never thought id say this, need some TT options

faster100

Over the weekend i picked up some classical records and was gonna re-sell them.. so my wife has her old FP record player from when she was a kid and i installed a new needle on some time back for our kids.. we also have a ton of 45's for kids.. well they werent interested so it was put away.. well it plays
33's so i pulled it out and played a few of these lp's.. it sparked my interest and my new pre has phono input...

Ive heard the name dual for starter TT's... what models are good, easy maintenence and cheap.. I wont go balls out now or maybe never.. just a cool thing im interested in..

names,
model numbers
and prices,

I have no budget, just wondering... for later, id say for sure $100 or less though for testing/playing

steveinaz

Hit Audio Advisor, they've got some good start-up rigs...

faster100

for $100 or less ? LOL

bugner

Getting back into vinyl is a lot of fun and can be quite thrilling and rewarding, but at a price. For a hundred (if that's really your ceiling), you need to hope for an incredible e-Pray steal of something like an old Dual, or perhaps a stunning find at a thrift or estate sale. (Not sure how much tinkering you're willing/able to do.) There are new entry-level tables available from Denon, Technics, Sony and Audio Technica at $200 or less. Some have built-in pre-amps, which you don't need. I had the Technics SLBD20D for awhile, and it was a pretty nice table, once I upgraded the cartridge. There are other choices for your perusal at this link as well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005T3Y8/104-8104842-4201502?redirect=true

also, these fine folks here will talk your ear off about the basics and help you out in any number of ways

http://www.audioasylum.com/audio/vinyl/bbs.html


Note that if you really start to enjoy vinyl, you're going to want some accessories along the lines of a carbon-fiber brush and so forth, but you could pick those up as you go along.

faster100

Hey thanks for the links and info... was thinking older Good tables.. but a newer good one would work as well

billbillw

faster100 wrote:

for $100 or less ? LOL

Your gonna have to cruise Craigslist and/or Ebay to find a decent TT under $100.

I think you can find a good solid vintage model for under $100, it just takes some patience and research. You may also have to buy a new cartridge (probably recommended anyway)

If shipping is needed, don't buy from any seller that won't agree to disassemble the turntable before shipping. Here is a guide for shipping that you can forward to sellers:
http://www.theturntablefactory.com/packing.html

Local pickup is obviously the better choice. Ebay is littered with many clueless sellers, so beware.

There are so many models that could be recommended, its imposible to list them. Basically, look at the tonearm, the platter, and the base, if it looks chincy, plasticy, lightweight, then stay away.

bugner

faster100 wrote:

Hey thanks for the links and info... was thinking older Good tables.. but a newer good one would work as well

maybe I messed up here, but it appears that you can get the technics with an upgraded shure cart for $112. wow. not shabby at all, and all new. in fact, the technics is a slight upgrade from the one I owned (I think I had the 20B). When I moved up to something else, I was still able to get forty-five bucks for it on ePay.

check this:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00005T3Y8/ref=pd_sim_e_2/104-8104842-4201502?ie=UTF8

billbillw

^^^
Not sure what bugner is seeing, but there's nothing about an upgraded stylus in that link, and the price is more like $130. Either way, I wouldn't go near it.

Faster, I'd stay away from anything with a P-mount (T4P) cartridge. Standard 1/2" mounts offer many more options for affordable cartridge upgrades. Also, the weight of the table is also good indicator of quality. Pretty much any turntable that weighs less than 15 lbs is not worth looking at. 20+ is better, 30+ if you want a serious table. Don't give in and get any of the sub-$150 new turntables. They will all dissapoint you.

faster100

noted, i want a older table to start with i think and a better new one if i like vinyl alot.. Thanks again guys

billbillw

faster100 wrote:

noted, i want a older table to start with i think and a better new one if i like vinyl alot.. Thanks again guys

If you come across any local deals or auctions that you are considering and want some opinions, just let me know. I've spent waaayyy to much time looking older turntables in the "hope I can get it for less than $100" range. I say that because the good ones always go for more. By the way, www.vinylengine.com is a very good resource for older turntables/tonearms/cartridges. Check their library section for manuals, ad sheets, and service manuals.

madmax

I suggest begging. Someone will probably give you one. Find someone who has one they don't know what to do with. I'll start keeping an eye out. I've seen some reasonable ones at the local goodwill at around $30 but they didn't have any last time I was there.
madmax

TroyD

The only table that I've heard less than a hundred bucks that I'd give any sort of second thought would be an AR-XA/B.

BDT

organ

That's cool. I'm thinking about getting into vinyl as well. Look for some used Rega (P2) or find a ProJect dealer. It will cost you up to 300 but it will be more rewarding. Better to pay a little more than sit there thinking "I wonder how this would sound on a better TT?" everytime you fire it up.

faster100

Thanks for all the suggestions,... I will have a TT sometime in the near future.. if i end up having to spend 2 -3 hundred so be it. considering what i have put into the HT which by the way now sounds fantastic on 2 channel as well... its just a drop in the bucket

bikerboy

Hi,
I found a Hitachi DD TT with a cartridge on craigslist for $30 that is fine to get started. I use it to play albums that are too worn to play with the denon. There are a lot of junk TT out there but if you watch CL you will find a decent one that will be good enough that the vinyl will sound good and then you can get a better one later if it is important.

billbillw

One thing about Craigslist. You have to be persistant and act quick! Check at least a few times a day and if you find something, contact them immediately. The good deals are snatched up very fast (at least around here).

dragon1952

I just picked up a Harman Kardon T60 on Craigslist from the original owner for $160. All it needed was a new belt which I found for $6 on Ebay.

speakergeek

I have to give a nod to Pro-Ject. The Debut III is a great little TT. I've been enjoying it immensely.

bugner

billbillw wrote:

^^^
Not sure what bugner is seeing, but there's nothing about an upgraded stylus in that link, and the price is more like $130. Either way, I wouldn't go near it.

Yes, I was definitly Konfused by the amazon page.

At any rate, for the record, I have a NAD 533 (got a good deal on a refurb) and upgraded to the Rega Super Elys cart courtesy of the lovely and talented "Mr. Juki" on ePray. Terrific table. Now that I think of it, I haven't hit the thrifts in awhile! :eek:

billbillw

dragon1952 wrote:

I just picked up a Harman Kardon T60 on Craigslist from the original owner for $100. All it needed was a new belt which I found for $6 on Ebay.

Hey Dragon,
Nice TT for the money. Did it have a cartridge included? If so, you got a great deal. Without, its still pretty fair. I've seen them go on Ebay for more than $200. I think I have e-copies of the owner's manual and the service manual if you want/need them.

Funny thing, it was an HK T55C (almost the same as the T60) on Craigslist in ATL that got me thinking about getting a vinyl rig back in March/April. The seller was a pain though. He said "make offer". I called and asked about it and turns out, he was firm at $100, even though it didn't have a working cartridge. He said it worked fine otherwise. I was cheap and wanted it for about $65 or so. After a few weeks, I called again to see if it was available and the seller did come down in price to about $50, so I went to see it. It was pretty dirty, but I noticed right away that IT WAS MISSING THE COUNTERWEIGHT!!! I asked the guy if he knew where it was and he acted like he didn't know what I was talking about! The idiot had lost it and didn't even realize it until I asked him for it! He said it must be around somewhere, but I knew that parts for these tables were unobtanium, so I told him the table was worthless without it and left kinda pissed (it was a 30 min drive each way). Just to make sure, I called HK and surfed all the online parts stores, no luck on the weight. I called the guy a few weeks later and asked him if he managed to locate the weight and of course, he still hadn't. Total waste of time.

Since then, of course, I've tried a few and am now on my third turntable, which is a keeper.

unc2701

speakergeek wrote:

I have to give a nod to Pro-Ject. The Debut III is a great little TT. I've been enjoying it immensely.

yeah, the pro-ject is pretty solid:
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/ProJect-Debut-III-Audiophile-Turntable?sku=807600

$279 and you can usually get free shipping.

dragon1952

billbillw wrote:

Hey Dragon,
Nice TT for the money. Did it have a cartridge included? If so, you got a great deal. Without, its still pretty fair. I've seen them go on Ebay for more than $200. I think I have e-copies of the owner's manual and the service manual if you want/need them.

Yeah, it's got the original audio-technica cartridge and stylus. It's a VS240LC VectorScan cartridge with the linear contact stylus. Not sure what kind of shape the stylus is in but I don't think the guy's used the table much since around 1990. He had the original box and owners manual also. The service manual would be very cool though.