Turntables
 

My mom is giving me dads old record collection. like 500 records. Can anyone here recommend a turntable? I am not a audio snob but I do appreciate good sound quality. I have an amp and would like one with RCA connectors....

For a really nice starter table I don't think you can go wrong with a Technics 1200. They are no longer made, but you can pick them up used no problem. Just be sure it has not done DJ Duty. You will also need to make sure you have a pre-amp. If your receiver does not have a phono setting your are going to need to pick one up.

Give us the price range you want to spend.
First, look at your amp- if it does not have a specific phono input, you may need a phono preamp- essentially a pre-pre amp.
For low end tables I like Rega. Higher end I personally like VPI and Oracle.
Do not get me started about arms and cartridges- I am unfortunately an audio snob.
If you want to stay inexpensive- the low end rega's are under $500 including arm and cartridge- and they sound pretty darn good.
Just like porsche- this is not a cheap hobby and the sky is the limit.
If you want to be much under $500 and be decent- look at craiglist.
Gary

Pro-Ject - Essential II - Turntable $329

+

Cambridge Audio - 551P MM Phono Stage $139

Or better. For 500 records of your Dad's, it would be worth it imho.

Ian

Disclaimer: I sell Cambridge but AA is not my customer . . .

Thanks guys. I was thinking like 400 at the most...

You may want to ask yourself "How used are the records?"
If you get a really nice system to play them on you may end up hearing more scratches etc than you knew existed.

My amp does have a phono input.

Then buy the Pro-ject. They are good people & build a good product.

Ian

Rega planar or project or music hall

I have a regular pioneer turntable but also have 4 of these (3 in the house and 1 in the garage)......wonderful sound!!!!!!!!!!

They can be found in Craigslists all over the country as well as on eBay - like this one in Philly....

$65.00......no bids with 3 days left in auction. Local pickup of course.

Magnavox Astro Sonic Console Stereo | eBay

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...TOZ6v/$_57.JPG

http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTIwMFgxNj...$_57.JPG?rt=nc

Most are solid state but you can also find tube units - which are cool because it takes a minute to warm up. :)

While Ian is the expert here, why not one that converts to whatever digital stuff it does. I had one (loaned it to a friend) and you can play and put the music on you iPod. A little labor intensive, but I digitized like 100 albums over a few weekends.

Here's a tube unit located in Lumberton, NC. What a beautiful cabinet......a real piece of art!

I think his asking price is a bit high ($350.00) - probably would take $100.00 if you were to pick it up in person.

Magnavox Stereo Tube Amp Console 12" Woofers Micromatic Turntable EL84 6BQ5 | eBay

Wow...a gorgeous ONE OWNER in perfect condition for $99.00 located in Indiana.

I'd be on that if I lived closer!

Magnavox Astro Sonic 20 Contemporary Console Stereo Am FM Stereo Turn Table | eBay

Not happening under $400! There are deals out there though.

Just watch out for the upgrade bug. A good turntable is going to reveal weaknesses in your amp... Upgrade... Oops new amp and turntable reveal weakness in my speakers and on and on and on....

What did your dad play them on?

You have good taste- presently listening to an oracle delphi mark VI. Glorious.
Gary

I can't remember. Maybe it will come to me. They have been sitting in boxes since the mid 80s

It may help to remember as that will give you (and us) an idea of how worn out the records may or may not be. Well worn records will not sound like you're expecting them to if played on a nice system like the others here have been suggesting.
As an example, when I got my system (1978) and asked an old college friend to bring his favorite record over to audition it on my new system, he was amazed when it started to skip. He accused me of scratching his record. I showed him it was tracking at only 1 gram of weight and that the scratch was already there, his system just wasn't sensitive enough to pick it up. So, I'd recommend you find out what shape the records are actually in before spending money on a system to play them on.
Just trying to help.

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?