Direct Drive

Ortofon Red is a decent easy start, but nothing special.

You will get superior results from advanced Stylus Shapes, however they MUST be properly aligned.

https://www.sound-smith.com/articles/stylus-shape-information

You can move up to an excellent advanced stylus shape for $300.

https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/cartridges/type/moving-magnet/vm540ml-h

After that, if you get deep into Vinyl you will want to move into the world of Moving Coil cartridges.

Later! Get Started!

"If you want to buy a direct drive turntable you might as well buy a digital front end - its the same sound."

Bill, I totally agree with you, ABSURD. what a lack of understanding displayed by that statement.

I say: Analog does overtones, time and volume delay better than digital. Getting the speed PERFECT for the fundamental yields perfectly timed overtones.

Perfect speed, highly desirable (look at all the belt drive speed controllers) has nothing to do with platter weight, bearing design, isolation techniques, arm design, cartridge, phono stage, all the things that vary the audible results in the TT world.

@dover wrote "If you want to buy a direct drive turntable you might as well buy a digital front end - its the same sound

I believe that dover takes issue with how DD achieve speed stability by using a feedback loop system that makes a speed adjustment after the error has been detected.

Direct drive's "rumble", which is almost unmeasureable, always trumps belt drive's speed instability and having to replace the damn belts.

My turntable is rim drive.....so what.....its the resultant sound that is the result.