Looking for recommendations for a good turntable

[Chapel]

I've recently inherited a LOT of good vinyl and I'd like to start listening to it. the turntable I have is garbage and I don't want to start wrecking LPs with a bad stylus.

What should I be looking at?
I'm seeing a lot of vintage turntables, but know nothing about them and the modern ones are either cheap plastic pieces of crap designed to convert your LPs to MP3s... or they're high quality, very expensive monoliths that play records

I've looked at some B&O Beogram players, but apparently they use a weird cartridge that's not a P-mount and not a 1/2" mount. It's like a P-mount turned 45° and they're no longer made. Reproductions cost $200

I've looked at some Technics, but there's so many and they seem to range from plastic hunk of **** to high quality DJ equipment.

I've been told to avoid units used as DJ equipment because they're probably beat up if they're being sold (models I was told to avoid were the SL-1200 and SL-1210)

I was looking at some linear tracking models as well, but wasn't sure how reliable they were.

I've also looked at some older Marantz, Denon and Onkyo stuff, but again, I can't find any real reviews of what to look for and what to avoid.

I want something that can isolate vibration well (which is why I'd heard good things about the linear tracking B&Os) and has the capability to sound well

I'm trying to stick to a $300 budget or so. I'll buy a separate Phono Pre-amp if needed as well that doesn't have to factor into the budget.

[HENRYH]

http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject...7&category=948

[HENRYH]

BTW, stay away from the B&O linear tracker. It may seem like a good idea, but those things can be finicky and a PITA to use, especialy if you are looking at a used TT.

[osiris]

http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject...7&category=948

What he said.

You can also look into used Music Hall, Pro-Ject, and Rega turntables.

[Chapel]

BTW, stay away from the B&O linear tracker. It may seem like a good idea, but those things can be finicky and a PITA to use, especialy if you are looking at a used TT.

yeah, the B&Os also use a non-standard stylus too that is out of production
I'm looking at some Technics SL-7s, SL-10s and SL-QL1s

I've heard the tone arm motors are very robust and rarely break. The only thing that ever breaks is the rubber band that drives that motor and that's $12.

The biggest issue I have with the Pro-Ject line is changing from 33 to 45... which I will be doing.
also, I'm not familiar with the ideas of balancing out tone arms and stylus pressure and stuff...

[RENOG]

Who ever told you to stay away from SL1200's know nothing about turntables as they told you wrong. Those are the most reliable turntables you will find used. If you simply find one that works and in decent to good shape you will be a very happy person. I currently have 2 from the 70's that I bought used and they are flawless and pitch perfect. Other than that try and find a Rega...

[Chapel]

Who ever told you to stay away from SL1200's know nothing about turntables as they told you wrong. Those are the most reliable turntables you will find used. If you simply find one that works and in decent to good shape you will be a very happy person. I currently have 2 from the 70's that I bought used and they are flawless and pitch perfect. Other than that try and find a Rega...

I was told that you need to make sure it wasn't used for scratching as it can cause some nasty grumbling from the bearings.
The same person told me to avoid VERY old ones for the same reason

[Gorgeous]

I was a DJ for about 5 years, and to me, nothing compares to the reliability and build quality of the Technics SL1200.

I've seen these things flat-out abused over and over and not once have I ever encountered a single table that ever had any sort of "bearing" issues or anything resembling that. At most, the tone-arm would get bent, but that's replaceable. This is coming from a guy whose crew was made of several turntablists (scratch DJs).

I can't imagine the kind of cumulative abuse it would take to affect the drive system and bearings. But if you're still concerned, this is easily fixed. Give it a quick test-spin with a record you're familiar with. If it works great, it will likely never let you down.

[Chapel]

unfortunately, I can't find an SL1200 in my price range right now. the ones I can find are sans cartridge and already at my limit without them.

I'll keep looking, but unless I can get a dressed SL1200 for $300 with a good cartridge, I'm probably going to go forward with this really good SL-10 I found with a new MC310 cartridge.

[Obin Robinson]

If I had $300 and I wanted a nice turntable:

Pro-Ject Essential:
http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject...=2&category=46


Bring the budget up a little and get:

Pro-Ject RPM1.3
http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject...2&category=352



SL-12000s are overkill. I have two of them: the same two for the last 19 years and they refuse to break. They are great for DJing but not necessary for critical listening.

You will need a great preamp:
http://www.needledoctor.com/Music-Ha...category=35249

obin

[Chapel]

I ended up with an SL-10 with a 310MC cartridge. sounds awesome

[Obin Robinson]

Good choice as well! One thing I would suggest you look into getting a solid turntable base. Turntables will pick up even the slightest vibration that you can't feel and will transmit this as a signal into your sound system. I've seen many different setups involving heavy sand boxes, lead shot boxes, granite blocks, and concrete blocks. What you basically want is an ultra massive slab underneath the turntable. You WILL notice the difference in sound quality once you properly isolate the system. There's many options open to you and go with whatever you find the most affordable. Shop at a home and garden center if you want the best bang for the buck. Some ideas:










obin

[RENOG]

They are great for DJing but not necessary for critical listening.
obin

Sorry Obin, but you do know that can easily be changed right? There's an ecosystem of audiophiles out there who would rather tweak the tank they already own and enjoy it immensely for another few decades +

[osiris]

Things which are solid will not reduce vibration nearly as effectively as something which is softer. If you care about getting vibration out of your turntable, weight is not nearly as effective as decoupling.

[gruppe-b]

oh boy,a turntable thread!
i just bought a MusicHall USB-1 a few months ago and had tremendous problems with acoustic feedback.i tried many different ways to isolate the unit from my room's sound (bubble pack,pillows,thick blankets) .i even went so far as to build a special wall-shelf unit for the 'table~it was worse than all of my other tweaks combined
desperate at this point, i ended up mounting it on top of my 46" RPTV's cabinet(not the best placement,i know)--i placed a thick microfiber blanket on top of the tv,then a solid piece of MDF shelving on that.it sits nice and level and solved my turntable's woes,and i've been enjoying my vinyl ever since.

Obin,what is that black tray with the rubber balls? is that an actual product,or is that some kind of 're-tasked' home center item??

i'm still looking for a solid table/rack that i could put my turntable on.i don't like having it sit up at eye level

[patrikman]

^ I know your pain. I have three tables upstairs and I can hear my footsteps and other vibrations if the volume is low enough. I'll get it just right one of these days.