[V-DiV]

I don't seem to be spending money fast enough

and my digital front end is pretty good now so I've started thinking about maybe building a vinyl setup as I was recently ripping some records on an old turntable. What I have now is a Pioneer Pl-250 that I put a Grado black cartridge on because the old stylus was kaput. The phono preamp is an inexpensive ($70) AT. It's nice to hear that spinning record sound again (even if it is through all that surface noise on my old records). So I bought a couple of fresh vinyl records to see if I need to get into this.

How much would I need to spend on a vinyl rig to be in the same ballpark resolution and tonal balance as my digital rig (see sig)? Is my old plastic-base Pioneer TT worth upgrading? If not, I may be able to get a good discount on Denon gear. Would one of their turntables be decent? I know they make some good cartridges. How much would my AT phono preamp hold things back (I know it is not suited to MC cartridges)? I would probably look for a DIY phono (tube) preamp to build eventually.

Thanks in advance for any comments.

 

[ozz]

If I decide to get back into it one of these may be on my list.Marantz America | TT-15S1 Reference Series Turntable

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozz /img/forum/go_quote.gif If I decide to get back into it one of these may be on my list.Marantz America | TT-15S1 Reference Series Turntable

Looks nice, but that's too rich for me to contemplate at this stage. If it cost that much to get into it I would just stick with improving my digital source(es).

 

[ozz]

There are some good choices from REGA and MUSIC HALL you would probably get
a better response with a budget for tt and cartridge.

 

[BigTony]

Stick with digital, vinyl will only end in frustration! Too much vinyl is poorly pressed you'll be cursing the clicks, rumbles and distortion.

 

[Uncle Erik]

Look for a used turntable. You should be able to find a used Rega Planar 3/P3 for about $400-$450. I started out with an old Planar 3 and was very happy with it. I since traded up, but if I were just starting out or on a tight budget, I'd go right back to another Rega. The build quality is good and I never had a single problem with it. Just set it and forget it.

Some modern vinyl is badly made, however, there's a world of used vinyl that sounds great and is inexpensive. I can buy records all day long between $0.25 and $5.00, sometimes I'll get a box of records on the cheap. It's the least expensive way to get new music, 100% legal, and it sounds pretty good, too.

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozz /img/forum/go_quote.gif There are some good choices from REGA and MUSIC HALL you would probably get a better response with a budget for tt and cartridge.

Rather than having some preconception of how much money I wanted to spend, I was wondering how much it would cost to have a vinyl rig on a par with the signal coming out of my CI Audio VDA-2 DAC & VAC-1 upgraded power supply fed by aiff and lossless files.

But. would a $350-$450 turntable like a Pro-Ject Debut III, Rega P1, or MMF 2.2 mated with a $150-$200 cartridge plus my AT-PEQ3 phono preamp be the equal or which would need to be improved (I presume the preamp).

Is anyone familiar with the Denon DP-500M turntable ($699)? I can probably get a good price on one. Would it be better than the TTs mentioned above?

Uncle Erik, I don't see any used Rega P3s around from a very quick search. There are some Thorens and Marantz at Audiogon. What should I look for?

Thanks

 

[Uncle Erik]

Quote:

Originally Posted by V-DiV /img/forum/go_quote.gif Uncle Erik, I don't see any used Rega P3s around from a very quick search. There are some Thorens and Marantz at Audiogon. What should I look for?

Here's a few at Audiogon:

AudiogoN ForSale: REGA Planar 3

AudiogoN ForSale: Rega P3 w/ RB300 - P3 2000

At Audiogon, just search for "Rega" and you'll pull up everything. Another good thing about the Planar/P3 is that there's a small industry making upgrades, tweaks, mods, etc. for these tables. This has been the standard "entry" deck for over 25 years, so you'll find anything you could want for it. Best of all, you can perform all the mods (except for tonearm rewiring) yourself in a few minutes with a screwdriver.

There are a few Rega naysayers around here, but consider that Rega has been selling these for around 30 years. Out of tens of thousands produced, there are only two for sale at Audiogon. That should tell you something.

 

[V-DiV]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's a few at Audiogon: AudiogoN ForSale: REGA Planar 3 AudiogoN ForSale: Rega P3 w/ RB300 - P3 2000 At Audiogon, just search for "Rega" and you'll pull up everything. Another good thing about the Planar/P3 is that there's a small industry making upgrades, tweaks, mods, etc. for these tables. This has been the standard "entry" deck for over 25 years, so you'll find anything you could want for it. Best of all, you can perform all the mods (except for tonearm rewiring) yourself in a few minutes with a screwdriver. There are a few Rega naysayers around here, but consider that Rega has been selling these for around 30 years. Out of tens of thousands produced, there are only two for sale at Audiogon. That should tell you something.

Thanks. I'll have to learn how to use Audiogon. I just clicked on the analog: tables link.