2. analog
  3. 153780-116708

Yet another turntable recommendation question

Hello all,
Longtime reader of the forums, but I rarely post. As a relative noob, I have learned much from reading your conversations, so thank you.
I am currently looking to upgrade my turntable situation from my old plastic Technics and Onkyo hand-me-downs.
Budget would be stretched at $600-ish.
Features I like...
- removable headshell, or at least a way to easily change carts and related tonearm adjustments
- speed stability!! (as a musician, pitch instability drives me absolutely insane)- some prospect of upgrading over time (tonearm, platter, sub-platter, wiring, etc.)
- belt drive- good (dare I say great?) sound quality- Auto shut off would be very nice

I don't want bells and whistles like built-in phono stage and USB nonsense. Simple is good.

I have considered buying used (Thorens, Dual) and haven't necessarily ruled it out, but I don't want a project, and I darn sure don't want to inherit someone else's problems. Warranties are kind of awesome.
The rest of my system is...
Schitt Mani, Jolida JD1501BRC, Wharfedale Diamond 10.7, Audioquest, BlueJeans, and Morrow cabling.
Mid-fi, I suppose, but I think it sounds great for the price, and I have no immediate plans to change any of that.
I listen to everything from classical to hard rock to jazz to ambient drone.
So far I have looked at Music Hall, Fluance, Denon, Rega, Pro-Ject, but all are compromised in some way.
Are there any others I should be factoring in to the equation?Or any I should steer clear of?
Thanks for any advice and cheers!

earworm22
elliottbnewcombjr
5,563 posts
 
your features, your budget, accepts returns, 100% rating, ebay/paypal/credit card protection,

this one looks darn good, except it is belt drive

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Marantz-6100-Turntable-In-Excellent-Condition/303443149941?hash=item46a69f0475:g:4HkAAOSwy9ZeG5mA

I am not familiar with them however they have similar direct drive units,

If not finding something ideal right now, I might get this, enjoy it while searching for the next one, direct drive ... whatever ..... find great deal on the next one, this should be fairly easy to sell.
benfica1
33 posts
 
Fluance RT82
https://www.fluance.com/rt82w-reference-high-fidelity-vinyl-turntable-natural-walnut
-https://www.cnet.com/news/are-you-ready-to-upgrade-to-your-first-really-decent-turntable/

-removable head shell
-height adjustable feet
-belt drive
-auto start-stop

checks all the boxes

audition__audio
1,522 posts
 
Not a fan of detachable headshells for obvious reasons. Absolute no to inexpensive direct drive tables for even more obvious reasons. Probably a Rega with the best cartridge you can find within your budget. 
big_greg
6,667 posts
 
If you can find a decent Technics SL-1200 that hasn't been beat up by a DJ, it's a surprisingly good table.  I think I paid about $600 for mine.  I've upgraded the feet ($100) and added the KAB fluid damper ($149), both of which seemed to help.  Mine came with the KAB RCA jack plate and a nice Soundeck mat, so I can't say how good it is completely stock, but it sounds really good with a nice cartridge and I can put a not so nice cart on it if I want to play some of my less than pristine records. 

Not sure why belt drive is a requirement.  Or a removable headshell for that matter.  I have both belt and direct drive turntables and all of them but the SL 1200 have fixed headshells.  Changing a cartridge isn't rocket surgery and while it's fun to be able to swap them out on the SL 1200, it was never an issue before I got it.  Currently my two main tables are both direct drive.

I don't think you're going to get anything very good new at your budget.  You could get a Music Hall 2.3.  I have the 2.2 and it was a nice starter table, but a used 5.X Music Hall could be had at your budget level and would be much better.  I'm not sure what problems you're worried about inheriting with a used turntable.  A basic belt drive turntable doesn't have a lot of moving parts.  If you buy used from a dealer, most will offer some kind of return if it doesn't work right.

I'd suggest stretching your budget and picking this up before it's gone -  https://echohifi.com/details/14338/Marantz_TT-15S1

4play
18 posts
 
OP,
Your first post mentioned vintage turntables with one being Dual. If you are still looking for a vintage turntable, contact Bill Neumann at http://www.fixmydual.com/
He has the largest inventory of Dual parts in the US. Tell him what you want and he will steer you in the right direction. The Dual turntables he has will have what is called a sled. You can buy several sleds so you can swap out different cartridges. The sled fits under the headshell and it is simple to replace.

Bill can hook you up with a belt, idler, or direct drive turntable. I have purchased a few turntables from Bill, and I currently have a 1219 idler and a 721 direct drive. Both will return the tonearm to the rest while the table powers off.
The money you will spend on a Dual, you will not find a new turntable with the same features. You would have to spend two to three times more money. If you buy from Bill, you will get a warranty. If you have any problem whatsoever, he will be there to help you. He stands behind his product and offers superb CS. One more thing, he makes his own plinths and he will supply a dust cover for your table.

More to discover