is wanting a turntable of his (or her because gender isn't something that is part of our nicknames or information here, nor should it matter), it is upto them to make that decision. Perhaps msj was gifted some albums or has experienced a LP setup and has made the decision to get something for him/herself, that is their decision to make. I'll leave it at that (but I must admit that posting in a thread that is trying to help someone new to the LP experience is contrary to your stated opinion, kind of like telling someone who may experience a positive response to properly prescribed drugs to "just say no").

Hikari1, I purchased my daily use turntable over 25 years ago (it had been used for 3 months by the previous owner, and traded in on an Oracle Premier. Its a (now 25+ year old ) Oracle Alexandria MkII which I probably over-paid for, but it is a decision that I have never regretted. Regarding my personal journey, here's where I came from in terms of turntables:

  • Akai AP306 w/stock everything and a Goldring G820 cartridge;
  • Thorens TD146 with Grace F9E;
  • Oracle Alex MkII/Premier MMT/ Grado Signature 8
  • same old Oracle/SME309 (magnesium version)/Ortofon MC Turbo3.
I wish I still had the old Akai, and the Grace F9E. But the MMT (although a good arm at the price and very flexible as far as cartridge matching) I definitely don't miss. I still have a couple of Sig8s to have as a utility cartridges (and back-ups), and because I can use them as a reference when comparing my DIY tonearms.

Regarding digital, I have listened to some very expensive machines (CAL, Krell, Theta, Naim, Audiolab, Roksan and Copeland to name but a few). I don't own a "class A" or top ranked cd player, but some can be very enjoyable and are quite musical, but simply don't have the presentation that a clean LP on a properly set up (even entry level high end) turntable/arm/cart/phono front end does. I do own an old Pioneer Eliye PD-54 that should probably be dead right now, but just keeps on playing ...

And finally back to msj965. Look at inexpensive used tables but do check that they had been well thought of or reviewed when they were new. See if there are some easy to perform modifications that can be done, even if you are not the most technical. Just take your time. Once you have a turntable (with as a minimum a new stylus for a cartridge that may already be mounted or buy a new inexpensive cartridge that won't destroy any records you have). Ask for help here regarding setup questions There are also some pretty good Youtube videos showing what and how to set up a turntable. Leave at least $100 for some accessories: a cleaning brush; clean fluid (if needed); some sort of alignment protractor and an inexpensive digital scale or tracking force gauge. If you're careful, you should have enough left over to buy yourself a new record or two, or a few used ones. I think for new there are a few standouts at around USD $300, but I'm pretty sure other than the Orbit, spending a bit more would substantially improve the quality of the newly purchased new turntable. One to take a long serious look at is a NAD C556. It is essentially a "custom" rega RP1, with a sound that betters the stock RP1 and nips on the heels of the RP-1 "Performance Pack"

mor2bz, sorry I didn't intend to ignore you. If your MM5 is killed by a cheap Technics, something is probably wrong with the MMF-5. If you don't have the means to set it up correctly, buy the stuff to do it yourself, or find someone to do it for you. Even a small amount of error in the tracking force can have an incredibly negative effect on the sound. If your MMF-5 was "factory set-up, don't trust the factory (Pro-ject IIRC). My nephew's brand new (he's had it for a week now) "factory set-up" tracking weight was out from the recommended tracking weight by approximately 98.3% ! It was 0.03 grams when it should have been 1.78 grams. I've also checked the speed using a digital tachometer and the speed is out as well, but that could be resolved by letting the bearing and the motor break in.
 
SL-1200 prices ...and a couple of regrets.

The Technics SL-1200s that I've seen on *bay are way overpriced. The new limited edition SL-1200 tables that Technics have announced (unsure if any have been delivered) are priced at £3000 (currently approximately usd $5660!) mainly because the old machine tooling and fixtures had been damaged and had to be remade. The increased costs compared to the old SL-1200 apparently are based solely on that fact, with very few (or essentially "zero") increases in performance. Think SL-1200 prices are stupid crazy now? Just wait until the new SL-1200 Mk4 or whatever this thing is going to be called when it hits the market actually does hit the market. A real shame, because unscrupulous people will be trying to take advantage of folks who don't know any better. After the initial 1200 "limited edition" turntables are made, I wonder what the selling price will be for the ?non-special editions" SL-1200s? And after those are out, will Matsushita be able to command such high prices for the table?

I've been looking at old tables on *bay right now, and anything "Technics" is way overpriced in my opinion. Did see a Sanyo DD that looked pretty good for $70 "buy it now". I've also been told that the upper JVC DD tts are very good and can be had for very reasonable prices still.

If I was looking for an "audiophile approved" table right now, I'd most likely seek out a Systemdek IIX or similar and modify it in much the way that Audio Note (UK) had done to create the TT2. This basically entails adding a second motor and an acrylic platter rather than glass. I'd also build an arm for it, as it really deserves much better than what it typically has on it and my 219 continues to impress me, 5-10 years after I made the first one..

Having said all of this, in the past I have had two used tables of note that were purchased via the Internet: a Heybrook TT2 with Alphason Xenon titanium arm (somehow the equivalent of usd $261 sticks in my memory) and a Roxan Xerxes Mk I (cad $150 without an arm). I do actually wish I'd kept them both.

msj , please be patient and do as much research as possible. And try not to over-spend on used tables. The funnest turntable I have is a 50 year old Sugden Connoisseur BD-1 I mounted in a 2-1/2" bamboo cutting board/aluminum plinth and which I mounted one of my 219 tonearms on. A Grado sig8 resides in the arm and the ******* thing kicks some serious audio but. I have all of about cad $100 (that's currently around usd $70) into it and it runs in the same league as my much more expensive Oracle Alex MKII/SME 309 magnesium/Ortofon MC Turbo3 at about 1.5%-2% the cost of the it.
 
Hello all:)
This is my first time to buy a turntable. I'm on a budget now so I'm trying to pick one on this three. REGA rp1 , Music Hall 2.2, and the Project carbon debut.

Thanks,
ANn

I agree with most everyone. The truth is that great turntables have not improved since the 1960s. The problem is that tonearms have improved a great deal over the last 20 years. If you just want a turntable to play vinyl, just get a Rega rp1 with its great tonearm. Their tonearms are legendary. I have a Technics 1200. It has an Origin Live Silver tonearm, an upgraded power supply, and a KABusa record clamp. I do not have a custom upgraded spindle bearing which I may do later. A stock Technics 1200 will not sound as good as the Rega without a bunch of work and money. For those who like to play, rebuild a Lenco 75 with all the upgrades and install a $5000 tonearm and you will have a turntable as good as anything made.
 
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