Turntable purchase

chefkungfu

Hello my fellow CP members!
I'm starting to look for a decent turntable to spin some vinyl that I've had sitting around for years.
Now I'm not a dj, but I've always liked the Technics SL1200. I also don't know if the 1200 would be good for me or not. This is why I'm asking for help and also to see what you guys are using and if you like your decks. My budget is $500-$650.
Any help would greatly be appreciated, as I'm returning to vinyl after many years of absence.
Frank.

Again, just wanted to say thanks for any insight!

hochpt21

Is that your budget for just the table?

Or do you need that to include...
Cartridge
Phono pre
Interconnects (if they are not built in)

hochpt21

http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Debut-Carbon-Esprit-DC-Black?sc=2&category=46

The Pro-ject Debut's have been the entry level standard for the past couple years based on all the reviews. This latest model includes a speedbox and acrylic platter which are usually the first upgrades of the original, lower cost models.

steveinaz

You'd also be in Rega RP-1 territory as well. $640 w/cart IIRC. I also Like the Pro-Ject RPM 1.3 in that price range due to the motor being completely de-coupled from the plinth.

chefkungfu

Hey guys, thank you so much for the super fast response! Dskip mentioned in another thread about a limited Rega with the Queen vinyl... that looks tempting!

chefkungfu

hochpt21 wrote: »

Is that your budget for just the table?

Or do you need that to include...
Cartridge
Phono pre
Interconnects (if they are not built in)

Hey hochpt21, If the TT doesn't come with the cartridge, I don't mind spending a little extra cash for a good needle. I may have some interconnects lying around in a box with a bunch of other leftover wires. I have to look.
If they (the interconnects) come with the TT, that will be a one less component to worry about! Man, I have to agee, that Pro-ject is sweet!
For so many years, I was one track-minded for the SL. I still do, but thanks to you guys, I now have options!

Thank you!
Frank.

chefkungfu

steveinaz wrote: »

You'd also be in Rega RP-1 territory as well. $640 w/cart IIRC. I also Like the Pro-Ject RPM 1.3 in that price range due to the motor being completely de-coupled from the plinth.

Hey steveinaz, Thank you! For $640, that Pro-ject is super nice! I would have never known without your input! I'm going to look at it in more detail! I'm looking to buy with-in the month or so! I'm definitely not rushing this purchase!
With your help, I'm going to choose wisely!

Thank you again for your input!! I have some homework to do! The rabbit hole is getting deeper, there's no end in sight! I was thinking about subwoofers just recently, but decided I'm happy with what I have now. So my attention shifted to a TT, because that's what I'm lacking! And that would make a much more practical purchase!
Frank.

chefkungfu

WOW DSkip, you're not kidding about the beautiful TT! Talk about a statement piece!!
That's a little more than what I was willing to spend.... However I may have to increase my budget just because it has a beautiful wood base. I'm a sucker for wood finishes!
Why do I have the feeling I'm going to spend big bucks on a TT?
The rabbit hole is calling me! I have to decide which one....

chefkungfu

How do you guys find such beautiful pieces of audio gear??? When I first joined this forum, all I had were my RT2K's, Ls/Fx, CS-350LS, PSW650, and a sony STR555. Since then I've kept upgrading and I'm still not finished! Still tinkering and rotating gear around.
I thought my drag car was a never ending hobby! Geez, I'm hooked on audio gear! And my guns!

SCompRacer

Are you a diy type? Here are some of my fav heavy/custom plinth Lenco idler drives from the Lenco Heaven forum.

Macassar ebony & Slate.



Soapstone.



Perspex, constrained layer plinth with ebony wood wrap and Dennesen air bearing linear tracker.



And this one I'm really attached to!

SCompRacer

Thanks Mike! You would be surprised at the level of diy there. They have folks from all over the globe there, many with little cash and a minimum of hand tools that produce some amazing work. This can be applied to other turntables as well.

Nightfall

What's the arm on the one you're attached to? It looks like a RCM? Beautiful work, Rich.

Thorton

Those are really cool. I wish I had skills to make one.

agfrost

Nightfall, you'll see it listed in Rich's signature--it's the guide for his linear air bearing arm. I'll attest that it sounds at least as beautiful as it looks, and that's saying something!

gudnoyez

This is the one I'm lusting over right now consider this way over your budget it's basically a Clearaudio with a Marantz Badge. The new Pioneer direct drive resembles the 1200 Technics and gets pretty good reviews.

SCompRacer

Thank you all for the kind words. When the wife worked I didn't think much of buying what I wanted. DIY became a way to exceed what I could afford, even used. When my DIY Lenco knocked an expensive heavy platter belt drive with speed controller and Moerch 12" DP-6 arm off the rack (~$10K retail), I was sold on DIY and crude things that perform. I do like to make DIY look as nice as possible. Skills I didn't have I learnt.

Funny, there was a Hong Kong Lenco forum member that lived in a high rise. He bought saws and saw horses and cut his Lenco wood up in the stairwell. Smoked it up pretty good by the pictures...lol

Nightfall wrote: »

What's the arm on the one you're attached to? It looks like a RCM? Beautiful work, Rich.

It is an RCM of sorts. It blows air across surface of record from tiny horizontal holes in air bearing arm. The Advanced Analog MG-1 linear tracking air bearing arm. While it is crude compared to Rockford's and Dennesen, only costs $600 with standard arm and doesn't take much of a compressor to run it. Folks that have both at the Lenco forum say it performs as well. I picked mine up used here with an extra, better (lighter) Ultra-P arm ($280 option), compressor and expansion tank with air filter. Compressor is mounted in basement, remote controlled. Hose runs through wall plate with push-lock air fitting for clean and quiet install.

agfrost wrote: »

Nightfall, you'll see it listed in Rich's signature--it's the guide for his linear air bearing arm. I'll attest that it sounds at least as beautiful as it looks, and that's saying something!

Thanks! We need to hook up before skool starts.

gudnoyez

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/DJ/Turntable/PLX-1000

Here is the link to that new Pioneer I wouldn't mind having this one more in your budget the cartridge will cost extra.

soundfreak1

Im a vintage kinda guy. Having said that, with that budget i could (with a little patience) i could put together one hell of a vintage package. Just considering sound quality ( not "the looks") ide be looking for a technics sl1600,17,18,12,1300 series with a MC cart. That can be done easily within that budget and imho would out proform any "new" table you can get for that money.it took me a 6 months to find the "right deal" on a 1700 and made a trade for a denon dl110 cartridge. Will have 200.00 in it after servicing the table including the cartridge. Mind you i fell in a pile of .... and came out smelling like a rose but had budgeted 200 for the table and 200 to 300 for the cartridge.

voltz

At JMW Acoustics, Joushua can make you a TT or just the plinth and you add the tonearm.

the monkypod is awesome looking plinth!


http://www.jwmacoustics.com/about/

We got to see these at LSAF and they are stunning.

PolkieMan

I'm a down to earth, limited funds, type of guy and I like new items if they will do what I need.

for the dj type

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=850003&gclid=CjwKEAjw8qetBRCj6vKH8IC_kwoSJADGQ8dS5nDWhwZGxx6gwZBhpMqdx0Nx7wtctClHLEQTLujkURoCD5rw_wcB&is=REG&m=Y&A=details&Q=

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10205325&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi

for the home user

http://uturnaudio.com/

chefkungfu

gudnoyez wrote: »

This is the one I'm lusting over right now consider this way over your budget it's basically a Clearaudio with a Marantz Badge. The new Pioneer direct drive resembles the 1200 Technics and gets pretty good reviews.

That Marantz is really nice!

chefkungfu

gudnoyez wrote: »

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/DJ/Turntable/PLX-1000

Here is the link to that new Pioneer I wouldn't mind having this one more in your budget the cartridge will cost extra.

Wow! I really like the pioneer! I've now included this one to my list, now I have to narrow it down to which one I want. I'm in no hurry to purchase the TT, so I will have a solid idea when I choose. I'll do some side by side comparison when I'm ready!

chefkungfu

PolkieMan wrote: »

I'm a down to earth, limited funds, type of guy and I like new items if they will do what I need.

for the dj type

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=850003&gclid=CjwKEAjw8qetBRCj6vKH8IC_kwoSJADGQ8dS5nDWhwZGxx6gwZBhpMqdx0Nx7wtctClHLEQTLujkURoCD5rw_wcB&is=REG&m=Y&A=details&Q=

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?N=10205325&InitialSearch=yes&sts=pi

for the home user

http://uturnaudio.com/

I'm starting to get overwhelmed! The choices.... which one???

chefkungfu

soundfreak1 wrote: »

Im a vintage kinda guy. Having said that, with that budget i could (with a little patience) i could put together one hell of a vintage package. Just considering sound quality ( not "the looks") ide be looking for a technics sl1600,17,18,12,1300 series with a MC cart. That can be done easily within that budget and imho would out proform any "new" table you can get for that money.it took me a 6 months to find the "right deal" on a 1700 and made a trade for a denon dl110 cartridge. Will have 200.00 in it after servicing the table including the cartridge. Mind you i fell in a pile of .... and came out smelling like a rose but had budgeted 200 for the table and 200 to 300 for the cartridge.

That's awesome! I'm also going to take my time to make the right purchase, I do like your Idea and way of thinking!

chefkungfu

I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who responded to my thread!!
I can honestly say that I'm overwhelmed with the different options of TT's!
I'm not going to rush this purchase, I'm going to look at my options in detail, then buy the one that suits me.
I like direct drive and the pitch control... we'll see!
Again, an enormous thank you for all the help!! This really opened my eyes!
Frank

chefkungfu

^^^ yes sir! I totally agree on that! Thank you DSkip... I have a few pieces of vinyl that I have forgotten over the years and just came across the find. That's the reason for the purchase of a TT. I really want to spin some vinyl again, I'm lacking the critical component.... but I'm going to make the right decision and take my time to research!
Frank.

gudnoyez

chefkungfu wrote: »

gudnoyez wrote: »

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/DJ/Turntable/PLX-1000

Here is the link to that new Pioneer I wouldn't mind having this one more in your budget the cartridge will cost extra.

Wow! I really like the pioneer! I've now included this one to my list, now I have to narrow it down to which one I want. I'm in no hurry to purchase the TT, so I will have a solid idea when I choose. I'll do some side by side comparison when I'm ready!

You can demo the Pioneer at your local Guitar Center if you have one in your area I checked one out at the store here in town solid Direct Drive, I myself want that Marantz but would settle for that plx 1000 if I had to. Have fun searching.

chefkungfu

gudnoyez wrote: »

chefkungfu wrote: »

gudnoyez wrote: »

http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/DJ/Turntable/PLX-1000

Here is the link to that new Pioneer I wouldn't mind having this one more in your budget the cartridge will cost extra.

Wow! I really like the pioneer! I've now included this one to my list, now I have to narrow it down to which one I want. I'm in no hurry to purchase the TT, so I will have a solid idea when I choose. I'll do some side by side comparison when I'm ready!

You can demo the Pioneer at your local Guitar Center if you have one in your area I checked one out at the store here in town solid Direct Drive, I myself want that Marantz but would settle for that plx 1000 if I had to. Have fun searching.

Thank you, gudnoyez! We have a Sam Ash here in S.FL. I'm not certain they'll have TT's, worth a look. They're probably other shops in the area as well. Have to look. I really like the plx1000! The more I look at it, the more I'm gravitating toward it!
Ahhh, the rabbit hole, must have some kind of tractor beam!! It keeps pulling me further in and won't let me escape!

pumpkinman

Review of the Pioneer from a friend of mine in Connecticut. He now owns 2 on the other he has a true mono cart. He has owned TT in $5,000 range

Here are my first impressions of the turntable. Very solid build quality. It weighs about 35 pounds on the stand and it provides a stable platform for spinning records. The platter has rubber damping on the underside of it, and I added a custom foam mat to the top. Unfortunately the sorbothane boots I bought did not fit the feet, as they are a little larger than the Technics. As one might expect with a quartz locked direct drive, speed stability is spot on and I could not see or hear any signs of cogging (though I have only been listening to it for a few hours).

The arm is very easy to set up. There is a VTA lock and an adjustment ring at the base of the tone arm. It took a few moments to get VTA dialed in. I also had no problems with the antiskate adjustment. These are two things that someone else complained where a problem on his PLX-1000. They work just great on mine. Another complaint on some of the early PLX-1000s was that the tonearm would rattle a little because the gimbal bearing was a little too loose. There was no play in the arm on my turntable and the motion was nice and smooth.

I didn't use the included headshell and instead opted for the Ortofon shell as it is a little longer and there is more room for adjustment. Alignment took me about 15 minutes to get perfect. The Nagaoka MP-200 I am using was something of a pain to mount in the headshell, mostly because I have not had to do this in a few years since I have been using Ortofon SPUs for a while. The cartridge tracks perfectly at 1.7g. It is a warm sounding cartridge that to my ear suits jazz more than it does rock. But it needs some time to break in and I might feel differently when it has about 50 hours on it or so. It is a lot of cartridge for the money. Treble is not as extended as I am used to with some moving coil cartrdiges, but that is really me just nit picking. The MP-200 is a real value at $349: it has a boron cantilever, superfine elliptical stylus, and sounds much better than it should given it's price point.

With the Pioneer PLX-1000 you get a lot of turntable for $699. A sturdy, stable, direct drive unit that is a breeze to set up. What you don't get is a massively over-engineered turntable for a massive cost to match. The PLX-1000 is a dead ringer for a Technics SL-1200 and if you like that design aesthetic then you will like the look of the Pioneer.

chefkungfu

^^^ That was spot on pumpkinman!!! Thank you so much for that review, I'm edging more and more toward the pioneer now!

gudnoyez

chefkungfu wrote: »

^^^ That was spot on pumpkinman!!! Thank you so much for that review, I'm edging more and more toward the pioneer now!

A little P-Man persuasion helps. I have 3 turn tables already but they are all 25 years old,a couple of Technics and a Pioneer all direct drives in nice shape all with good serviceable cartridges on them. That being said I have always wanted a nice belt drive and that Marantz is beckoning me.

I also really like that Pioneer PLX-1000 as I once owned a Technics 1200 and that Pioneer reminds me so much of my old 1200 which I sold to my brother in law in Germany he has it to this day. That is why I kind of want that PLX-1000 so my dilemma is that Marantz or the Pioneer. I can say in my opinion that PLX-1000 is in a different league than the Stantons or the Audio Technicas that also try to compare themselves to the 1200