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I seek your guidance - re turntable

You Audiogoners were a great help a few months ago, when I was getting back into music reproduction after many years of doing other things. Thanks to Audiogon, I've set up a system of Acoustic Zen Adagio speakers, Odyssey dual mono amp, BAT preamp, Perpetual Technologies dac. My intent was - and still is - to play most of my music on my Imac, and that is working fine. But, I still have a record collection from the 1970's and 1980's, and I do like the sound of good vinyl.

So I had this 30+ year old Technics turntable, and was using that. The cuing lever didn't work, nor did the automatic return, which would seem to move the arm in random swings when I didn't control it manually. But it did play manually. A few days ago, I decided to play a great old digital 45 recording of the Apassionata Sonata (mastering lab series direct cutting, Ikuyo Kamiya, Bosendorfer Imperial). Well, the Techics got stuck on 45 rpm, and won't go back to 33. My 33's don't sound as good on 45.

I have to either fix the Technics or replace it. I think it would cost more than the Technics is worth to fix it.

So here's my question. If my primary source is digital (computer) but I don't want to throw the records on the ash heap of history, and I don't want to spend too much (would like to spend under $1200), and I do care about what the thing looks like, and I have no expertise and don't want to spend days setting it up, and I expect to buy something used on Audiogon (or possibly on ebay) and I do have an ear that likes good sound, what turntable, tonearm, should I look for?
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twilightround OP
39 posts
 
Yes - I saw the scout too late. Looked like a good deal. There's a VPI HW-19 MK II for sale on ebay with a power conditioner (nice to have?) and a Premier ft-3 arm. I don't know how it's different from the III.

Was I happy with the Technics? Well, yes, but ... Don't you want something better, at least until you find something you like too much to replace? I know that happened to me with cars. I had so many of them I lost count a long time ago. Some were the latest and greatest at the time and some are worth a bundle now (I don't still have those). But a few years ago I found that I had three and couldn't imagine selling any of them, so I'll probably have to put them in my will. Is it that way with audio?
oregon
820 posts
 
A Lenco.
I have sold a few, one left at the moment. But it would cost about $2k to put you in audio nirvana.
You can see some of my tables in my "system".
They sound better than they look.
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twilightround OP
39 posts
 
Oregon - I looked at them, thank you. Nice work. I do a little wood working myself and appreciate what you've got. In fact, I recently had to go to Oregon (on the internet) to find a piece of wood for a shelf for my preamp and dac - the only place in the country that had what I needed - a single beautiful piece of solid walnut that when finished was a full 21.5 inches wide, 28 inches long and 1.25 inches thick. It was from an old (obviously) tree that was not cut down, but fell into a stream during a storm and was harvested from there. One of your turntables would look pretty nice in my study.
learsfool
1,215 posts
 
I second the Rega recommendation, especially the P5 if you can get a good used one. The new P3-24 would be a good choice as well.
oregon
820 posts
 
Twilight,
Many thanks.
The vintage, idler wheel Lencos are incredibly musical.
IMO, this is due to it's stability at maintaining a solid rpm. Once properly plinthed (big, heavy, massive layered birch) vibration from the small, but powerful Swiss motor is absorbed. It's surprising how a simple, inexpensive Rega arm and Denon cart can be a match made in heaven.

BTW, hate to see those beautiful trees go down. We had a screech owl in the neighborhood who lived in an old apple tree. All day long folks walked up to it and gazed into it's eyes. It never flinched.
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