Entry level turntable recommendation

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rburgess714
rburgess714 Posts: 616
in Electronics
I am looking to get the GF an entry level turntable for around $250.

She has a Yamaha R-N303 that has a built in phono stage and Polk Signature 15s. Looking for analog connectivity not Bluetooth or wireless.

Want to go with new as it will be a gift.

Thanks.
Living Room
Parasound HINT 6, Yamaha Aventage RX-A 1060, Oppo 103D, Cambridge Audio Azur 851N, KLH Model 5s, Polk CSi A6, Samsung 65" LED

Office
Yamaha A-S501, Auralic Aries Mini, LSiM 703s

Douglas Connection ICs and Cables
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,599
    edited October 2020
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    This one looks pretty cool: https://www.turntablelab.com/products/audio-technica-at-lpw40wn-manual-belt-drive-turntable-walnut

    atlpw40wn-nolid_1800x.jpg?v=1571265602
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  • Dr_Wu
    Dr_Wu Posts: 305
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    I can recommend the Audio Technica LP-3 for an automatic turntable, $200 at the moment. The built-in phono preamp can be bypassed using a switch on the back panel. Lots of cartridge upgrade options if she doesn't like the AT91R.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,599
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    This one is also kinda cool looking: https://www.turntablelab.com/products/u-turn-audio-orbit-plus-turntable-om5e-white

    uturnaudio-orbit-white_1800x.jpg?v=1589231213
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,599
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    Oh yeah, good call. Forgot about Fluance.
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  • Clipdat
    Clipdat Posts: 12,599
    edited October 2020
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    Edit: YUUUP! B)
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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,000
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    The Music Hall MMF 1.3 is $299.99 if you could stretch, but otherwise, I like the Fluance.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • jeremymarcinko
    jeremymarcinko Posts: 3,785
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    +1 on the Fluance
    Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,434
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    I'd definitely go with something with a non-hollow-plastic deck to minimize noise. When I got my first table I thought I'd give the AT-LP120 a try, but I could hear everything through it. Sent it back and decided vinyl wasn't for me. Then a year later I got bit again. Maybe other such tables are better damped now. I think the Pioneer one is, but it's not in that budget range.

    Took me a while to learn to love the "audiophile" type designed tables. I initially really liked the Technics 1200 type tables, which is what I have, but I tried a Pro-ject Debut Carbon thanks to a good buddy, and it really grew on me.

    +2 on the Fluance.
    I kinda like the u-turn, too.
    I disabled signatures.
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  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,060
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    U-Turn offerings for your budget should be a good choice.
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

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    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

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    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
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  • displayname
    displayname Posts: 1,129
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    I had a UTurn before upgrading, and we still have one in the dining room.

    I will note that the acrylic platter upgrade is totally worth it, and changing the belt to 45 rpm is a bit of a pain.

    For ease of use, I'd go Fluance. For ability to do some upgrades, go UTurn.
    Analog: MoFi MasterTracker > MoFi UltraDeck > Sutherland 20/20
    Digital: Cambridge CXC / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
    MastersounD Dueventi > Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
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  • rburgess714
    rburgess714 Posts: 616
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    These all sound like viable options. Any downside to belt vs direct drive?
    Living Room
    Parasound HINT 6, Yamaha Aventage RX-A 1060, Oppo 103D, Cambridge Audio Azur 851N, KLH Model 5s, Polk CSi A6, Samsung 65" LED

    Office
    Yamaha A-S501, Auralic Aries Mini, LSiM 703s

    Douglas Connection ICs and Cables
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  • Milito
    Milito Posts: 1,909
    edited October 2020
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    I have the Fluance RT85 which I really like for a budget turntable.
    Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
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  • rburgess714
    rburgess714 Posts: 616
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    those wood platters of the AT and Fluance look pretty cool
    Living Room
    Parasound HINT 6, Yamaha Aventage RX-A 1060, Oppo 103D, Cambridge Audio Azur 851N, KLH Model 5s, Polk CSi A6, Samsung 65" LED

    Office
    Yamaha A-S501, Auralic Aries Mini, LSiM 703s

    Douglas Connection ICs and Cables
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  • displayname
    displayname Posts: 1,129
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    rburgess714 wrote: »
    These all sound like viable options. Any downside to belt vs direct drive?
    Belts wear out over time. DD can be audible, but that's generally system dependent.

    At the entry level I think you get a little more from belt drive because they are less expensive to design and build so that money can go to other parts. But plenty of people are very happy with AT LP-120.
    Analog: MoFi MasterTracker > MoFi UltraDeck > Sutherland 20/20
    Digital: Cambridge CXC / Streaming > Cambridge CXN v2
    MastersounD Dueventi > Rosso Fiorentino Certaldo or Arcam rHead > Hifiman HE4XX
    Discogs
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,032
    edited October 2020
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    rburgess714 wrote: »
    These all sound like viable options. Any downside to belt vs direct drive?

    Oh, man that's like asking folks about their choice of religion or political party ;)

    ... and, of course, there's always idler drive. :#

    EDIT: FWIW, I would bet money* that the A-T and Fluance tts above are both made by the
    same OEM. I'm guessing they're both made by Ya Horng, but that is a SWAG.

    ___________
    * Not much money... but money. Howzabout a quarter? B)

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  • Dr_Wu
    Dr_Wu Posts: 305
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    I wouldn't take that bet. And, you could throw the Denon DP-300f into that mix.
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,032
    edited October 2020
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    FWIW, the U-Turn was (is) a valiant and laudable attempt by a small, enthusiast company to "do" a high-value, US-made tt from the ground up. It was a big, big deal when it debuted (if memory serves, it was a Kickstarter project) and the small (tiny) company quickly got a reputation for exemplary customer service & support.

    My only 'gripe' about the U-Turn is a certain perceived crudeness to it (especially the arm) that I assume stems from its "greenfield" design and very modest price. They have a good reputation "in the field", though, so my perception ain't worth all that much! ;)

    In all seriousness, I would expect either the A-T or the Fluance tt above to be good, and for the $, good is... well... good. :) I would have to think either would track a decent cartridge, properly installed, well enough to provide very satisfying playback of rekkids -- and I don' t mean to be damning with faint praise by this comment! I would think that either would easily be (at least) the equal of, say, a Sansui SR-222, Technics SL-B1, Pioneer PL-512, etc. in terms of getting the job done... and all of those tts got the job done perfectly well.

    9931769165_62686928af_c.jpg313%20and%20it%20cooks by Mark Hardy, on Flickr

    Heck, there's still a PL-512 here; I think it's great :)


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  • jdjohn
    jdjohn Posts: 3,000
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    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    My only 'gripe' about the U-Turn is a certain perceived crudeness to it (especially the arm) that I assume stems from its "greenfield" design and very modest price. They have a good reputation "in the field", though, so my perception ain't worth all that much! ;)
    I agree, the arm looks a little cheap, but I will give them props for placing the counterweight in the same horizontal plane as the stylus. That is a common feature in the design of some more expensive arms...not to mention the good ol' AR XA B)

    I also agree with @displayname about the acrylic platter. It is much better than the common stamped platters out there. FWIW, the Music Hall has a cast-aluminum platter, but the Fluance is the heaviest tt overall out of this bunch by a couple of lbs, and that should not be overlooked.
    "This may not matter to you, but it does to me for various reasons, many of them illogical or irrational, but the vinyl hobby is not really logical or rational..." - member on Vinyl Engine
    "Sometimes I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to." - Cicero, in Gladiator
    Regarding collectibles: "It's not who gets it. It's who gets stuck with it." - Jimmy Fallon
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  • ZLTFUL
    ZLTFUL Posts: 5,640
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    I would really like to get an RT85 in Walnut into my house. My Kenwood KD-550 that I went through and upgraded where I could is an outstanding vintage TT but they are hard to find anymore. And having a newer TT would be nice from a "freshness" perspective.
    "Some people find it easier to be conceited rather than correct."

    "Unwad those panties and have a good time man. We're all here to help each other, no matter how it might appear." DSkip
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  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 33,032
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    jdjohn wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    My only 'gripe' about the U-Turn is a certain perceived crudeness to it (especially the arm) that I assume stems from its "greenfield" design and very modest price. They have a good reputation "in the field", though, so my perception ain't worth all that much! ;)
    I agree, the arm looks a little cheap, but I will give them props for placing the counterweight in the same horizontal plane as the stylus. That is a common feature in the design of some more expensive arms...not to mention the good ol' AR XA B)
    ...

    Yup, I was gonna mention that, too -- but I got tired of typing. :#
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  • msg
    msg Posts: 9,434
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    Gettin' slack, Doc (ಠ ͜ʖ ರೃ)
    I disabled signatures.
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  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
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    https://www.musicdirect.com/turntables/music-hall-usb-1-turntable

    This is a great starter for a dang good price.
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
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  • Milito
    Milito Posts: 1,909
    edited October 2020
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    Here's a pic of my RT85 when I first got it and was making sure it worked before I put it in my entertainment center below.
    fe2a73mc8exu.jpg
    Yamaha RX-A2070, Musical Fidelity M6si integrated amp, Benchmark Dac1, Bluesound NODE 2i, Audiolab 6000CDT CD Transport, Parasound Zphono USB Phono Preamp, Fluance RT85, Ortofon 2M Bronze, Polk L600's, L400, L900's, RC80i's, SVS 3000 Micro, Audioquest Interconnects and Digital Cables, Nordost Silver Shadow Digital Cable, Cullen Gold and Crossover Series Power Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 12AWG OCC Speaker Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha Analog Interconnect Cables, Douglas Connection Alpha 11 OCC Custom Power Cable, Signal Power Cable, Furman PL-8C 15 Power Conditioner, Sony 65" 900F, Sony UBP-X700, Fios, Apple TV 4K, Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables.
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  • rburgess714
    rburgess714 Posts: 616
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    Appreciate all the recommendations, was leaning towards the Fluance but ended up with the AT. I think she will love it.
    9w8abcm4l3cr.jpeg
    Living Room
    Parasound HINT 6, Yamaha Aventage RX-A 1060, Oppo 103D, Cambridge Audio Azur 851N, KLH Model 5s, Polk CSi A6, Samsung 65" LED

    Office
    Yamaha A-S501, Auralic Aries Mini, LSiM 703s

    Douglas Connection ICs and Cables
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  • afterburnt
    afterburnt Posts: 7,892
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    Milito wrote: »
    Here's a pic of my RT85 when I first got it and was making sure it worked before I put it in my entertainment center below.
    fe2a73mc8exu.jpg

    Funny, we watch the same thing on TV
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