Good turntable needed, need recomendations.


I am not a vinyl guy but want to become one I have a pair of Vandersteen Sevens coming in and want a source to match. With speaking with my dealer he recommended a Basis turntable. Everything I read states they are good and the vacuum system is the way to go. This puts me into a 20K table though. I am thinking that is just too much money for what I see there.

My problem also is that although the basis tables look nice they all looks like a 3K table, unless you go to the insane models.

So I really think 15K on the top end is my budget I rather be around 10k. But really want something I will like to look at as well.

Part of my issue is being an amateur machinist and a wood worker a piece of cnc plexi glass for thousands of dollars just doesn’t excite me.

Any recommendations, or is the Basis the way to go, thanks in advance for you input.
programmergeek
Do you have any friends who listen to vinyl? I would suggest spending some time with people who know vinyl. Listen, play and get comfortable. Also visit more than one dealer. In my opinion you need some exposure before investing that amount of money in an analog front end. The possibilities are many. Find someone local whom you can trust, and learn as much as you can from him before you take the plunge. Alternatively, spend less on something used and learn yourself. There are a couple of good threads on this very subject in the analog forum. Analog IMHO is a real commitment which can have huge rewards. You have a nice problem. Enjoy learning.
Dear Programmergeek: +++++ " Also my best source was a Cary 303 CD player, I have been very unhappy with in every respect so I really want to get something that I can really get some good quality out of or what is the point I bought good speakers now I need a good source. " +++++

certainly there are better digital or analog source alternatives.

You said: " I'm not a vinyl guy ", so I assume you don't own thousands of LPs or even hundreds and maybe a lot of CDs/DVDAs/SACDs.

Other than your Seven's ( and future Rhea that I can't understand how you choosed. ) I don't know which are the other items in your system.
With all these in mind IMHO I think that you should go for a better digital source before attemp the analog one that's not an easy task for a newbie guy like you and even if you have the analog-skills IMHO today top and best digital source compete and in many ways beats analog.

Now, if you insist on analog then ( as Sbank point out. ) you need to buy not a TT but a whole analog source where you will need a knowledge person that could give you accurate advise and remember that always exist trade-offs: which yours?.

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.
My dealer has a used entry level Amazon it doesn't excite me much but at least it looks modern and no one has anything bad to say about it. The price is right so I may buy that. I have just bought so much equipment I find myself unhappy with and moving that I want to do the right thing off the bat this time.

As for the system it is (Some turntable trying to decide) > Aesthetix Rhea signature > Aesthetix Calypso Signature > Aesthetix Atlas monoblocks > Vandersteen Sevens.
All cabling is Kimber select Silver (Although I wouldn't recommend Kimber I have it and so I am not replacing it, everything else I really like)
Dear programmergeek: +++++ " but at least it looks modern ....................... The price is right so I may buy that. I have just bought so much equipment I find myself unhappy with and moving that I want to do the right thing off the bat this time. " +++++

I really hope you achieve this time and I say " I hope " because I can't see a knowledge " proccess " with what you buy for the overall analog source. Seems to me that other than " it looks modern " the quality analog performance level does not matters at all or at least is not so important.

So, why do you think " to do the right thing off the bat this time. " ? what is " telling " you this time will be right? when even that you don't have the tonearm/cartidge combination you already bought a stand alone phono stage and a TT. Don't you think that if the analog source ( other that LP. ) is the phono cartridge you have to think first in the source it self?, maybe I'm wrong but IMHO when you buy a car you don't bought first the tires.

You said : " I have just bought so much equipment I find myself unhappy with ...", do you know why these happen in the past? do you know why this time should be different?

To buy a good digital source is an easy task where the error level is minimum but to buy an analog source set is totally different " toy " and with an intrinsec real high error level according your knowledge-ignorance level or according the knowledge-ignorance level of the people that you take it as your advisor.

IMHO the name of the game in the analog-ball park is not money but knowledge-skills that unfortunately you don't have it: " I am not a vinyl guy but want to become one ".

Yes, I know that the money comes from your wallet and you make what you want with, I'm only trying to help.

Anyway, good luck with your " enterprise ".

Regards and enjoy the music,
Raul.