2. analog
  3. 182205-140740

Best turntable under $4000

I am looking to take the next step in my analog journey. I currently am using a Fluance RT85 with ortofon 2m blue. I have a Rogue Audio cronus magnum iii. I am running them with Kef 104/2 's. Fluance seems to get alot of hate on here. I was considering a cartridge upgrade but I am hesitant to upgrade more then the cost of the table. I don't hear much background noise and like the sound. I guess I am wondering if I don't know I hear noise because I have not heard a turntable that eliminates that noise? When I went from my Onkyo to my Rogue Sphinx iii I realized I had been missing a whole lot of sound. Then I ditched my rebuilt EPI M150's and heard hidden instruments in tracks I have listened to for years. I am looking for that in a turntable upgrade.  Apperance is important. I have interest in the following:

Clear Audio Concept Wood w/ maestro v2

Mofi fender precisiondeck w/ mastertracker

Stretching my budget is:

Dr. Feikert Volare no cartridge

Gold Note Pianosa no cartridge

These take me out of my budget once I get a cartridge

Any other reccomendations 

I will miss the autostart function for those buzzed listening nights. I would like the 4k to include a cartridge. Any opinions are welcome. Anyone think I should say screw the "rules" and get an Ortofon black?

 

Thank you in advance

cpdkee
lewm
13,110 posts
 

I forgot to mention VPI as another brand that has its own devoted and assertive fan base.  They're all deserving in one way or another, else these happy customers would not exist.

dhite71
331 posts
 

One man's perspective that gives an option

 

helomech
1,698 posts
 

I switched from a >$4K Acoustic Signature setup (w/ $1600 tonearm) to a Technics 1210GR and have no regrets. The former was a more elegant looking turntable for certain but the GR looks better in person than I expected. Definitely less DJ-esque in the black guise. The Technics tonearm seems every bit as good as the Acoustic Signature’s. It’s possibly better actually, since I added a KAB arm damper. The bearings of the Technics arm feel more fluid also, not that the AS arm was any slouch, it’s just something you don’t notice until you handle each side by side. 
 

Even though the AS table produced near perfect speed stability according to a KAB  speed strobe (the AS has an outboard motor controller that allows fine pitch adjustments), I could still hear a significant improvement in sustained notes with the Technics. Sustained piano notes with the 1210 are absolutely perfect, no flutter whatsoever. I can’t say the same for any belt drive table I’ve heard outside of an SME 30. 

 

 

mbmi's avatar
mbmi
572 posts
 

@audioguy85    I'm looking at the Music Hall 7.3    How do you like it....

Ag insider logo xs@2x
bfoura
88 posts
 

I’ve had a few > $4K turntables in my day. Some mentioned here and all of them good. I moved on just to experience something new. I sold a 1200G to buy my current table, a Luxman PD 171. The 1200G is certainly a nice table. Very stable speed, easily adjustable VTA, removable headshell, after market upgrades, etc. However, for me, I found the belt drive Luxman to have more bottom end and more vinyl warmth. Of course, this brings up the great debate of DD vs. belt. I also like removable headshells cause I like to experiment with sound presentation from different carts, including mono. For me, this is a must have. Vinyl is a journey and the foundation is really the table. Buy the best you can afford but keep an open mind about trying something else just to educate yourself on what you like in sound presentation. Once you figure out the table then you can do the same with carts, phono preamps, tonearms, headshells, phono interconnects, on and on 🤣. 

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