[hear_the_sound]

Hey guys,
I just received a bunch of records from my grandpa but don't have a record player to play them on!!!!

Looking to buy::
-Budget is $100
-Good sound, convenience, good looks
-I prefer it to be automatic so I don't damage the records by accident, and it would be cool if I could hook it up to my home theater but if not it's ok.


I did some quick research:
Which do you think is best of these?
Amazon.com: Audio Technica AT-LP2DUSB LP-to-Digital Recording System with USB: Electronics
Amazon.com: Sony PSLX250H Turntable: Electronics
http://www.amazon.com/Crosley-CR49-T...2151731&sr=1-1


Any suggestions welcome!

 

[bigshot]

$100 isn't going to do you very well unless you go used. Look at garage sales for 70s turntables by Dual, Technics or Thorens. You should be able to find one for between $50 and $100, depending on model and condition. A cartridge is going to cost about $50 and a phono preamp, if your receiver doesn't have one built in is another $50.

A good used turntable will sound as good as modern ones that cost five times as much.

See ya
Steve

 

[Uncle Erik]

Going used is probably best for your budget. Scout junk shops, thrift stores, Craigslist and ask friends and relatives if they have a old player in the garage. Once you find a deck, replace the belt if it has one and pull the manual. You're going to want to change the bearing oil (Mobil 1 automotive oil works great) and do all the little tuneup work recommended in the manual.

Also pick up some new sleeves for your records and learn how to wash them by hand in the sink. Clean records sound much better than dirty ones and you do not need to buy a cleaning machine.

 

[ComfyCan]

Good advice above. Anything you buy new for $100 will be utter crap and may actually damage your records. I'm not being an audio snob here--they really are crap and will not sound good. It's worth the hassle of hunting down a used table.

Another option is to take your chances on E-bay. The biggest problem with E-bay is shipping. Unless the seller actually knows how to ship a TT, they are often damaged in transit. The way to get around that is to find one of the "how to ship a turntable" tutorials that can be found on the internet, and send one to the seller to make sure he/she will comply with it. Most will gladly follow these instructions if you tell them about them. Another issue on E-bay is price. These days, people know how much a Thorens table is worth (for example) so you probably won't find one in good condition for that price. However, if you go to a less coveted brand you can find one. I found a Marantz 6100 TT for under $100 in near mint condition. It's not a great table, but it is a good table and you can still find manuals on the internet. This is just an example--there are many other such brands. Just do a search for "turntable" on E-bay and you will find zillions of them. Many of them are el-cheapos, so you'll have to do a little research to see which ones are worth owning. A good resource for TT information is audio asylum (vinyl asylum sub-forum) archives.

As someone above mentioned, you will also need a phono stage to take the low output signal from the TT and boost/equaize it to line level to plug into your amp. If you have an older amp or receiver, it may have a phono input (which means a built-in phonstage). You can buy a standalone phonostage that will do the job very cheap. However, I personally think you can get better value overall if you buy a vintage receiver from the 70's. These can be found the same way (local; craigs list; auidogon; e-bay). Likewise, the same strategy applies: if you stay away from the most popular vintage units like Marantz you can find real bargains. For example, I found a Sansui 771 for around 50 bucks. It sounds great and looks great.

You will need a cartridge unless you get lucky and find a used table that comes with a good one. Once you find your table, come back and indicate how much money you have left in your budget and we'll give you some suggestions.

Having said all of that, I agree with Erik. If you have the patience to prowl local thrift stores, garage sales, etc. you stand your best chance of finding a really nice turntable for very little money, and you won't have to worry about shipping damage.

 

[hear_the_sound]

The thing is, if I buy one used from a yard sale, pawn shop, etc,
how will I know I am not buying a heaping pile of crap? Granted if somebody would let me test it first that'd be great, but if not.........I don't think yard sales take returns!

So are the three I listed all terrible??? They have some good reviews but i want to hear from you guys

 

[searchenabler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hear_the_sound /img/forum/go_quote.gif The thing is, if I buy one used from a yard sale, pawn shop, etc, how will I know I am not buying a heaping pile of crap? Granted if somebody would let me test it first that'd be great, but if not.........I don't think yard sales take returns! So are the three I listed all terrible??? They have some good reviews but i want to hear from you guys

Go on eBay and look for a reputable seller with a Technics SL-Q2, SL-Q3 or SL-1300MKII. These are all very high grade tables(cast aluminum bodies, very high grade motors with extreme speed accuracy), with decent quality arms, and all are very undervalued. You can get them for $30-$60 typically.

Just be sure to instruct/order the seller to remove the platter from the table and pack it separate and secure the arm down with something to make sure it does not come loose in shipping.

-Chris

 

[hear_the_sound]

Quote:

Originally Posted by searchenabler /img/forum/go_quote.gif Go on eBay and look for a reputable seller with a Technics SL-Q2, SL-Q3 or SL-1300MKII. These are all very high grade tables(cast aluminum bodies, very high grade motors with extreme speed accuracy), with decent quality arms, and all are very undervalued. You can get them for $30-$60 typically. Just be sure to instruct/order the seller to remove the platter from the table and pack it separate and secure the arm down with something to make sure it does not come loose in shipping. -Chris

Do these old record players have the capability to start automatically? I dont want to damage the records with the needle. Also, do they have the capability to be plugged into another source, ie speaker system? thx

 

[searchenabler]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hear_the_sound /img/forum/go_quote.gif Do these old record players have the capability to start automatically? I dont want to damage the records with the needle. Also, do they have the capability to be plugged into another source, ie speaker system? thx

Yes, they have auto cuing functions, as in, at minininum, when you move the arm over the record they start up and when they reach the end of the record, they auto return. There is no concern about damaging records - these have well damped cue down. When you lower the lever, the needle goes down very smooth/slow by way of an oil dampened mechanism that prevents sudden needle drops.

They are standard record players and you must plug them into a phonograph pre input stage. I'm not sure what you mean by plugging a speaker system?

-Chris

 

[yashicaman]

The used route is the way to go. If you live near stereo shops that handle consignment stuff, you may get lucky. Many years ago, I found a nice used Thorens with decent cartridge and a 30 warranty for $175. I still have it 12 years later (I did replace the cartridge during this time).

Garage sales can be okay. I once bought an automatic turntable for 7 bucks. I quadrupled its value with a 21 dollar cartrige. I used it for about 5 years and then gave it away to a friend.

Keep looking and you'll find something.

If you go new and want something that's pretty good, you'll be out 500 bucks at least for a turntable, cartridge, and phono preamp (unless you're receiver or preamp already has one on board).

Cheers!

 

[clarke68]

Check out this thread. It has a list of worthy turntables available for under $100...a great resource as you wade through Craigslist/eBay listings!

 

[tubes]

With the resurgence of vinyl many people selling used turntables think they have an old collectible that is worth more than it actually is. Yes, you might get lucky and find a cheap properly functioning table, on the other hand, the people that used to own these lower end tables probably didn't lavish the level of care a more costly table might of received. I know you are trying to conserve on budget but you would be much better off raising your budget to buy a new table. If you do buy used buy from a local shop where the table has been cleaned, lubed, new belt etc., and you can return it if you run into trouble. Just remember, one mistake buying a piece of junk and you might blow your budget before you even end up with a working table. Also keep in mind, once you buy a cheap table and you like vinyl you'll want to upgrade, so why not go for a better table right from the start.

 

[bigshot]

In Los Angeles there are a lot of excellent used turntables in excellent condition at excellent prices. It may be different in other parts of the country.

See ya
Steve

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubes /img/forum/go_quote.gif With the resurgence of vinyl many people selling used turntables think they have an old collectible that is worth more than it actually is...If you do buy used buy from a local shop where the table has been cleaned, lubed, new belt etc., and you can return it if you run into trouble.

This is often true but there were so many decent quality turntables made for so long that finding a good 2nd hand one shouldn't be too difficult especially if you stick to pretty simple ones with few automatic functions, like in the list I wrote in that thread, mentioned above.

Thing is that the most important factor in a turntable is usually just build quality and that's something which has got worse in the last 30 years not better, in the mass market.

Consumer electronics in the 1970s were built to last longer than the 2-5 years that is standard today. This goes for everything from washing machines to blenders to hi-fi equipment. In fact I think they used to call them 'consumer durables' which would be a bit of a joke today....

There is no reason why something so simple as a turntable shouldn't last you a lifetime with minimum servicing, it just needs to be well made to start with. Unfortunately the cheapest ones today which are build to anywhere near this level of quality are the Rega or Pro-Ject ones which start around 350-500USD, or the Technics SL1200/1210 which is a '70s relic and just shows you the engineering quality that was the standard back then.

The stuff you buy on Amazon for 100USD is a complete waste of money.

All the better if you can find a competent dealer in vintage Hi-Fi locally, like Vinyl Nirvana. It's definitely worth getting a fully restored model if you can afford one, but I'd guess companies like this are pretty thin on the ground?

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubes /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just remember, one mistake buying a piece of junk and you might blow your budget before you even end up with a working table. Also keep in mind, once you buy a cheap table and you like vinyl you'll want to upgrade, so why not go for a better table right from the start.

The simple answer to that is don't pay over the odds for a vintage table. It should be easily possible to find something for under 100USD if you are patient.

If you can afford a deck like a Rega straight off this is always going to be simpler and it will retain it's value when you sell it to upgrade. I know people who have had their Rega's for 20 years and never seen the need to upgrade. They are just not into Hi-Fi tweakery.
If you feel you might want to upgrade quickly and are interested in the DIY aspect of it then better to go for something with an upgrade path like the SL1200 or one of the vintage Thorens A/R decks from the outset.

 

[tubes]

I would say buy used if you know what you are looking at or you are buying used from a trusted local shop. A jewelers screwdriver in the wrong hands can destroy the arm bearings if not properly adjusted. When I buy a used table I always look at the bearing setscrews too see if they have been messed with but there is still no guarantee. My vote would be to go for a used Technics SL-1200, if you buy one and the arm is bad it only costs approx. $50.00 to replace. I found an SL-1200 off of Craigslist for $80, the arm bearings were a tad loose but that that's to be expected at that price. The 1200 is a manual table but built like a rock and should last a long long time.

Phill

 

[memepool]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tubes /img/forum/go_quote.gif I would say buy used if you know what you are looking at or you are buying used from a trusted local shop. A jewelers screwdriver in the wrong hands can destroy the arm bearings if not properly adjusted. When I buy a used table I always look at the bearing setscrews too see if they have been messed with but there is still no guarantee. My vote would be to go for a used Technics SL-1200, if you buy one and the arm is bad it only costs approx. $50.00 to replace. I found an SL-1200 off of Craigslist for $80, the arm bearings were a tad loose but that that's to be expected at that price. The 1200 is a manual table but built like a rock and should last a long long time.

I would have thought most tonearm bearings would be loose on 2nd hand tables from being knocked about rather than fiddled with?

This is generally the case with tables like the SL1200 anyway as you say but the wand and bearing assembly can be cheaply replaced.

But yes this is definitely another reason to buy locally as they usually weren't upto all that much to start with on a mass produced budget table and are often loose anyway after 30 years.

The easiest test is to hold the tonearm at the headshell and try to twist it vey gently and shake it slightly, again very gently, to see if it rattles or feels like it's loose in any way. This doesn't hold for unipivots or parallel tracking arms obviously...