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Best sounding turntable and cartridge for $1100

I have seen a lot of turntable and cartridges packages in  $1000- $1100, such as the Project RPM3 with the Sumiko BP-2 MC.   Project Xperience 1 with a Sumiko Pearl MM;  Rega Planar 3 with a Elys II cartridge. 

 I have formerly owned a Rega 3-24 with Elys II  and a Project Carbon DC with Ortofon 2M Red (which I did not like at all) . Would like to try something different, but can live with the above brands depending on their overall performance 

Need recommendations for turntable/cartridge new or used combo that punches far above its price of  $1100.  Thank you

   

sunnyjim
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
sunnyjim:
Why not the Pioneer PLX 1000? which retails for $679.00. It looks solid and well made, and got the blessings of that blowhard Herb Reichert who reviews for Stereophile.
That was another option I would consider. Take a $679 PLX-1000, add an Audio Technica AT150Sa for $323.69 plus this economical but very effective cherrywood headshell, plus a good phono preamp (e.g., Schiit Mani for $129) and you should have a bangin’, musically involving system.

I have the AT150Sa mounted to that very cherrywood headshell, and the results are magic. Gone is any bright glare, replaced by a seductive organic presentation. I marvel at the sound and musicality of everything I play through that setup--jazz, pop vocals, large scale orchestral, etc.

BTW, whether you use a pitch control to tune the recording to your instrument is beside the point, which is that THE SL 12X0 SERIES WAS NOT DESIGNED FOR DANCE CLUBS AND SCRATCHERS. It was designed for audiophiles to restore the intended pitch and tempo, and for pitch-matching for musicians.

wolf_garcia
6,695 posts
 
As an old person, I've always been horrified by "scratchers"…LP Abuse! Tawdry! As a musician I actually get it though, and should get a grip and calm the heck down.
johnnyb53
3,510 posts
 
wolf garcia wrote:
As an old person, I've always been horrified by "scratchers"…LP Abuse! Tawdry! As a musician I actually get it though, and should get a grip and calm the heck down.
Your post helped me realize something. It was the DJs and scratchers with their high wear factor that kept the record stampers running from the late '80s to the mid '00s. If they hadn't been so hard on their records, they wouldn't have needed replacements every few weeks or months. If they had gotten 10-20 years wear out of their records like we do, there wouldn't have been enough demand to keep the supply channels busy. 

Once LPs caught on again, there were still mastering labs and stamping machines in place to start meeting demand. As demand increased with the true vinyl renaissance, the suppliers found mothballed stampers and refurbished them. 

So we owe some thanks to DJs, scratchers, and hipster clubbers were so instrumental in keeping vinyl in production.

Ditto for hats. These guys brought back stingy-brim fedoras, usually low cost ones made of cloth or straw. But for me, a 60-something who wears genuine fur-felt fedoras, it means nobody treats me like a weirdo because I wear fedoras.

So that's two things the millenial hipsters made possible for me.

sunnyjim OP
927 posts
 

To fjn04,  Well at least I can be accused of picking on audio reviews.  No doubt  Reichert knows his stuff, but he presents it like a show-off. He needs to put away his lavender Lava Lamp.  BTW, thanks for the endorsement of the "U Turn" turntables.  It looks like a righteous product


To Johhnyb53,  Thank you for the information about the Pioneer SLX 1000/ AT 150SA set-up.  I just bought a Moon LP-110 phono box through Music Direct on sale for $325.00.  Can the Schiit Mani compete with the Moon unit??  

I might consider the AT for the "U-Turn" turntable I mentioned above.  However, I was thinking of replacing the Ortofon 2M RED  which it can be pre-mounted  with a Denon DL-110  or DL 103.  

BTW, there is vendor on ebay whose selling new DL-103 for  $159.00 and the DL-110 for 179.00. He appears trustworthy and  not a private party seller,  but, who knows??  I hope  ebay vets its vendors better than Uber does its drivers  SJ 

stevecham
3,340 posts
 
Johnnyb5,

You are RIGHT ON brother. The designers of the SL1200 knew functionality and performance could be generated in a single package when properly architected and implemented. Not to mention that these tables have some of the lowest wow and flutter figures in the industry and of all time, regardless of makes, models or price. I have a VPI Aries ll and I will put either of my purchased new in box or previously owned 1200s up against it any day. In fact, they have more dynamic punch and superior pace than the VPI. Also, people tend to poo poo the arm but it too is of high quality and correctly implemented. No weakness there. The bearings are high quality and the noise and vibration isolation from the plinth is superb. No wonder these high end tables were adopted for rugged DJ use, they could stand up to the task and perform flawlessly year after year. This table is a high end table first and a DJ table second. No doubt about it. And no maker has equated the direct drive circuitry or precision machining of the 1200 series.

Go ahead and deny that I know what I’m talking about. I know what I hear from MANY years of listening to records/LPs/vinyl with many different so-called high end rigs.

Happy New Year!

Steve
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