[synaesthetic]

Well I pretty much have my digital listening covered well. The computer takes care of that quite handily. But I've always been a fan of vinyl, and I'd really like to know of a cheap introductory turntable that won't break the bank or sound like poo.

I had some random component TT from a no-name stereo system made back in the late 70s or early 80s, and it was bad. Oh, so very bad. Fortunately it died on me a while ago and I have not really replaced it due to lack of knowing what to replace it with. But I still have a number of records, and nothing to play them with.

 

[gz76]

The concept of 'cheap' varies from person to person. What is cheap for you? Do you prefer new or secondhand? Also, do you want everything (TT, phono stage, cartridge, accessories) within your budget, or just the TT itself? Also, tell us about your musical preferences and other equipment you'll be partnering with.

 

[Suntory_Times]

I am in the similiar boat the the original poster. The kind of music I woul dbe listening to is bothe old rock and classical music (opera for the most part). My budget is up to $300, and I want everything I need to run it. I don't mind buying second hand but live in Melbourne Australia which tends to limit choises in such areas.

Any help would be trully appriciated.

 

[omegaman]

I love my pro-ject debut III. It's a great starter TT that won't break the bank.

 

[robbmcaulay]

Or for an even cheaper option, the RPM1. I've read that it can sound very good with a couple of small tweaks.

 

[synaesthetic]

Secondhand doesn't bother me one bit. And yeah I'll need the whole shebang. I'm not really too knowledgeable on what this stuff costs, and I don't really have a budget since this is a long-term purchase, not something immediate.

I was mostly just looking for some ideas about what to get as a decent starter set-up.

The sound will be going out of my AD700s with my little wall-powered PIMETA amp, though in the long-term I'll be listening out of AD2000s out of a 3-channel beta-22. My musical tastes vary a little, mostly post-metal, post-rock, avant-garde, jazz, ambient electronic, doom metal and the like.

 

[chesebert]

I was told Rega is a great beginner table as it doesn't require adjustment after its properly adjusted by the dealer and will hold its adjustment almost forever (even if you are moving the table).

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by chesebert /img/forum/go_quote.gif I was told Rega is a great beginner table as it doesn't require adjustment after its properly adjusted by the dealer and will hold its adjustment almost forever (even if you are moving the table).

Yes, Rega is a terrific beginner's table. I found a used Planar 3 locally and it completely sold me on the format.

You don't need a dealer to set it up, however. A little patience and a little study will get it done right and then you won't have to mess with it. You seem handy, so you shouldn't have any trouble with one.

The other benefit of Rega is that there's cottage industry of tweaks and upgrades for their decks. You can have almost anything done to one of their arms, there are replacement subplatters, platters, everything.

 

[synaesthetic]

The Pro-ject Debut III looks to be within what I'm willing to spend, and it's attractive to look at. I love minimalism.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Pro-ject Debut III looks to be within what I'm willing to spend, and it's attractive to look at. I love minimalism.

If you hurry, there's one at Audiogon for $175:

AudiogoN ForSale: Pro-Ject Debut III

 

[ADD]

Quote:

Originally Posted by synaesthetic /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Pro-ject Debut III looks to be within what I'm willing to spend, and it's attractive to look at. I love minimalism.

It might looks nice but the Debut III is not a good turntable. It is an entry level machine which means that all the things critical to good sound are entry level too. Unless you are playing very undemanding vinyl, it is going to emphasise all the very worst weaknesses in the medium (mechanical noise, electrical noise, surface noise and particularly tracking distortion).

If you are going to get into vinyl I would advise to learn from my experience and get something decent to begin with. Unfortunately I bought a Debut III last year - realised my mistake and lost a heck of a lot of money subsequently selling it. The entry level for the Project range should be considered as the Xpression III which includes a carbon fibre tonearm which is a mere 60 million times better than the tonearm on the Debut III.

For your budget the obvious answer in my opinion is to buy second hand or to not get into vinyl at all. A properly selected second hand turntable will be far, far better than the Debut III.

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ADD /img/forum/go_quote.gif For your budget the obvious answer in my opinion is to buy second hand or to not get into vinyl at all. A properly selected second hand turntable will be far, far better than the Debut III.

I wouldn't go that far

The Pro-Ject is going to be a hundred times better than the plastic fantastic mini system type deck you had before and I think they are meant to be quite cheap in Australia as decks go.

That said there are loads of great quality turntables 2nd hand and as ADD says it makes more sense to get your feet wet without blowing loads on an entry level modern deck with no upgrade path which you'll probably want to move on from pretty soon.

Here is a list I made last year http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f7/low...source-228059/

 

[ADD]

Yes, my post was a hyperbole, but then again I am now so passionate about people starting out with vinyl the right way rather than the wrong way. If I myself had acted on your advice to me in our PMs 9 months ago, I wouldn't have wasted so much money. You told me I should have gotten that old, second hand Linn deck but I got the shiny new Debut III instead. OK, I am extremely happy now with the RPM5 and the Tubebox II (which are superb), but just think of all the vinyl I could have bought had I not lost $400 on buying a Debut III and then selling it for a great loss. Or that mint Sony DAT machine that suddenly could have been extremely affordable including a service!

Certainly though I do concede it is a big step up from the plastic fantastic and if all one is going to do is play the ubiquitous mass produced mid-fi vinyl through a budget setup it would do the job OK.

There is of course a theoretical option of buying a Debut III platform without any tonearm for a big saving, but that would still be like putting a BMW engine in a Toyota Yaris. I do feel that a new / second hand Rega P1 would be much better "new" buy out there on a strict budget, but as you know, once you go just a few steps up the ladder, the returns on vinyl playback are worth much more than the extra cost - perhaps this is the only example in audio where spending more gives you exponential returns as opposed to diminishing ones.