I have one of the middle of the road ProJect turntables. Quality piece. I'd recommend them.

Sorry I missed the post about the $400 cap. I guess I wont suggest an amp and pre amp to go with it either.

In market myself for new turntable. Used to have Pioneer PL 1000 - their version of old Phase Linear. Have Yamaha pre amp and seperate power amp. Will be mainly playing 33s but also the odd 78. Would like to keep under $500 for table and cartridge/needle. Sorry is this may be duplicative, but would love to hear suggestions. Thanks ~

As mentioned the Tecnics 1200 table was about the best you could buy. They´re hard to come by nowadays.

However I´ve heard great things about the clones. They´re an awesome copy for half the price. Heavy, DJ grade. I´d go with these.

Do a search for Audio-Technica AT-LP120

the 1200 is a dj turntable, not really ideal for home audiophile use.


It is direct drive an designed for approximately 2 million l;bs of tracking force. Its reputation comes from its reliability not really its sound quality.

Most of the options listed are better for home use.

I thing a rega planar 1 is just a tiny bit over your budget, but that is the one I would go with. I have had a planar 2 for 20+ years.

In general.............................

Belt drive:
Dynamic energized lively sound with good transparency which can get a little hyper or bouncy/splashy on lower end decks.

Direct Drive:
A foundation of solidness and drive especially with the bass. Done wrong or on a budget can be opaque or shunted sounding by exhibiting little space or air around the notes.

I prefer to go to high end shops which will let me hear both, educate me and in turn I reward them for their time and expertise.

Getting what you want even when you don't know what you want at first is priceless.

Happiness (long term) is not measured by savings, it is measured by value.

NOTE:
Old tech is awesome, tube phono section with tube pre-amp and tube amp mellows out any harshness or surface noise on LP's like they were made for each other. A glass of wine doesn't exactly hurt either.

thanks everyone I appreciate the insight.

I used to DJ, so I have 1200s. They are indeed not built for audiophile applications. But it doesn't sound like thats a concern here.

I looked at craigslist in Minneapolis, and there a number of good options.

There are couple Technics SL-1700s
Vintage Technics SL-1700 Turntable

Nice old Sony
SONY PS-X55 Direct Drive Stereo Turntable

These old Dual turntables look great. Nice sound if its proper working order
Dual 606 turntable

Nice Bang & Olufsen
Bang & Olufsen Beogram 1602

I agree. Or music hall or a rega p1.

HardDrive I'd be all over that Sony if I needed one. I have a PS-X60.

I have a Luxman PD 272 Direct Drive turntable with the Audio Technica TK7e stylus packed away in the garage. In excellent condition.

Let me know if you are interested. Would rather sell to a pelican than a complete stranger.

I have both a VPI Scout and a Technics 1200 M3D. For everyday home use I still think the Technics is the way to go. I think you can get them to sound very good. The low-end Rega and Project tables feel a little flimsy and lightweight to me.

Vintage Magnavox Stereo Console - $75 (Plymouth)


Vintage Magnavox Stereo Console

Vintage Magnavox Integrated Audio System stereo console features AM/FM radio, turntable (33, 45, 78), 8 track tape player, cassette player, external speakers, external FM antenna. All of the equipment is in working condition. The the cabinet is in excellent condition, no major scratches or wear. 9 - 8 track tapes in the pictures are also included with the stereo. Approximate measurements are 17" x 45" x 27". $75/OBO

http://images.craigslist.org/00606_e...op_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/01313_2...Hr_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/01212_d...Nr_600x450.jpg

http://images.craigslist.org/00w0w_i...Mh_600x450.jpg

I'd be ALL OVER this baby!!!!!!! :)

Check out U Turn Audio. They're a Kickstarter program started by two guys that wanted a high quality, good sounding Turntable made less expensive. Mine should be arriving soon.
I ordered it in late February and it's due to arrive soon. The Tables are hand made in Boston I believe.

200$ for turntable made in the USA seems impressive.


It does look a lot like a basic rega without the cast aluminum tonearm though

What condition are the albums in? I'd verify that before investing in the electronics.

A good sounding turntable is a simple device. Roy Gandy from Rega Research invented the simplest, best device 30+ years ago & everyone has been copying him since. As an aside, he is a nice guy & a long time Porsche owner. Also a gun guy – I went skeet-shooting with him in 1982 (and he beat me by one clay – I only missed one vertical throw). I made a lot of 80s money selling Rega.

Belt drive. Damped platter with mass. Reliable bearing. Rigid tonearm. Pro-Ject, Roy Hall, the U Turn above . . . are all copies of the original Rega design.

So buy a Rega if budget allows or one of the imitators if not.

Ian

I have a Dual CS-5000 as my main unit. Around $300 in mint condition from Craigslist.

http://www.hifisentralen.no/forumet/...v-cs5000-3.jpg


My old Philips 212 is hooked up to my desktop computer.

http://www.1001hifi.com/uploads/1/2/...31108_orig.jpg

Baz, I see a lot of those old console units at flea markets around here. They seem to be a pretty popular purchase. Wish I would have taken my parents Zenith that they got rid of a few years ago.

That turntable is a work of art! How's it play/sound?