Help me buy a new Turn Table

[Starkraver]

Hi All,

 

I've decided to buy a turn table (About time) i've couple of old LP's and next month i'll be getting a few more.

 

So please suggest me as to what do i look for in my first TT.

Budget is around 300-400 Euros.

 

I guess i read too much about the automatic, semi automatic , this , that.. , BLAH.

 

I'm very confused right now :/ , feel like i'm back to square one. " HELP "

 

Any suggestion/opinion/knowlede dropping .. ???

 

Thanks

-Ankur

[Blubber]

i got a Stanton T.62 one year ago and i'm really satisfied with it. i'm playing vinyls only from time to time, when i can take the time to fully appreciate audio-experiences. no scratching, no djing, no picky audiojunky here. so, answers to your question depend on what you want to have (special gimmicks, special look, special something) and what you want to do (listen, look, scratch, pitch, mix). for simply listening through a standard hifi-system the Stanton should work, it is good-looking and pricey. only minus: no plastic cap or the like, you have to cover it up with some sort of... stuff

[Starkraver]

Pure home listening is what I need a TT for.

[Veracohr]

Only suggestion I can give is not to get a cheap belt-drive table. I spent $100 on mine, and while it plays fine, it has slight fluctuations in speed that I can hear on long pads and sustained chords.

[Starkraver]

Thanks verachor. Ya I've kept that in mind. I never thought it would be so tough to choose one :/ it's been months! I should just stop looking for a vintage one & buy a good new one, I guess.

[Starkraver]

And I've already spent some money on other things :/

[Veracohr]

I should just stop looking for a vintage one & buy a good new one, I guess.

 

Good god yes, get something new. 'Vintage' (read: old) doesn't necessarily equate to better.

[Starkraver]

A good new TT costs a lot in my country I don't want to buy something mediocre and then in a year upgrade it. In the new I've few options like Audio Technica LP 60/120 affordable (1month salary :/ ) rega RP-1 & project debut carbon both only available in few places (costing 50K 😱) even if u consider there price as $500 , they both cost upto $800 over here !! I stumbled into some vintage technics & Marantz. SL 1700 , a very nice one, but I was a day or 2 late in approaching the seller. Vintage good one's cost (20k ₹ I.e around 400$) that's why the inclination towards vintage one's. So that I'll be able to buy a phono amp as well with some money that'll be left out.

[Drosophila]

What about Project Essential II, "a cheaper version" of the debute carbon..? It has belted some really nice reviews!
http://www.whathifi.com/pro-ject/essential-ii/review

 

I have the carbon and happy.

[Starkraver]

What about Project Essential II, "a cheaper version" of the debute carbon..? It has belted some really nice reviews!

http://www.whathifi.com/pro-ject/essential-ii/review

 

I have the carbon and happy.

 

Hey drosophila, I've been wanting to know this from the day u posted the pic of beautiful Project DC. ur complete setup is.?? How's the TT sounding.? Phono stage.? Which power amps and speakers are u using?

[Drosophila]

Keep an eye out in this thread

http://www.psynews.org/forums/index.php/topic/69457-lets-see-your-sound-system/

 

but about the turntable

 

I'm happy with the carbon, previously I have been used to having Technics 1210s around but I can't hear much difference, although the new one is less playful... but I haven't had my Pro-ject for very long, but I like it! I also have the one with the 2M Red pick-up, so it is a bit different from the essential besides the belt-system.

 

My phonostage is build into the amplifier (rega elicit-r) and sounds great, best I have heard to be honest, also one of the reasons I ended up getting that amplifier

[Starkraver]

I ended up getting a Technics SL 1200M3D meself! 😀 it was fun. A DIY CNC phonostage -->running into DIY B1 pass pre --> Klipsch multimedia speakers.

 

After couple of months, I sold it off and bought meself a gem Technics SL 110 + SME tonearm + Shure v15iii + jico sas needle! Currently very happy with it.