Help buying a turntable (very very newbie) - Page 2

Because it was designed by engineers?
Because it was designed & made in japan?
Because it does not follow the current belt drive trend? Hint: can (insert modern TT mfr here) design and build a direct drive that actually works? only 3 and a half have......
You can approximate a large part of the rega sound by speeding up the technics about 0.15% nice and easy. Technics has been making TT's that run at 33.3rpm for years you know. Denon and Sony too, they are just harder to find on the used market.
None of those really fit in there with the technics, or even a rega. They are either FAR worse than the Technics or even the P2 at the same price, cheap junk, much more expensive, or require restoration.

if you have any issue with direct drive i would be more than happy to play devils advocate on idlers, or belt connected idlers.

Motor boards are what are prized the most in either new or used turntables. This is the reason the Technics 1200 MK2 is held in such high esteem. The Rega Planer 3 is seriously compromised in this regard and it's much superior stock tonearm over the Technics can't make up the difference in price. The Technics 1200 MK2 is just a much better turntable. It's tonearm will work fairly well with carefully chosen cartridges and a tonearm upgrade will make it competitive with the Roksan and the better Linn models. DJs like it for it's user friendliness and the belt drive people seem to hold this advantage against it. After all, great sound quality comes only from expensive turntables that are inconvenient to use.

Another recommendation for the 1200. I've installed a Denon DL-110 cart on it and I love it. Sounds amazing on good condition vinyl, and is near unbreakable. I love being able to throw a vinyl on, give it a brush, and hit start. No need to dick around like some of the more finicky belt drive tables.

Also setting it up couldn't be easier for a newbie. Literally 5-10 minutes and you've got the cart aligned, VTA, VTF and anti-skate set up

Guys, I quite clearly stated 'but that is merely a matter of choice'

So there really is no need for you all to assure me that I am wrong and that you all are right.

Let me put it another way, so hopefully you all don't feel the need to re-educate me and insist that YOUR opinions are indeed FACTS.

I, ME, PERSONALLY THINK the Technics 1200 is not an audiophile grade table, I, ME, PERSONALLY THINK that it's a pile of crap. I, ME PERSONALLY THINK that you should buy other tables as mentioned on my previous post.

Sorry if having a conflicting opionion upsets people, strange really because I'm constantly being told to 'listen to MY ears' and whatever is right for YOU is right for YOU.

Unless you slate the DJ freindly scratch pad that is the SL1200 (IM MY OPINION).

Everyone is entitled to their personal notions. In my youth, I thought the slide rule was one of the greatest inventions of man and that only average idiots bought the new expensive unreliable calculators of the time. These new things would just never make it. I suppose slide rules are just as good today as they ever were but I don't know of anybody using one. My personal notions about them have since moved on.

Could you justify it? Tell us why you think that.

For sure you are entitled to your opinion, but how is this supposed to be a forum for LEARNING if opinions are not justified so that others may form their own based on them? This is quickly turning into a forum for BS with this.

Here are some concrete reasons the 1200 is awesome:
It has awesome speed stability and accuracy.
It has a 3 layer constrained mass damping plinth.
The tonearm was based on much much more expensive designs from technics.
It requires very little maintenance.
setup is easy.
Compared to the idlers there is no risk of flat-spotting the wheel.
Compared to the belt drives, there is better speed stability.
Slide rules are AWESOME, and I would agree one of the greatest inventions of mankind. They allowed people do do multiplication (although with somewhat loose accuracy) FAR faster than had previously been possible.

I regularly use a circular slide rule at work, its simply faster than busting out a calculator and gives me a good enough answer to round off.

I am also a vinyl newbie. I found an inexpensive Technics 1200 mk2 on Ebay from a reputable seller but the seller states that it comes with no cartridge. I have seen the Denon DL-110 mentioned. Will any cartridge work? Any other recommendations? or am I in the wrong thread for that?

 

If someone was looking for a cheep way out would it be bad to get something like a Pioneer PL 990 and replace the cartridge with a higher end one? What would be the drawbacks?

Edited by Elk - 6/10/10 at 7:40pm

The stock Technics tonearm is a bit on the heavy side and will tend to track better when matched with low compliance,(stiffer), cartridges like the Denon DL-110 while most moving magnet cartridges with higher compliances may present tracking issues with the heavier tonearms.
 

Have been using the Bugle lately to great effect. Opamp rolling is fun! Will be trying the 15V battery tweak next.

 

 

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the stock Technics ability to track. They have been tried and tested in the most demanding conditions for nearly 30 years.

 

I'm using a Audio Technica AT440MLa to great effect. I like the AT sound and can also recommend the less expensive models in the range such as the AT95E and AT120. Many other manufactures make excellent alternatives depending on preference. The Denon high output MC range is often recommended although I haven't heard it myself.

 

Bear in mind though that the Technics arm is a radically different design (heavy(ish), S-shaped, removeable headshell, relatively flexible) compared to the more recently fashionable low end audiophile grade alternatives (light, stiff, fixed headshell, tapered). So what is popular on a Rega, Linn etc is not necessarily as good on a SL1200. 

Definitely go with the Technics. They just stopped making new ones in the last year, but they are still coveted by Vinyl and DVS DJs as well as audiophile. They hold their value really well and now that they are OOP, they might actually go up a little in value.

I have a Rega Planar 3! I love it..

When looking to get the best performance out of your turntable you need to reduce/eliminate mechanical vibration!!!

 

I honestly do not believe you should spend too much money on the turntable, buy whatever decent table is in your budget.

 

The setup is most important, ensure the surface is extremely level, and verify your cartridge is aligned correctly!

 

A lot of people purchase very expensive tables that are designed to reduce mechanical vibration from the start but in my experience adding an energy absorbption platform can make any decent entry level turntable perform admirably.

 

 

The new Rega RP3 is beautiful and great for the price.