2. analog
  3. 1142947107

Newbie looking for cheap dependable table

I have been lucky enough to be asked to "store" about 1,000 of my father's LP's. While growing up he would buy a few new albums every week & we would listen to them over the weekend together. They are in perfect condition, he would always clean them & store them perfectly so I know they are worth having.

My dilema is that as much as I want to get into vinyl playback it seems like a MAJOR PITA. I am intimidated by everything that I am reading here about setting up the stylus, proper cleaning & care of everything. I am not much of a tweaker with my system now unless I get off on a tangent for a little while. I also never get enough time right now to listen to my system as it is, I will need a table that is ready & waiting for me when I have few free hours. Now that being said I was intimidated when I first got into this hobby a few years ago & everyone here was kind enough to help me get my feet wet.

So the question at this point is with about $1000.00 to spend should I purchase a used Rega, Music Hall or refreshed Thorens for about $500.00? I figure with the rest of the money, I will try one of the cheaper phono stages plus necessary tools, cleaners & any other widgets.

Obviously like anything else in this crazy hobby if I find this is for me I will spend way more than I ever expected. For the moment though I am looking for a good table that will let me get used to this new world & hopefully make me want to get in over my head. If I find this isn't where I want to be I will either sell it all or offer it to my father. At this point I am still thinking I will be listening to 90% digital & only 10% analog.
fishwater
pabelson
344 posts
 
If you want vinyl the easy way, rule number one is, don't buy used. Yes, I know that's sacrilege around these parts, but let's get real. You can buy a new turntable with a decent cartridge already installed, and probably the only things you'll have to do are wrap a belt around a pulley and readjust the tracking weight on the tonearm. This is not rocket science.

If you decide you really want to be a vinyl fanatic (in a good way!), then you can start upgrading. But if you want easy now, buy something that comes already set up.
tapashead
21 posts
 
first things first. definitely get a turntable. with 1000+ records that you used to play during a younger time in your life... i guarantee you'll be happy with at least something to play. something about analog brings back nostalgia when you hear the stuff you grew up with. invaluable.

if it was my 1000... i would consider the following:

rega p2 + stanton 500E mkII cart + rega mm phono. this will be a boogie first approach

technics 1200 (yes, the 'dj' deck + denon 103 mc cart + clearaudio microbasic phono - this system will boogie as well but also have a warmer more lush presentation than the rega set up

rega p3 + stanton 500e mkII cart + cambridge audio 640p phonostage... pretty good amounts of both attributes listed above

the stanton cart is recommended because you can get it for 35 bucks and its quite musical ( i like it better than grado black which i also like)... instead of that, you can use denon 110 with the regas (around 130 bucks) which is more hi fi-ish but still boogies. at first, i'd go with a better table/arm/phono stage combo first and a good value cartridge. later, when you figure out the presentation you like best, you can get a fancy cart.

good times.
tfkaudio
591 posts
 
I also recommend the Music Hall tables as a good value. Pro-ject also makes good budget tables.
Don't worry about all the necessary tweaking. It's not really necessary. We mostly tweak because we want to, not because we have to. (However, you will be surprised at the improvements you can make via fine-tuning. That said, you'll want to learn how to fine tune a table BEFORE you act on an upgrade, because the upgrade path is right there waiting for you, and for free.). The Pro-ject and Music Hall tables are plug-and-play. Just set the tracking force and you're all set. I don't think VTA & azimuth are adjustable on these models. The cartridge is usually pre-mounted. Get a good phono stage. They make quite a difference.
oregon
822 posts
 
I second the Music Hall 5. It has brought me to buying LPs like mad! I would consider it to be the low end, scratching the surface of (dare I say) high end. But for the $ and lack of tweaking, it is a pleasure to my ears. I must admit, that I am constantly looking for something better. Your investment would be minimal and who knows, you might pass it on to your father, son or daughter if you decide to a change is in order.
Enjoy!
wwwrecords
172 posts
 
It sounds to me like a NEW Technics SL1210 would fit your needs. It can be purchased new for $400 from musiciansfriend.com Mate it with a Denon 110 from williamthacker on eBay for $120 and you will be good to go. They have removeable headshells, which makes mounting the cartridge much easier, plus you can cheaply purchase addtional headshells for quick cartridge changes. These are built like a tank and if you decide Analog isn't for you, it can be easily sold with very little money loss. They also have an inexpensive upgrade path thru KABusa if you decide you want to take it further.

Add a Bellari tube phono amp for $229 new or used here on Agon for around $150 or so.

Anyway, that would be my suggestion for a set it and forget it type of system. The Technics 1200's don't get much love amoung the audiophile community, as they have been looked on as DJ tables for many years. I suggest you do some homework and read some of the comments by current owners who have changed their minds about these tables. The vinylasylum is a good place to start reading.

Good luck and I hope you find something to enjoy that vinyl.

Steve
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