My Daughter Said She Wants a Turntable for Christmas...

scubalab

What am I getting myself into if I start her down this rabbit hole. I tried to explain to her that it's not something she can strap to her hip, wear earbuds, and make playlists...; that it takes patience and a lot of care for the vinyl; and that the music is not as readily available and can be expensive.

Granted, I prefer the convenience of digital music, but I always remember vinyl sounding so much better. As a child, used to take my old JC-Penny stereo, toe in the speakers, and lie on the floor with my head between them while a record played. This could be something she and I could work on together, but I don't want this to spiral too far out of control.

Any suggestions for a reasonably priced TT if we do decide to do this? The thing is, she never asks for ANYTHING, so it's rare to get ideas directly from her.

IF we do this, is there anything particular I should look for? Could I use some of our existing gear (like my Carver HR-752 receiver and Paradigm Studio 40 speakers) to get her going? How are the Music Hall (like the USB-1) TTs?

Any other recommendations on either a nice entry-level TT, or to run as fast as I can away from this idea?

Thanks,
-Al

scubalab

Thanks NB! This is exactly the advice I'm looking for...

A little more about my daughter... she's 13, always has her earbuds in listening to Spotify. She's very responsible with things, but sometimes lacks patience. Also, as for budget, I'd like something a bit lower priced than the Carbon. It looks like a nice table, but at $400, it's about twice what I'd like to spend at this point, since this is somewhat of an experiment to see if she really wants to get further into it.

BTW, my wife just read this thread and said, 'Run. Run fast!'...

Joey_V

Music direct had a TT sale.

voltz

Well there is nothing cheap about vinyl!

you will need record cleaning supplies and cost of new Vinyl is like $15 & up, stylus cleaner and anti-static gun & brushes some micro cloths for handling etc.. down the hole she goes ---> recommend replacing inner sleeves for every record and throwing out the paper sleeves they come with.

Can look for use vinyl shops around town. can be a lot of fun too. A lot to think about!

cfrizz

I like the idea of a USB turntable, because she can then transfer her tunes to her music player so that they then become portable. Now that's useful.

Don't worry too much about the fidelity piece, she has years to become fanatical about it.

motorhead43026

Be sure to start her off right, cables matter.

msg

What kind of music is your daughter into? And do you have local record stores she can get this kind music affordably? Vinyl sucks if you can't get vinyl affordably. Gets boring real quick if you only have a few albums when you're first starting. Just something to consider.

Maybe just get a bobo turntable and a record to put on it, power it up, but keep playing digital and just pretend it's vinyl.

rooftop59

msg wrote: »

What kind of music is your daughter into? And do you have local record stores she can get this kind music affordably? Vinyl sucks if you can't get vinyl affordably. Gets boring real quick if you only have a few albums when you're first starting. Just something to consider.

This is probably true, especially considering the music access kids grow up with now. But I will say that I got my first CD player in 7th grade, cds were 12-18 a pop on average, so it took me a couple years to get 15 or 20. But I LOVED it. Countless hours listening to those albums. So who knows what could happen.

Having said that, I would keep it pretty inexpensive at first...

Nightfall

U-Turn. Made in America and I've read lots of praise on the Steve Hoffman forums regarding them as excellent entry tables. $289 with a cue lever and Pluto phono preamp built into it.

https://uturnaudio.com/pages/turntables

msg

I've been curious about u-turn as well.

EndersShadow

Paul..... Find her something vintage thats a automatic and not super expensive, then maybe get a nicer cartridge for it. Then mate it with a small vintage integrated and a set of small bookies like your RT55's....

Something simple like a Technics SL-B3 TT.

Yes its not new, but she may like the fact thats its "vintage" like your stuff.

I'm sure @mhardy6647 has something that is a vintage integrated in decent condition and would fit the bill for that, and I'm sure with your ebay skills you could poach some speakers now or in the future (headphones for now)......

rooftop59

EndersShadow wrote: »

Paul..... Find her something vintage thats a automatic and not super expensive, then maybe get a nicer cartridge for it. Then mate it with a small vintage integrated and a set of small bookies like your RT55's....

Something simple like a Technics SL-B3 TT.

Yes its not new, but she may like the fact thats its "vintage" like your stuff.

I'm sure @mhardy6647 has something that is a vintage integrated in decent condition and would fit the bill for that, and I'm sure with your ebay skills you could poach some speakers now or in the future (headphones for now)......

My daughter ain't getting a turntable before I do...she's only 8! I think you meant Al lol...

Although I like the vintage idea, it's a pain. There are decent sounding audio technical tables (decent sounding for a kid for sure) on amazon for pretty cheap, and they are plug and play and under warranty. If my daughter does ask for a table in the next few years (and I thought she was serious!), that is the route I would go fwiw...

txcoastal1

Even if it's not your preferred nor easiest media, it's nice as an audio enthusiast/phile to have the source to play as many medias as possible.

I'm always envious when I go over Luther's (wardwebs) house because he has all media playbacks available

WTS

OP: there are gazillions of used TTs on CR and such. You can pick up a decent-quality TT for not much money, repair or upgrade it if necessary, install a budget-yet-quality phono cartridge on it, and have a nice device for her.

How well does she treat delicate items such as a TT?

For example, you can buy B&O turntables for a song, because the cartridges are scarce and expensive. But you can get a new Soundsmith B&O-compatible cartridge for $200 and a turntable for not much money, and be around your budget.

Or, you can buy a used Technics DJ turntable with a sturdy cartridge with a back-cueable stylus. Who knows -- maybe she'll be interested in doing DJing.

As for a source for vinyl, is she interested in going to estate sales, garage sales, and the like?

RamZet

Start cheap and easy, but not so cheap that it takes away from the experience.
I would start her with a Audio Technica unit.
The LP120
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002S1CJ2Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1480912719&sr=8-2&pi=SY200_QL40&keywords=audio+technica+lp120&dpPl=1&dpID=51Bw1V+ecKL&ref=plSrch

MrBuhl

Honestly, an AT60 is hard to beat, no **** with preamps and such, won't ruin your vinyl right off the bat, very affordable. If you're going to "live" vinyl, then by all means, there are other roads to travel, but for a start out on a teenager not even college age, I would err on the side of rational pricing/sanity until you know if they even really have the bug. Vinyl. Its a commitment. Just my 2 cents of course.

halo

I like the Audio Technica LP120 as well but I'd be lying if I didn't say that the Fluance RT81 didn't catch my eye.

http://www.fluance.com/rt81-high-fidelity-vinyl-turntable-record-player-with-premium-cartridge-diamond-needle?gclid=CjwKEAiAmo_CBRC9qbGQssjqi28SJABYTgZxKczUc2WwKfqs0Zeq_UDulvpYDhOaXl-2jmn1WrvjiBoCOc3w_wcB

scubalab

Thanks for all the input and advice everyone. I was away from this thread for most of the day. I will have to do a little research tomorrow. But for a starter table for her, I'm thinking cheap and simple in case she doesn't get into it. If she does get into it, we can move up to better stuff later. I like the AT LP60 that nbrowser and MrBuhl have recommended for the simplicity and availability. It'll leave a little for some other things like a few albums and cleaning brush. If she finds she doesn't like it, we're not out too much and can just resell. Wish the USB version came in the colors like the basic model did... She'd love the blue!

As for music, she likes Green Day, Blink 182, Twenty One Pilots, Sia, Muse, Journey, and The Killers to name a few. Basically Alt/Pop Rock stuff. She HATES the mainstream popular with tween artists like Bieber, Jonas Brothers, and the likes.

mantis

As cool as this is and how IN it is now, I'm completely OUT. I've been moving away from physical Media for some time now as I think having all your music digital is totally awesome.
I get it don't get me wrong I like to touch and feel the jacket, read the lyrics and all those things that go along with having it in your hands, I do get that.
But honestly I much more prefer to not have all the clutter , all the maintenance and going to find what I want to listen to every day of the week.
I see more and more Records out in the field more then ever. It's been pretty strong for the last 5 years or so. Kids are spinning records as well as older folks going down memory lane.
I'm not going back.

scubalab

Alright, did a little more thinking on this and if (and that's a BIG if) we decide to get her one, it's going to be very entry level. I honestly don't think she realizes what she'd be getting into. For someone who has her phone in her pocket with earbuds on while she's doing just about anything, to go to media that takes a lot of care, patience, and restrictions may be something she realizes she doesn't want. I'm with Mantis on it... I have no intentions of going back to vinyl. However, this may just be a nice bonding opportunity for us to share some listening time. Again, I'm liking the Audio Technica USB table (LP60-USB). If it was available in the blue (her favorite color), I'd probably just get it for her along with a couple albums for under $200 total. However, I can only find the non-USB base model or the Bluetooth model in blue.

Will keep you posted on what we decide! But I'm still open to advice and suggestions if there are other ideas. Some of the other tables suggested really look like nice pieces for the price (U-Turn, Fluance, Denon, etc.). Just need to decide if we want to start at a slightly higher price/quality point since this will be somewhat of an experiment!

cfrizz

YOU need to be practical. Get her the Audio Technica USB table (LP60-USB) and don't worry about the color. If she is serious, she won't worry about the color either!

muncybob

I wonder why at that age she wants a turntable? Jump on the bandwagon?, somebody she knows has one ?, coolness factor?
Anyhow, I agree with Cathy that, while I would not buy one, a usb tt is probably something she would use/like...consider also this one also in the budget: Denon DP-200USB.

msg

scubalab wrote: »

As for music, she likes Green Day, Blink 182, Twenty One Pilots, Sia, Muse, Journey, and The Killers to name a few. Basically Alt/Pop Rock stuff. She HATES the mainstream popular with tween artists like Bieber, Jonas Brothers, and the likes.

Okay, this is what I was wondering. I find this sort of music isn't particularly cheap - as in, not like the $3 - $5 stuff I'm always hearing about people finding here in their local record shops that I'm convinced must be located on a different planet entirely. I found a poor Mazzy Star press locally for $15 - brand new, btw - but most everything somewhat desirable is $25+. When I was a kid, I didn't have that kinda money coming in from my paper route.

May I also suggest Discogs? Good place to find affordable vinyl, however, bear in mind that some sellers are more "proud" of their wares than is actual condition. That said, it's a fun way to shop for stuff, and for me, it's more affordable with greater selection than my local shop with the jerk owner.

+1 for the LP120 if you can move it up a notch; $250 in black or silver; SL1200 clone.
30 day return policy on Amazon. I tried this model during my first year in audio, and ended up returning it, mostly because I wasn't ready for vinyl. I only had a few records, they were dirty, and I knew nothing about maintenenance. Plus, the rest of my system sucked at the time. It's nice and weighty, and the lights make for nice atmosphere. Again, built in phono pre, and USB capable.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B002S1CJ2Q

scubalab

cfrizz wrote: »

YOU need to be practical. Get her the Audio Technica USB table (LP60-USB) and don't worry about the color. If she is serious, she won't worry about the color either!

I agree Cathy! Color would be a bonus, but it is certainly not a dealbreaker. In other words, I would not to pay $50 more for the BT model (without USB), just to get her a blue one. I'm just curious if they ever made the LP60-USB in the limited edition colors like they did with two models below and above (LP60 and LP60-BT).

muncybob wrote: »

I wonder why at that age she wants a turntable? Jump on the bandwagon?, somebody she knows has one ?, coolness factor?
Anyhow, I agree with Cathy that, while I would not buy one, a usb tt is probably something she would use/like...consider also this one also in the budget: Denon DP-200USB.

I'm wondering the same thing Bob. I asked her why, and she said she thought it would be nice to put in the living room so we could all listen to music as a family. That seemed odd since she usually does her own thing with her earphones in, but I ate it all up anyway! Perhaps she's a little jealous that I may spend a little more time with her younger sister since she had been more interested in listening to music with me. It may also have a little to do with the fact that while on vacation the past two weeks, we stopped by Mike's (BlueMDPicker) house one evening. She met his daughter (very close in age), saw the very nice systems Mike has, and liked how Mike said he and his daughter enjoy listening to vinyl...

That Denon looks interesting and can be picked up refurbished from Accessories4less for around $140. Given that price, is it a better option than the AT LP60-USB?

msg wrote: »

scubalab wrote: »

As for music, she likes Green Day, Blink 182, Twenty One Pilots, Sia, Muse, Journey, and The Killers to name a few. Basically Alt/Pop Rock stuff. She HATES the mainstream popular with tween artists like Bieber, Jonas Brothers, and the likes.

Okay, this is what I was wondering. I find this sort of music isn't particularly cheap - as in, not like the $3 - $5 stuff I'm always hearing about people finding here in their local record shops that I'm convinced must be located on a different planet entirely. I found a poor Mazzy Star press locally for $15 - brand new, btw - but most everything somewhat desirable is $25+. When I was a kid, I didn't have that kinda money coming in from my paper route.

May I also suggest Discogs? Good place to find affordable vinyl, however, bear in mind that some sellers are more "proud" of their wares than is actual condition. That said, it's a fun way to shop for stuff, and for me, it's more affordable with greater selection than my local shop with the jerk owner.

+1 for the LP120 if you can move it up a notch; $250 in black or silver; SL1200 clone.
30 day return policy on Amazon. I tried this model during my first year in audio, and ended up returning it, mostly because I wasn't ready for vinyl. I only had a few records, they were dirty, and I knew nothing about maintenance. Plus, the rest of my system sucked at the time. It's nice and weighty, and the lights make for nice atmosphere. Again, built in phono pre, and USB capable.

Scott - Yeah, I'll need to do a little research on the availability/cost of the vinyl she may like. She also likes a lot of the older music I like, so maybe some of that can be picked up cheap. This is also why I'll probably get something as low cost as possible as a starter piece. It'll leave a little left to get her a couple albums to start with. Also, as Paul mentioned earlier, I too remember saving up and buying an album/cassette/record every couple weeks while in grade school (30+years ago), and back then they were anywhere from $7 to $15 a pop. So, I guess it's to be expected that albums run $25-ish new nowadays. I'll have to look into Discogs as well.

As for the LP120, it looks like a lot of TT for the price, but I'm leaning more towards the lowest price/entry level table. That way if she doesn't really like it, or proves that she isn't up to the responsibility/maintenance/care that goes with it, we're not out too much and can just resell it at less of a loss. It seems like a decent table to start with and we can move up from that. Again, this is the first step - just looking for a starter table to test the waters. If she gets into it, we can upgrade tables, cartridges, cables, etc. from there!

Thanks,
-Al

txcoastal1

When I go into Fry's there are most always a couple kids in the record dept anywhere from 6-15yrs old. Record Day sale at my local Audio Shop has more 10-24 year olds buying than other ages. They seem to be purchasing older music. I like the idea, better than video games or other stuff. Also can be shared.

I hope and believe that it will be better for HiFi in general as time goes on.

voltz

Vinyl is Therapeutic! it would be worth it as Skip mentioned, it slows you down and makes you enjoy the moment I think and sounds like a good way to bond.

Nightfall

If you're just testing the waters you could get a working vintage TT on Craigslist for $50 or less. Pioneer, Technics, Yamaha, etc. I would send you my old direct drive automatic Yamaha TT for free but it needs work, the bottom of the platter scrapes against the plinth underneath it for some reason.

Nightfall

The AT-LP60 doesn't even have tracking force adjustment? That alone would keep me away, looks like it tracks 4-6 grams depending on your luck, which is pretty high. I'd rather have a vintage Craigslist table.

Edit: You can't replace the cartridge either, just the stylus.

cfrizz

For crying out loud, she's a kid Nightfall, if Scuba showed that statement to her she wouldn't have a clue about what it meant, nor would she care.

I think she may want a chance to spend more time with her dad, and thinks getting a TT is a way to make that happen.

Nightfall

It means over time it will damage your records more than usual. Edit: You wouldn't recommend a CD player that slowly scratched the discs you played in it would you? It's sound advice. I'm not saying spend more, only that you can get better for less money actually.

ken brydson