Best Budget Record Player

[Melvins]

Sorry if this thread is in the wrong forum, feel free to relocate it mods!
 
So as many of you know, most people use mp3's and what not nowadays to listen to music on the move but most music enthusiasts still highly focus the majority of their music collection around vinyl. I think it's now time for me, as a music lover, to start focusing on the beauty that is vinyl. Anyway, so headfi, I bequest of you, to please offer me some recommendations for the best record player. ALSO: a huge thing for me is my budget. Can't be spending hundreds of dollars here. Preferably around 200 bucks but may be willing to go a bit above that. Also, I don't really have a set of speakers so I would need to buy some of those as well to hook my record player up to. thanks for your time and thanks in advance for your recommendations!

 

[trog]

Alternatively you can have a media server/NAS storing all your CDs ripped to FLAC and any machine at home could access music....

 

[Melvins]

But I want to BUY records you see. Than listen to SAID records. Sort of the point of this endeavor. I attend many a show and listen to many a band which are putting out their new material on vinyl. 

 

[BrownBear]

Do you mind used stuff? Check ebay for some of the older Pioneer turntables. I have a PL-4 and I like it. Had it since my parents, they bought it new. I've seen them go for about 50 dollars on ebay.

 

[Melvins]

I don't mind used stuff at all! In fact I'd probably prefer it since it'd be a better all around turn-table for cheaper

 

[BrownBear]

Quote:

 it'd be a better all around turn-table for cheaper

Exactly. Some of the old school stuff are great deals. Like I said, the Pioneer decks are supposedly very solid, but I can only speak for the PL-4 since I have that one. Good turntable. I put a M97xE cartridge on it, although I'm looking to upgrade that. I had an AT dual mount style cart sitting around, and I liked that one better.

 

[Melvins]

your basically speaking gibberish to me man, how does all of that effect the sound/tone?

 

[BrownBear]

Well, the M97xE is a cartridge made by Shure, and the 'AT' of which I spoke was another cartridge made by Audio Technica that I had from a few years ago. The cartridge is the piece that the stylus (needle) is attached to, and basically what generates the sound. Different cartridges produce different tonal characteristics, kind of like different headphones sound different. By dual mount, I just meant that that particular cartridge was able to be mounted onto both major styles of tonearms, P Mount and Standard Mount.