2. analog
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best turntable for 500$ or less

im looking for advice on which TT for 500$ or less would sound good with my mcintosh rig.

here is the deal,im not looking for somthing for everyday use just somthing that i can play some of my lps that i dont have on cd & looks are important to me.

i dont know much about turntables or the different carts so simple is better for me.

i dont have any particular model or brand in mind but i have been looking at some denon models with the rosewood finish.

here is a lowdown of my system.

mcintosh c-38 preamp.
mcintosh mc300 amp powering mcintosh xrt 22 speakers.
mcintosh mc7104 amp powering klipschorns.
mcintosh mc 122 amp powering mcintosh ht2 sub & xl1 monitors.
mcintosh mcd 7007 cd player.
mcintosh mcd 7000 cd player.
mcintosh mr 7082 tuner.
mcintosh mq 101 eq with the klipschorns.
mcintosh mq 101 eq with the sub & monitors.
dbx 20/20 eq with the xrt 22s.
cary audio tube cd processor with both cd players.
interconnects & speaker wire are a mixture of audioquest & monster gold series.

i listen to a wide range of music like miles davis,
the mahavishnu orchestra,spyro gyra,weather report,
zappa, bb king & all the classic rock from the 70s.

i have included as much info as i could think would be helpfull in matching a TT to my system & i defenitly dont want to go over the 500$ mark beacuse listening will be very limited.

mike.
128x128bigjoe
colitas
150 posts
 
I have had a P3 in the past. While the Grados are great carts, the "cheaper" ones usually don't hum on the
Regas(I think b/c the coils are covered). While the Reference/Statement series has exposed coils which did hum on my P3 set-up. It was no problem b/c the P3 was on the way out. If anyting Bigjoe might just be testing the water for future analog ventures. We, won't know till he writes back to us. I now the P3 did the tricl for me, for a while at least. But then again I was already a convert.;)-~
bigjoe's avatar
bigjoe OP
693 posts
 
colitas, you are correct when you say that im testing the waters for a future analog venture, the reason im going into this from the low end is that it takes me a long time to find a peice of gear that im satisfied with & i would like to learn as i go instead of getting a expensive TT that i dont really understand why its better than a 500$ model.

basement, you are also correct in your statements & that is also why i wish step very slowly into analog,i know how i am when it comes to gear,the sound im looking for MUST be suited with the sound of mac gear & i will worry about looks after i learn enough about different tables & carts & arms to make a more sizeable investment but in the end looks will play as big a part as the sound.

btw, nice analogy of a mac buyer,fits me to a tee,i went with mcintosh for all the reasons you stated especially the
predictable sound of a mac component,no suprises.

im leaning twords the rega line for a starter piece but i think my 500$ limit may have to be stretched a bit to get a TT that i can live with while i learn what i need to know.

thanks, mike.
mikesinger
572 posts
 
take a look at some sota's. they offer very good performance at a incredible price.

mike
colitas
150 posts
 
Bigjoe, I agree with Mikesinger about the SOTAs too. I have upgraded(? some would agree) to a SOTA Sapphire series II(mid 80's) model, beats the Rega for quietness. It also has a speed control to fine tune the speed. Also can be had on the cheap wihout the arm again on Ebay. I have seen these sit idle for around $250 b/c of no arm. I put my modded RB250 arm on it, with the detahable armboard, it makes adjusting the VTA easier b/w records.
bomarc
501 posts
 
Big Joe: If you really want to stay within the $500 limit, the NAD is a good choice. It really is a P2 knockoff--the biggest difference is a lighter platter. (The arm may also be different; I don't remember.) Comes with a decent-sounding low-end cartridge, but of course that's where you're going to want to start experimenting. My advice would be to save your money now, so you'll have more to spend when and if you're really ready to go whole-hog.
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