turntable madness

What do you mean by inexpensive? IMHO, if you want the cheapest good turntable, get a Connoisseur(Sugden) BD2A. It will cost between $50-$150 plus cartridge. Next up the ladder is a Rega Planar 2. About $200-$300 plus cartridge. Another good table for about $300 is the Systemdek IIX. Above that is the Rega Planar 3. About $350-$650. All prices are for used, very good condition. A good cartridge for any of the above would be a lower priced Goldring. Under $100 new. You also may consider other tables such as Music Hall, Pro-Ject by Sumiko, etc. These are all manually operated turntables with belt drive. They will give you the best sound for low cost. If you have to spend less than $50, then probably a Dual belt drive would be the best bet. I personally would not go there. I believe that belt drive is the better drive system in most turntables with the exception of a few super-high priced models which will not concern you.

What kind of price are you targeting? There are pretty good choices for most price points. I agree that the Thorens are good at the prices mentioned. If you insist on spending less, the old Duals were well made turntables. I had a Dual 1019 in college and regreted trading it in for a Benjamin Miracord 50H. Fifteen years ago, I was given another Dual 1019, and it remains in service today in one of my systems. (The BM 50H is in a closet.) Among the numerous weaknesses of the 1019 versus modern units are (1) a 10 inch platter provides less support than today's 12 inchers, (2) idler puck drive transmission instead of better isolation from motor vibrations with today's belt drives, (3) inductance motor is somewhat voltage dependant versus line frequency-driven hysteresis designs popular today, and (4) the built-in tonearm is attached under the deck to hardware used for the changing mechanism. For a used unit, key lookouts are the degree of wear of the rubber idler puck and the amount of friction felt from the arm bearings. If these are OK, the 1019 could be a serviceable table that should cost less than $100 (maybe a lot less). You'll have to put up with the sonic imperfections of an old design, as I have described, but I'd say it would be a good deal at a minimal price.

Hey thanks for all the info, in the mean I have a friend who has a Technics SL-B2 that he told me I could have, with a brand new stylus and cartridge! he told me it was middle of the road in the Technics line ( back then ) So we will see how it goes. As far as price I didn't want to spend over $100, but right now the prcie is right!!!!

I'll let you know!

Lots of Thorens as seconds out there. But as a beginner,go for either new starter systems from Project,or if you can settle for the difference between the Rega planar 2 and NAD. Save yourself the headache of commiting an improper cartridge matching and set up,a dealer will help.

While the used market for turntables, especially older ones seems to be a good place to save money, it can also be a nightmare. Turntables in general DO NOT travel very well, no matter how well they're packed, and it is extremely disappointing to find a nice older one only to have it destroyed in shipping. For the budget conscious, perhaps the very best tables that can be had for very little money are the Music Hall MMF series, many of which are sold by dealers here on Audiogon. Talk to Stephen @ Quest for Sound. He's a great rescource and a terrific dealer.