Plz help with my first Turntable rig...

Here are some great inexpensive turntables.

PRO-JECT DEBUT III TURNTABLE & ORTOFON OM5 CARTRIDGE — $379.00



REGA - P1 TURNTABLE & ORTOFON OM-5 CARTRIDGE — $395.00



At Music Direct.

MUSICDIRECT - REGA - P1 TURNTABLE in BLACK w - ORTOFON OM-5

I would try and find a used vintage pre amp.
Look at Pioneer, Kenwood, Marantz, Akai, NAD, Yamaha.
Any of these would be a good choice.
I bought a vintage system from these guys awhile back and was very happy.

classicaudio.com..... classic audio equipment, vintage hifi stereo, marantz pioneer sansui and more!

Here is something nice:

Yamaha model CA-400 integrated amplifier
and
Yamaha model CT-400 tuner

$229.95



classicaudio.com..... For Sale..... Yamaha CA-400 and CT-400

I would also recommend a used set of Klipsch speakers
Here is a Klipsch HERESY at oak tree vintage.

Oak Tree Vintage has used home audio stereo gear, antique microphones cables and connectors 8mm 16mm movie film projectors vintage guitars amplifiers amps guitar effects old transistor tube radios reproduction jukeboxes. Reel Reels turntables speaker

I have never bought from them so I cannot give them a recommendation.
You might find something similar on e-bay.



$119. Each

Yes, both of those turntables are better than the Technics 1200MKII.
The Technics is mostly for DJ use.
It is used because of its durability.

For home use you can do much better.

Remember, crap in crap out.

So buy the best source (turntable) that you can afford.
And buy the best speaker that you can afford.

Upgrade the in between (amp, preamp, cables) as you can afford to.

The preamplifier is the volume control and source selection before it goes to the power amp stage.

A power amp has a fixed gain and is simply what powers your speakers.
This is what turns the line level signal into speaker level and can provide the current for your speakers.

I love my Klipsch speakers, I cannot recommend them enough.

Put as much into the speakers as possible. Aside from recording quality, that's the vast majority of your sound quality. Klipsch speakers (at least their classic/heritage models) are very good. You can often find Heresys, Cornwalls and even a LaScala on your budget.

However, there are lots and lots of speakers out there. My favorite type are dipoles, which radiate sound front and back. They really sound like the real thing. The least expensive new ones are the Magnepan MMGs for $600. Though with your budget, I'd find their 1.6 used for around $1,000.

For amplification, I'd find a used receiver for $20-$100. They're good enough, really they are. I was running my ESS AMT-1s off a nice Zana Deux/Conrad-Johnson setup which sounded terrific. Then Mom'n'Dad carted off the AMTs (they needed good speakers) and hooked them up to a 20 year old Kenwood receiver worth maybe $20 at a thrift store. Not quite as good as tubes, but they sound great and are very listenable. I would absolutely do the same if I were on a budget.

Turntables are important, too. Skip the budget entry-level new ones and get a solid used turntable. I'd go with a used Rega P3 or a VPI. Add the cart of your choice (there are some good threads on budget cartridges) and that would make a fine setup.

For the ancillary stuff, make your own rack from Ikea tables or follow one of the DIY plans for using threaded rods from the hardware store. You don't need to spend a fortune.

Cables are a complete waste of money, in my opinion. I know this is contentious, but I'll share my experience. I've owned several cables that were supposed to make a difference. Not one of them did. Everything sounded exactly the same as the supposedly "bad" stock cables. I also DIY, so I measured the cables with a Fluke DMM and a Tektronix oscilloscope. I found zero appreciable difference.

So I strongly recommend putting your money towards the best speakers and turntable you can afford (preferably used), get an older receiver and cheap out on the rest. Don't worry, once you hear a good turntable on good speakers with adequate amplification, you'll be thrilled you didn't pay more.

It's good to see that more people are wanting to get into vinyl. As of late, I've been trying to to tailor my headphone rig around a DacMagic, which I am having a hard time doing. Nothing beats my vinyl rig downstairs that I use in my speaker system. Sure the dac sounds more detailed, but is by no means more pleasing; by comparison it sounds brittle in the treble, and just not as musical.

You may want to browse on audiogon.com for used turntables. That's where I got mine (Clearaudio) and I got a great deal on it.

It's good to see that more people are wanting to get into vinyl. As of late, I've been trying to to tailor my headphone rig around a DacMagic, which I am having a hard time doing. Nothing beats my vinyl rig downstairs that I use in my speaker system. Sure the dac sounds more detailed, but is by no means more pleasing; by comparison it sounds brittle in the treble, and just not as musical.

You may want to browse on audiogon.com for used turntables. That's where I got mine (Clearaudio) and I got a great deal on it.

Argggghhhhh, Klipsch La Scala!

No.


Usually, they do.