TOTALLY CONFUSED about analog

and also keep in mind that people use rega turntables for years without any of the problems others accuse them of having.

Go to audioreview.com and get opinions from owners of most of the good tables listed above. Also audioadvisor.com has info if you have no good local dealer. The Rega and VPI units are real good high end units with various options and upgrades as you progress. I own a VPI Aries but the lower models are very good. Do not put most of your money in table extras before doing so in your cartridge - its the real telling tale area of analog along with your phono preamp.

Ken,

I know this can be confusing...if you have read my posts you'll see that I was considering those European glass and particle board TTs. Then I started reading posts (in other forums, obviously) about modifying the 1200. Nothing spectacular to begin just changing the headshell wires and interconnects...and adding a good record clamp. So I did.

The unit is very user friendly, with a suspension that none of the above TTs can outperform. It also has the tonearm with the lowest bearing friction (Yeah I had that Rega leaflet titled "Listen to this" many years ago) Just a wonderful high end unit. Besides, it is the ONLY decent priced TT in which you can add a tonearm fluid damper, just like some very expensive tonearms. I just ordered mine yesterday ($149 from www.kabusa.com) and am looking forward to some heavy duty performance. None of the above TTs is in this league (sorry...).

When you add all things up, you will end up paying less than $1000 USD for a totally outstanding unit.

I empathise with you, but please don't make this sound like you're writing to Abby or Ann Landers!!!!!

Regards,

Bishopwill, that is not a joke. I will simply add my two cents worth: aside from having a turntable for archival reasons (there still is great music that will never find its way unto cd) or simply because you are in need of a hands-on hobby, there is very little percentage in going the analogue/vinyl route. Whatever the highly touted "analogue" liqudity arguments from dyed-in-the-wool tt persons might say, for general listening of music with no background noise, and with all due respect to any dissenting opinions, cd is the way to go. Buy yourself $3,000 worth of cd.s, explore music you never even thought of buying, read up. If all else fails, some of the suggestions posted are corrrect. You can get a decent tt, arm, cartridge combo for not too much money. Leave this stuff about direct drive to djs. You will wind up with two hobbies: fussing with the tt. and going through bins for records, throwing out every second one because one can only eat so much bacon without having cholesterol problems. It's only a hobby. Don't you guys get all wound up now.

Thanks, pbb. It really is only a joke because bacon isn't always frying. Sometimes popcorn is popping and occasionally kids are setting off firecrackers in the back yard.

My suggestion: Buy a really good CD player or transport/DAC combo, some good cables, and some good CDS. Meet your obsessive cleaning needs by helping your spouse around the house. Meet your needs for manual dexterity challenges by building ships in bottles.

But if you have fun doing vinyl, then do it and don't apologize (or hassle others who don't do it).