turntable upgrade


looking to upgrade my turntable. Currently have a music hall 5 which i damaged replacing the cartridge but managed to resolder. Tonearm will still need to be rewired so i thought it would be time for a change. Budget is around 1500-2000 of which the scout ,michell tecnodec,Thorens td-800 and the new marantz tt-15 would qualify if i bought new.
only able to demo the scout locally.Have thought about used but never bought used equipment before. Have only about 200 albums and have already invested in a naimcdx5
cd player which ido most of my listening.However ido want a quality turntable that i acn listen to. would appreciate any advice.
panu21
I have seen many VPI HW19 tables for sale. They are well built, easy to set up, and large enough for just about any arm configuration.
Are you upgrading because of the tonearm wire or just wanting to do so? I once rewired a Poject arm on a MMF 7 I owned and it wasn't that difficult and the results were great.

I agree with the others, buying used is the most bang for the buck. Most important thing to watch for with used tables is does the seller still have all of the original packaging.

There are a couple of used Basis tables with Rega tonearms for sale on A'gon that would fit your budget and give you excellant playback. Don't know the sellers but I've owned a few Basis tables in the past and they are solid performers.
I do wonder why you created two nearly identical threads using two different names?
rewiring the tonearm i am told would run around $150-200
so i thought i would just put that towards a better turntable.im also concerned about mounting a cartridge again since i screwed it up the first time. i do have all the tools to do it but ive become afraid i might mess up a more expensive table.
yes i did accidentally create two threads. the first time i wasnt registered with audiogon and used my email. iwasnt sure it would go through so i registered and did it again.
im new to the sight but ive become interested in good equipmentsince ive been collecting music for close to 40 years.im just starting to treat myself to better equipment
and trying to learn .
Hi Panu21,

No harm, no foul. I was just curious as to why you used different monikers, but no big deal. Welcome to Audiogon!

I think that if you were able to fix the wires that were broken on the MMF 5 you certainly have the skills to rewire the tone arm. I used Cardas wires when I did my MMF 7 and even replace the RCA connectors. The wire and parts only cost about $50. But I do also understand wanting to upgrade. Don't be concerned with your misfortunes with the MMF 5. I admit that the reason I rewired my MMF 7 is exactly the same as your episode. I broke the wires just behind the cartridge connectors. The wires in the Project arms are quite fragile and not what you will find on better arms. My experience has been that the better equipment is actually less fragile in many ways. Also, you have learned a lesson and you will be more careful in the future. Just take your time and think ahead, looking for problems before they can get the best of you.

There are many people here that are more than willing to help.