Best turntable for the buck

Tomic601,

As much as I would love to improve my analog side, I don’t think I have the level of commitment and resources that it takes. I don’t even trust myself to install a cartridge, no less a tone arm. So I think I’ll pass on a new setup.

The interaction with Vinyl does not need to be lost entirely.

I am not with a System in use at present, my home is to be worked on and most possessions are readying themselves for a period of storage.

Through being member of a HiFI Group, I am regularly invited to experience in both Analogue and Digital Equipment demonstrations. Additionally there is on occasions new unfamiliar equipment made available for broadening the experiences being encountered.

I am happy to Purchase New Music Recordings to be used at the meetings, and if well received, leave them as loaned music for the group to use on their own systems, or used when I am absent from a meeting.

The interaction with the groups arranged events, has enables myself to encounter items of equipment, I would recommend to others, but also allow for my discovering equipment, I have now put onto a shortlist to be trialed on the home system when reinstated for regular use. These are curve ball moments, and were not anticipated to leave such strong positive impressions, to the point where an item might find itself a place on the rack.      

For the "money", the Music Hall mmf-7.3 cannot be beat. Just look at what you get for your money. Split plinth, seperate motor, electronic speed control, 9cc tonearm, azimuth and Vta adjustable, acrylic platter, round profile belt, quality phono cables, quality spin on/threaded record clamp, built in level, dust cover, tip toe feet, beautiful real walnut finish (optional), Ortofon 2nd from the top 2m Bronze cartridge. The price has increases recently, and is now generally a 2k turntable... I love mine. Pair this table/cartridge combo with a good tubed phono preamp and it sounds splendid. Not to mention, the turntable looks awesome, if that at all matters....

Upscale offers the Feickert Volare with Origin Live tonearm and Ultratracker cartridge installed for a package price of 4.3k. Surely something like that would work.

@audioguy85 

+1 on the Music Hall products, I purchased a used mmf-5.3 for all the reasons you listed. Solved all my vinyl playback issues and looks great on the shelf.