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What Sets Price on Turntables?

So, just starting out on a very limited budget and needing a turntable, the first thing I did was check ebay. I know, probably not the best move but I am a beginner and on an extremely tight budget.

After settling on a Bang & Olufsen 4004 turntable (brand due to my dad's old B&O RX) I checked the listings and found two options. One was at the starting bid of $200, while another had a starting bid of over $700, a third had a $300 listing and a fourth had a $500 listing.

I compared the pictures and didn't see any major flaws in the lower priced turntables that, in my opinion, would mark it down from $700+ to $200.
I decided to check this out and again found listings for a Beogram 4002 with the same stylus for $103 at 13 bids and $925. I also saw two listings for a Beogram 8002, one with a MMC2 stylus ($1,295) and the more expensive ($2,000) with the MMC 1.

So, what/why do some of the same TTs with the same styli have such massive differences in price? Is it true that the devil is in the details and every minor scratch can deduct hundreds from the price? Or is it something like the condition the table has been kept in, or even ignorance on the owner's end as to what they are selling?

And if you want to know, I got the Beogram 4004 as my first Turntable at $200 with an MMC 20CL cartridge but lacking a dust cover which I will now be looking for.
isaac_berger
isaac_berger OP
3 posts
 
Roscoeiii: it turns out that the owner actually lives relatively nearby and we decided that it would be better if he delivered the TT himself rather than through a shipping service for exactly those reasons.

Acman3: the cartridge as described by the listing should have a good amount of playing time still on it. About this, is there any way to know how much longer a cartridge has/when it is worn out asides from seeing that it is bent/destroyed?

Elizabeth: Sound Smith actually makes and sells replacement cartridges for Beorgram TTs although a replacement MMC 20CL costs about $650, well outside of my current budget. I also don't believe that I will have this TT for so long that obtaining a stylus for it will become too difficult.

Thanks for the info.
buconero117
2,311 posts
 
Like everything, the market. Value is in the eye of the beholder. Go used on something you can pick up. Cartridge wise go with a Shure 97, especially since you do not plan to be into TT for long. I wish my audio life was that simple.
lewm
13,171 posts
 
The MMC20CL in good shape is worth more than $200, alone.
It can be re-tipped for much less than $650, if and when needed. There are others in the re-tip business besides Sound Smith.
Buconero, Unless I am mistaken, the Shure 97 is not a P mount type, and the tonearm on the Beogram accepts P mount cartridges only. (But perhaps there is an adapter for standard mount cartridges; I wouldn't know.) However, there are a lot of P mount cartridges out there to choose from, push comes to shove, some of them cheap and good.

In summary, no one knows why eBay auctions are all over the place, and you should not care. If your turntable works. well and if the cartridge is in good shape, you did very well.
stevecham
3,340 posts
 
I agree that the B&O is a BIG mistake and you should have asked us here first. Much better choices include Rega, Project and Music Hall.
acman3
4,271 posts
 
The mmc20cl does indeed have a standard mount adapter, although it is a PITA. I have installed my mmc20cl and it is very good sounding as I remembered. This will allow you to take it with you if you decide you want to upgrade your table latter.

Some people speak well of the 4004 online. Most who dislike it do so because of it's tangential arm and the fact you are stuck with B&O cartridges, and cannot use MC cartridges. However, IMO, B&O made 3 of the top moving iron cartridges. The MMC20cl - line contact stylus on a sapphire shaft and the MMC2 and MMC1.

I hope the 4004 is good enough to do the cartridge justice. The arm and being a P mount is pretty plug and play, so you will get to see if you are serious about vinyl. Then you can maybe afford a better table than the entry level tables discussed above. If not sell them separately, and put some money in your pocket.

Let us know how it's sounds once you get it running.

Btw, what Preamp are you using?
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