attn vinyl whores: recommend me a good turntable under $300
 

my current turntable is an audio-technica which served its introductory purposes but now needs replacement. it was this one

i'm thinking of something under $300 so i can fill in the rest of the budget with a usb transducer (so i can quickly record stuff) for about $30, a new record cleaner + solution (currently using some "peaches" crap i picked up @ goodwill for $1), and some assorted shit like .

>> i'm currently oggling this

& the upgrades are a good value. with the extra crap i'm buying adds up to $292 plus shipping

some other day i'll get this:


but definitely not today.

i'm sort of against getting "vintage" tts that need parts, repair, hard to find cartridges, and are generally like having an extra high maintenance pet, though i might consider something workable if cartridges are easily available, etc.

opinions? suggestions?

thanks!

ps- i like lpgear and their modded turntables, their whole selection can be seen here

If you're receiver has an RCA out you don't need a USB thingy. You can just get an RCA to 1/8" converter cable and plug it into your sound card's line in. (Or your motherboard's if you have onboard sound like me.)

That said if I'm in that price range I'd get a Technics 1200, or scout around for 2 used ones. They are the only good turn tables that I'm really familiar with though. I love them. Wish I had one. (I used them when I was a radio DJ.)

technics sl1200 is a solid work horse i would reccomend that.

ooh...

those start at $500 and up though. would a use one require repair? tonearm replacements? and how much are cartridges? oh i can look that up. hm....

julian - i like the usb transducer because i can skip the pathetic audio card on my laptop, and capture seems to be smoother w/ usb devices. though i've done this before straight to soundcard-- it's just a lazyness thing.

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-PSLX250H-.../dp/B00005T3XH

for $100 you can't go wrong

yeah, i'm not looking for a total entry level thing, i HAVE something like that. i'm looking to improve the quality a bit that is all--

not $550 worth of improvement (that's the cheapest sl1200 i've found so far, there's one for $200 on ebay but 45rpm doesn't work).

i just want something around $250-$300 because that's the money i have for it.

oh okay

that model looks ok.

the sl 1200 is still the industry reference model. there are thousands of models like it, go to your local store and you will probably find one.


i've tried this img djp-202 model it was good and it was like €180.



speeds: 33 & 45
pitch control: +/- 10
torque: 1.2 kg
platter: aluminium
tone arm:
effective length 230mm
overhang 15.2 mm
tracking error
-inner groove 2º32'
-outer groove 0º32'
offset angle 22º
vertical friction 7mg

Patience is the name of the game on Ebay. You could definitely get one in good condition for 200 bucks. Maybe even cheaper.

They are generally very reliable and hold up for years, so buying them used isn't a big deal. Just make sure to ask the seller questions and try to find one in "good condition" or "near mint" or "like new"

and as orange blur said, other companies make models based off of it. Direct drive tables are sooooo nice. Everything about them.

thanks jico -- yeah i think that audio-technica i'm looking at it's a copy of the technics-- i admit it's not going to be as good but the turntable itself is $180 new at this store. in other places it retails for around $250. the change from $180 to $230 is because they add a thick mat to isolate the vibrations from the motor (a problem w/ some dd turntables), some shit to level the thing ("protractor?") and more importantly, a cartridge. so it's a pretty good value.

julian -- patience? what is that? ha ha ha. i need something now... i really much rather deal with a new turntable though. if you look at the one i'm considering, it IS a direct drive and it looks like a ripoff of the technics... cheaper of course. but having it new & soon is a big plus.






see?

some specs (from the manual):
Turntable Specifications
Type 3-Speed, fully manual operation
Motor DC motor
Drive Method Direct drive
Speeds 33-1/3 RPM, 45 RPM, 78 RPM
Pitch Variation +/- 10% or +/- 20%
Turntable Platter Die-cast aluminum
Starting Torque >1.6 kgm-cm
Braking System Electronic brake
Wow and Flutter < 0.2% WRMS (33 RPM)
Signal-to-Noise Ratio > 50 dB
Output Level
Pre-amp “Off” 2.5 mV nominal at 1 KHz, 5 cm/sec
Pre-amp “On” 200 mV nominal at 1 KHz, 5 cm/sec

their upgraded stylus (costs $50 alone) is a "hyperelliptical diamond stylus" ("hyper" elliptical?).

maybe later i'll get the $600 i need for a new technics.

now, the thing is, doesn't direct drive supposedly pick up the vibrations from the motor? while DD is great for DJing, isn't a good belt drive better for listening?

now the next one up is this denon w/ belt drive that comes with an eliptical cartrige and i might be pushed to do $330... if it would be significantly better.

I MISS BRICK & MORTAR STORES.

where's gmku when one needs him?

--

i'm looking at this now. hm....

http://www.musicdirect.com/product/72052

comes in cool colors:

Direct drive turntables aren't as good for sound, it's true. I like them because they're more bulletproof (the good ones, anyway; those Numark ones look good and work OK, but they're not built like tanks).
For me, the heavier the better, just so the needle doesn't jump if you step on the floor too hard and nonsense like that.
I have a Panasonic SL-1100 (the precursor to the Tec 12) that I bought used for a hundred bucks and I love it. My bandmate runs a very high-end audio company and he told me that if I upgrade the tonearm, I could have a competitive audiophile turnable. Nice to know. I'll definitely enlist his aid when the time comes.

i'll sell you a pair of technics SL-1200MK5s for 500$

Crypto it is 300 or less.

not a pair

oh yeah the fucking floor... i'm installing a wall shelf.


ah, no thanks man, appreciate the offer, but a) i just want one b) i'm strongly leaning towards a belt drive c) i'd rather buy new, not used-- i want a good warranty in case of any problems.


hm... well i really don't need a "tank". i'm not going to be moving that turntable anywhere.

the other problem with used as i see, is that being 1200s they'll be preused by djs, which means they'll be more worn out than an old thai whore. nah, i'll rather save $600 for a new 1200 when the time comes. or i might look into something else actually-- there's some sweet stuff for that price.

i bought mine new and have only been used 6-8 times

I have to admit I'm not a huge audiophile or anything, but I'd recommend some kind of belt drive. Even lower end models are quieter, and there's less to break, usually just a belt to replace.

If you have the dough, invest in the best cartridge you can. Check out Grados if you can find them. They make any turntable sound superb.

I always advise having a good audio technician install the cartridge, by the way, unless just a simple plug-in kind. If they screw into a head shell, though, they need to aligned just right.

I'm envious! Turntable shopping. What I wouldn't give...

crypto-- thanks man it's a good buy but i really can't. maybe someone can buy them both & resell for a profit-- i would if i have time-- but then how could i spend endless hours here? but thanks for offering, really, i do appreciate the opportunity.


thanks for that note; btw you know why i'm "turntable shopping"? i got tired of the automatic button in my turntable. went to play a record the other day & the stylus was buried in the mat, broken to pieces. yeah, kjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj. the cat might be the culprit. besides, it's not so great sounding, but for a cheap piece of $99 plastic it hasn't been bad.

that and i have to "expense" any business earnings before the 31 :D

i have a long list of things...

well it looks like i've settled for now



pro-ject debut III, in red, w/ ortofon OM5 cartridge (included)