turntable questions

aps1ngh
aps1ngh Posts: 36
edited March 2008 in 2 Channel Audio
I know nothing about turntables and would like to know what I should be looking for when purchasing one. My rig is as follows:

B&K PT3 series II preamp
Audiosource Tripath Digital 7T amplifier 2x200w
Polk rt800i speakers


I just impulse bought some vinyls from a thrift store and, because of all the hype on this forum, and am dying to listen to vinyl sound (I've never heard it before). I am looking to buy a used turntable but have no idea what to look for. I think I would need to buy separate phono preamp for the turntable and perhaps a new cartridge (looking at grado for that) but I honestly have no idea what to do so I thought I'd call upon the wisdom of the Polk audio forum. Please advise!
Post edited by aps1ngh on
· Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Comments

  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited March 2008
    Does your preamp have a phono input? If not you will need a phono preamp as you mentioned. If you are looking to start small Parasound and other manufacturers like Bellari and others make decent ones for $100-$150. As for a turntable, depending what you wanna spend again a Rega p1 can had in the $300 range as well as the Project Debut III, both turntables owned by members on this board.

    As always depends on your price range.....check out www.needledoctor.com for ideas.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • candyliquor35m
    candyliquor35m Posts: 2,267
    edited March 2008
    Where are you located? Maybe someone local can help you out. I keep some things here that I find at the thrift store that aren't worth shipping.

    If you're ready to try tubes, I've paid as little as $450 shipped for a nice tube pre with phono 2 times now.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • aps1ngh
    aps1ngh Posts: 36
    edited March 2008
    candyliquor35m wrote: »
    Where are you located? Maybe someone local can help you out. I keep some things here that I find at the thrift store that aren't worth shipping.

    If you're ready to try tubes, I've paid as little as $450 shipped for a nice tube pre with phono 2 times now.

    That's well above my budget =)

    My rig, with the exception of the amplifier, was bought used and I am looking to either buy a nice used turntable or a cheap budget turntable and cartridge for around $150 total. Right now I'm looking at
    http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-PL50-Fully-Automatic-Turntable-with-Switchable-Phono-Pre-amp?sc=2&category=46

    with maybe a lower end grado cartridge. I think it will serve my purposes. From there comes a phono preamp and that's another monster to tackle. I don't even know where to begin looking. =x
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited March 2008
    I have something right now similiar to this:

    http://www.needledoctor.com/Technics-Turntable-SLBD20D;jsessionid=ac112b1e1f43b2a6941dcce642b2aa07fee50d625c87.e3eTaxaQbxmTe34Pa38Ta38Tbxf0?sc=2&category=46

    Worked great as an entry level table......but as always I wanted more and decided to upgrade. Unfortunately it's not my table to sell otherwise I'd sell to you cheap.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Fongolio
    Fongolio Posts: 3,516
    edited March 2008
    I just recently bought a Dual CS 606 (circa 1980) on ebay for $85.00 with an Ortofon cartridge and very good stylus. This old table rocks. Very high quality. Only downside is it is direct drive and almost everything now is belt drive. Many think the direct drive is noisier than belt but for a starter table (I'm new to vinyl again as well) it sounds fantastic. I even found the original owners manual online and it gave explicit setup instructions for balancing the tonearem and setting the tracking and anti-skate and cartridge alignment. I did it all myself and couldn't be happier. Good used is an excellent way to jump into vinyl without spending much money. I now believe the vinyl hype. On a decent setup it sounds great.
    SDA-1C (full mods)
    Carver TFM-55
    NAD 1130 Pre-amp
    Rega Planar 3 TT/Shelter 501 MkII
    The Clamp
    Revox A77 Mk IV Dolby reel to reel
    Thorens TD160/Mission 774 arm/Stanton 881S Shibata
    Nakamichi CR7 Cassette Deck
    Rotel RCD-855 with modified tube output stage
    Cambridge Audio DACmagic Plus
    ADC Soundshaper 3 EQ
    Ben's IC's
    Nitty Gritty 1.5FI RCM
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • hearingimpared
    hearingimpared Posts: 21,137
    edited March 2008
    How much are you looking to spend . . . the high side would be more helpful.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited March 2008
    Watch out...Joe is the resident vinyl junkie and he's hard to shake off your leg once he bites you.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited March 2008
    hearingimpared wrote: »
    the high side would be more helpful.


    Isn't that the case for anything in this hobby? Seems like since he was looking at the entry level table, he doesn't want to spend more than $300 for everything.

    If that's the case, this phono preamp has good reviews for the price:

    http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Phono-Box-MM-MC-Phono-Preamplifier?sc=2&category=401


    Just remember this though, should the vinyl bug decide to bite you and you want to upgrade your table to something in the higher range, you will also need to upgrade your phono preamp should you buy something like that. Might want to looking into spending the extra to begin with...just a thought.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • dorokusai
    dorokusai Posts: 25,577
    edited March 2008
    You can have fun with vinyl at a modest price without a doubt. Hopefully he won't get a 4K suggestion :) but this is Club Polk.
    CTC BBQ Amplifier, Sonic Frontiers Line3 Pre-Amplifier and Wadia 581 SACD player. Speakers? Always changing but for now, Mission Argonauts I picked up for $50 bucks, mint.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • candyliquor35m
    candyliquor35m Posts: 2,267
    edited March 2008
    If you want to go super cheap, I keep seeing these phono-pre's advertised on my gmail for $43.50: http://www.phonopreamps.com/index.html

    No affil.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • aps1ngh
    aps1ngh Posts: 36
    edited March 2008
    BaggedLancer wrote: »
    Isn't that the case for anything in this hobby? Seems like since he was looking at the entry level table, he doesn't want to spend more than $300 for everything.

    If that's the case, this phono preamp has good reviews for the price:

    http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Phono-Box-MM-MC-Phono-Preamplifier?sc=2&category=401


    Just remember this though, should the vinyl bug decide to bite you and you want to upgrade your table to something in the higher range, you will also need to upgrade your phono preamp should you buy something like that. Might want to looking into spending the extra to begin with...just a thought.

    Yea, that's about a good price range. Maybe a little less. I am looking at that preamp and they also have the exact same preamp with a usb version (which would be awesome to plug straight into my computer to digitize music). I'm buying a new soundcard for my pc once I turn it into my media center box and it's going to have direct component stereo output and input (called the ESI Juli@, has a top notch DAC for sound cards). Would work great for ripping vinyls. As for the turntable, I found it here here:http://www.jr.com/JRProductPage.process?Product_Code=TEC+SLBD20D&JRSource=PriceGrabber.datafeed.TEC+SLBD20D#productTabShipping
    for a great price. Just a little more research on a preamp and I think I may be ready to pull the trigger and buy! thanks so much!
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited March 2008
    EDIT: Sorry I missed the price range! :-(

    The OP should look locally for a Technics DD tt or a vintage Thorens belt drive tt. Good-performing, well- built decks produced in large numbers. You should be able to find a decent one for $200 or even (well) less.

    FWIW, my new toy. This strikes me as a cost-effective solution to decent vinyl playback. The sub-$1k tt's today (except for the venerable Technics SL-1200) all strike me as toys :-( which renders them not cost-effective IMNSHO.

    DSCN5296.jpg

    The VPI Scout is another serious contender in the 'cost-effective' camp (again IMNSHO).

    YMMV, of course, so you might want to look at the Pro-Ject, Music Hall, and Rega entries sub-$1k (some of which are available under other brand names as well).

    The current, inexpensive Thorens tables look pretty chintzy, unfortunately. The nice current Thorens tt's are quite expensive.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited March 2008
    I'm gonna assume that's a marantz tt-1551 in which case that TT is like $2300ish? A bit more than budget haha :)
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,802
    edited March 2008
    brand new it's $1600 with cartridge. This one was considerably less ('cause it's not brand new). But yes, still over budget :-(
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • aps1ngh
    aps1ngh Posts: 36
    edited March 2008
    Would it be better to buy a turntable with an integrated preamp or to buy separates? I am asking because for my budget, I am looking between these two turntables:
    http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-PL120-Turntable?sc=2&category=46

    That turntable has an integrated preamp.

    http://www.needledoctor.com/Technics-Turntable-SLBD20D?sc=2&category=46

    That one doesn't have a built in preamp but I would buy this preamp:

    http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Phono-Box-MM-MC-Phono-Preamplifier?sc=2&category=401

    Should I go with the Technics and Pro-Ject or buy the integrated Audio Technica turntable? The combinations are about the same pricewise, but out of those two, which would carry more quality, versatility, and overall upgradeability (changable cartridges)?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • BaggedLancer
    BaggedLancer Posts: 6,371
    edited March 2008
    The only way to make that decision would be to think if the vinyl bug bites and you want to upgrade. Should it bite and you chose option 1, you need a new TT and preamp. Should it bite and you chose option 2, you need a new TT only. Really only you can decide that one.
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • aps1ngh
    aps1ngh Posts: 36
    edited March 2008
    BaggedLancer wrote: »
    The only way to make that decision would be to think if the vinyl bug bites and you want to upgrade. Should it bite and you chose option 1, you need a new TT and preamp. Should it bite and you chose option 2, you need a new TT only. Really only you can decide that one.

    How would you compare the quality of the components that I selected? Is the preamp in the integrated AT tt comparable to the Pro-Ject preamp? I guess what it comes down to between those two combinations is sheer quality. they're the same price but I have no experience with either brand names or tt's in general. Have people generally experienced better sound quality from separates or integrated tt's? Anyone have experience with any of these brand names?
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • cmy330go
    cmy330go Posts: 2,341
    edited March 2008
    Give Stephen Monte a call at Quest for Sound. He has a few options for entry level tables. For those with a tight budget he usually recommends a couple of Teac tables. One of which has a pre-amp built in. Feel free to tell him that David from Des Moines sent you. And don't be scared by the retail prices listed on his website. His actual price will be lower.

    Yet another friendly reminder.......Vinyl is addicting!
    HT
    Mits WD-65737, DirecTV, Oppo DV-970HD, XBOX ONE, Yamaha RX-A1030, Parasound Halo A23, Rotel RB-985, Music Hall MMF-7, Parasound PPH-100, LSi-15, LSi-C, LSi-FX, LSi-7, PSW-1000, Monster HTS2600

    2 CH
    Parasound Halo P3, Parasound Halo A21, Sutherland Ph.D, VPI Classic 3 w/ 3D arm & Soundsmith Aida Cartridge, Arcam CD72T, B&W 802 S3, Monster HTS2500,
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter