Best all time EVER Turn table (record player)
 

I am looking at my vinal turning to dust-
Time to set a real music room .
I prefer tubes -for most amps and other audio choices.
A Turntable that will play 45 and 33 is what I need for a "get the done job right the first time ".
I used to own a Technics SL 1200 MK2 long time passing.
Is that still a good choice?

What do like?

The Technics with an appropriate stylus is still a good choice.

I've been using a Pro-Ject 1-Xpression III Classic for over 10 years. It's fairly basic but I haven't felt a need to upgrade.

(Amp is a Redgum RGI120. Speakers, Legacy Signature III)

The Amp subject is good to include too!

You might be in for some sticker shock.

Get your butt over to a high end audio store so you can hear the equipment for yourself.

Support your local economy.

Lots of good stuff out there. You are right, tubes and vinyl just go together.

Tube amp, tube pre-amp with tube phono section is heavenly. I just have to get my big old tube amps refurbished with new resistors.

In general direct drive kind of sounds like the name, well at least the bass is very direct and a driving force. This solid foundation is a nice match for classic rock, although it can be a bit under defined and opaque compared to belt drive models.

Belt drive turntables in general are more lively, full of tempo, open sounding and have a toe tapping beat. Direct drives are more robust in the lower frequencies by comparison but more one note sounding in my opinion.

Both approaches are enjoyable, and fine examples of each abound although some of them cost as much as a Porsche.

It will have to be something SPECTACULAR to buy new.
For ears that love music the old stuff sounds and IS better.

So now you are talking about buying a used turntable right?

One advantage of buying from a high-end shop/store is they typically do some in-house servicing and setup.

Meaning before they take something on consignment they go though it. They might put a stethoscope on the turntable to listen for bad bearings and check cartridge alignment.

Some people think turntables suck because they have never heard one with a properly aligned cartridge.

The thing about turntables is they are mechanical and can wear out faster than electronics given the same amount of hours, so beware.

EDIT:
The number 3 turntable in my collection in the basement awaiting me to clean/flush out the old bearing oil/grease. It's an Technics SL 3200 I picked up a few years ago on a whim at a weakly flee market. Again, like an old car it needs it's oil changed or will act sluggish. And a belt turntable may need a new belt.

Read the header-
BEST ALL TIME EVER
thanx

"BEST ALL TIME EVER" You could spend well over $100,000 on a turntable and it would sound fantastic.

A good "new" turntable is about $1,000 USD. (made in England or the EU)

A second hand Technics with a good Ortofon stylus (Cartridge) may be your best option.

OK rephrase-
Not the best car ever made-
Not the best castle ever made
The best turntable YOU use .
How is that?

You also said:
So anything in between?

Local shop near me always has an excellent choice of used and demo equipment.

https://www.paragonsns.com/product-category/preowned-specials/

Pick yourself up a used Brinkmann for $20k or the bargain SME at $6.4k and a Doshi tube phono at $6-10k, and one of the used $10-60k tube power amps they typically have floating around, a preamp of some flavor, and all you need is some speakers.

I don't like most of their speakers because I'm not a fan of box speakers, but the consignment section has seen Quads, Magnapan and some rare exotic classics.

So you want to get into the best, better have north of $60,000 to spend and that's used. The big room at that store starts +$250,000 systems.

So the moral of this story is you can want the best, we all want the best, right? However finding the best for you and within your budget is another matter.

The store mentioned above has these educational evening musical events where we get treated to free food and listen to half million dollar systems, but I still like my system at home (well under 10k) better because it suits my ears and not assaults them.

Ok that’s better. I was gonna say you’ll be in for a shock

I take my vinyl seriously. I have a modest system but it’s nice. I have been very happy with my rega rp3 with a groovetracer reference sub platter and groovetracer delrin platter. Not using one now but a good cartridge choice for that table is an orotofon blue.

Don’t forget you’ll likely need a photo stage preamp. I like Parks Audio but the choices are vast as are prices

SIncerly katch-I truly wish you would not address every dam thread that comes on here.
You have already tainted it by not reading and understanding.
The paragraph included what I used in the past (and am used to)
Also, it asks the question-"what do you use?"
Understand the context yet?
On the top of Monday morn B4 I milk the cows and polish the blades i thought this was simple enough.

So to reiterate - "What is everyone's favorite turntable?"
Feel free to include anything else you have a passion for music wise. (to play back music)

Simple enough I hope?
Thanx!

Great information to look into.
Thanx

Ole!
Parks has some tube stuff!

Also check out Pro-Ject turntables.

For a very nice table budget $2k. You do not need to spend more than that. I highly suggest you buy new, either Rega or Pro-ject

Compared to what you may be used to, you would likely be very impressed with an entry level model from the two makers I mentioned at the $500 to $1k price point.

Good luck. Have fun.

I have the Budgie. I think he stopped making them. But his new model called the Puffin looks very interesting

Love the company. Have a question, email him and he answers. Fantastic build and fantastic service and quality and amazing price as you’ll see when you start looking for a quality pre amp. Highly recommended.

The one we all drooled over...

Nakamichi Dragon

Seriously ;)

I love tubes !
I remember when the arguments said "one could not tell the difference"
Later I found out the human ear could as I thought.

I agree. However, don’t expect to get tube amp sound out of a tube phone stage. If really want tube sound, your budget is gonna need to be pretty high to get a quality tube amp

I like my tube phone stage but I don’t say wow listen to that tube sound when I use it. It’s not that obvious. That said, it sounds far better than anything in its price range

Who doesn't....seriously! But if one limits their listening to that which has been pressed to vinyl....

I compromized with the digital age initially...now there's really no compromise to my ears ;)

It's all about the music...

Hey RF....is the Nak comparable to those....I've been out of TTs for a while...

I’ve never owned a Nak so I can’t say sorry

One reason why I like rega is because every part is replaceable and upgradable and they have a huge fan base for support .....like Porsche and Weber grills....

I knew a lot of folks with their decks, but never a TT....we drooled in the high-end stores though ;)

Seem to be unobtanium for a while....but that's what the thread title did for me....

Spend some time on Audiogon. You can easily spend high 5 figures for a “best ever” ‘table.

Here’s a nice one for you. VPI HRX with their Mk 12 tonearm. About $12,000 without cartridge. It uses stand alone motor linked to the platter through a flywheel to decouple the platter/tonearm from any motor vibration. Far from the best ever, but far better than our aging ears can appreciate.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1560169533.jpg

It'll play that Jimmy Buffet album that warped by the pool one day...I don't actually remember the show that night in our college gym :)!

....before digital ;)

I got me a Technics SL1900
Has a comparable base to the SL1200 but also some home features like auto start stop, and even repeat. And it's just a good looking old school turntable

https://i.imgur.com/HL2RArt.jpg
It just looks like a proper turn table..

And they generally run much cheaper then the SL1200 series


Stick an Ortofon Concorde on there which is not an audiofile stylus but it's a good one to play old records with impefections, the concorde rarely skips.

The Schiit Sol (pre-production image) is what I will be getting. Sub $1000, but Schiit's products always punch above their price range.

http://headphone-earphone.reviews/wp...-turntable.jpg

Get a Clearaudio or a Thorens. And a decent MC cartridge from Sumiko. Fn'g with phono preamps is a waste of money.

I'm running a Thorens TD115 thru a MAC 1900 receiver. Had both of them since the late 70s. I own vinyl - I have a few direct to disc or "first pressing", the majority are store bought either new or used.

How much do you want to spend, what sound quality are you looking for and what is your convenience tolerance? Finally, what do you want to get out of the music you play?

I listen to allot of music and I just want it to stream - I'm not interested in the audio quality. However, listening to vinyl is a different experience to me. It is a enjoyment and for whatever reasons, takes time to sit and listen. I either don't have the time or want to take the time - my loss.

I'm surprised of those younger than me have an appetite for vinyl. Its refreshing.

Does his pre-amp/tuner have a built in phono pre amp? Cause if it doesn’t it’s not a waste of money it’s a necessity and a MC is absolutely gonna need one with its low output

I would explore the line up that VPI is producing. I have both a VPI Scout and a Technics 1200. The technics sits in the rack unused.

I like the VPI stuff too.

You shat in your own thread.

My advise is consistent with others, you better listen up.

I have a VPI scout and a rega planar 2 which I bought 20 years ago.

My personal bias is strongly towards Rega for reasonably priced tables. There are tons of new to market products in the same price category, but rega has been doing this forever and the fine details that matter are there. Cant go wrong with a mid level Rega of nearly any vintage.

The true ultimate vintage feel TT is the Linn Sondek LP 12 imho. The still make them and there are hundreds of different specification. A well speced 20-30 year old version can be had in the $1500 range.

Since we're on the topic of turntables, what about cartridges?

Favorites? Can you tell the difference between moving magnet and moving coil carts?

Linn

cartridges are a good subject here too !