[analogsurviver]

Quote:

Well, MusicDirect sells the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon + Ortofon 2M Red for $399. That's the no muss, no fuss way to go. In that price range I of course would buy used/vintage direct drive and a better cartridge, but you have to do your own cartridge set up then.

+1.
 
In general, you can get better overall performance from vintage gear vs "new age" - IF you can do basic maintenance and proper cartridge setup yourself. That "IF"
assumes you have alignment tool(s) , a test record, a tracking force gauge - to stay at bare necessities. You will ( have to ) get those at one point or another if you will be continuing using vinyl - but if funds are strictly limited and if you prefer or even demand plug and play version at present, a basic "new age" TT is perhaps more reasonable choice. Projects, Regas, MMFs in your price bracket. Sometimes bundles with good cartridges are available - always worth checking out before pulling the trigger.

 

[parbaked]

Quote:

My friend needs a turntable recommendation with a hard limit of $450

IMO the Rega RP1 is the best at that price. That's what I bought for my Dad to replace his old Thorens.
The Denon DP300F is a surprising good rig as well. One benefit is that it has a built in phono-pre-amp that one can bypass.
The included cartridge is not great but Needle Doctor sells it set up with the excellent Ortofon 2M Red.
http://www.needledoctor.com/Denon-DP300F-with-2M-Red-Package?sc=9&category=-109

 

[MorbidToaster]

+1 on an RP1.
 
Quote:

IMO the Rega RP1 is the best at that price. That's what I bought for my Dad to replace his old Thorens.
The Denon DP300F is a surprising good rig as well. One benefit is that it has a built in phono-pre-amp that one can bypass.
The included cartridge is not great but Needle Doctor sells it set up with the excellent Ortofon 2M Red.
http://www.needledoctor.com/Denon-DP300F-with-2M-Red-Package?sc=9&category=-109

 

[chrstnwarrior88]

My friend needs a turntable recommendation with a hard limit of $450

I recently purchased a pro-ject rm 1.3 genie on the for sale forums. Paired with my grado platinum it is amazing but a little out of your price range. But if buy used and get something like the grado black (I'm kind of a grado fanboy) you could stay in your price range and have a great set up. Mine blows my vintage technics out of the water to my ears. Anyway that's my 2 cents. Good luck

 

[calipilot227]

Quote:

My current favorite clear vinyl:
 

 

 
OH MY GOD, YES!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

[grokit]

It's back! Sneak preview:
 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 

 
Not pictured: Strobe disabler, "Super low noise" Cardas arm re-wire.
 
Gonna be a few more days until it's fully set up and going, plus I need to get my record cleaning machine back first as I lent to a friend.

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

It's back! Sneak preview:
 

 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 

Not pictured: Strobe disabler, "Super low noise" Cardas arm re-wire.
 
Gonna be a few more days until it's fully set up and going, plus I need to get my record cleaning machine back first as I lent to a friend.

 

 
Can't wait for you to get it "Dialed-in" again! I too, have the Cardas re-wire for my TT. 

 

[analogsurviver]

Quote:

It's back! Sneak preview:
 

 

 

 

 

Spoiler: Warning%3A%20Spoiler!

 

 
Not pictured: Strobe disabler, "Super low noise" Cardas arm re-wire.
 
Gonna be a few more days until it's fully set up and going, plus I need to get my record cleaning machine back first as I lent to a friend.

Which Grado did you end up with - Black to get to know the family sound ?

 

[grokit]

Quote:

Which Grado did you end up with - Black to get to know the family sound ?

 
No, I went for the "Red1 model is selected from the Blue1 production run and meets higher test specifications. Approximately 10% of the production run will meet these standards and become Red1 models". I decided I wanted to have a "culled" rather than a "sub-par" model, as the Silver1 is the 95% that supposedly weren't good enough to be Gold1s. Also the Red/Blue is the same construction as the Silver/Gold with the 4-piece cantilever, the only difference is that the Silver/Gold use UHPLC wire and the Red/Blue use standard OFC.
 
By this logic, I would have opted for the Green over the Black for $20 (15% culled). However I feel I will be getting an honest sampling of the best of the Grado Prestige line by going for the 4-piece cantilever. If I like it quite a bit, I will be back to the dilemma of choosing between the KAB Gold1 and the AVA Longhorn. If I'm not crazy about it I have that Dynavector in my sights, but with the new arm and mods in place I am also looking forward to giving the 103R/AU-300LC another shot as well.
 
The Red1 is $60 more than the Green1, but $80 less than the Gold1 and after spending way too much time thinking about it I felt it was the best value in the Prestige Lineup. Perhaps it's worth $80 for the better wire, but that would be one of the differences when I upgrade anyways.
 
I am $pent ATM anyways so the Denon and the Red will have to do for a while regardless.

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

It's back! Sneak preview:
Not pictured: Strobe disabler, "Super low noise" Cardas arm re-wire.
Gonna be a few more days until it's fully set up and going, plus I need to get my record cleaning machine back first as I lent to a friend.

 
I've got to look into this. I have a 1200MK2 that has had very little use and is boxed up and in my closet. I bought it new in 2009 for $330 from Amazon. Time to give it new life.

 

[tattare]

Quote:

 
I've got to look into this. I have a 1200MK2 that has had very little use and is boxed up and in my closet. I bought it new in 2009 for $330 from Amazon. Time to give it new life.

Have you seen the straight arm mods?
 
mods: http://www.kabusa.com/frameset.htm?/m1200.htm
mods I cant afford: http://www.thefunkfirm.co.uk/turntable_upgrades/SL1200_upgrade.html
http://www.audiomods.co.uk/technicsarm.html

 

[Bee inthe Attic]

Quote:

This is a tad off topic but could I get some suggestions for some clear white vinyl records. Not the colored ones but the all white tranlucents. Thanks. riq  

 
If you're still looking... Elvis Costello's The Delivery Man (Limited Edition clear vinyl)
 

 

[Silent One]

I really like the look of the clear vinyl issues. Coloured versions as well... very nice, Bee inthe Attic!

 

[MohawkUS]

I can't believe that I was thinking of selling this table. I used to doubt how much of a difference the cartridge can make but I sold my old Dual and the cheap AT70 went with it. I was able to snag this Nagaoka MP150 off Ebay for about $100 and wow. The old cliche "I'm hearing more in my music" is true to a degree; but the difference is more in presentation. The music is more solid, more fleshed out, and coherent. I had tried a Goldring 1042 before and found it worse than the AT70 hence my skepticism. From here on out I think I'll stick to the Moving Iron carts. :regular_smile :

 

[Silent One]

Nicely photographed!