[deaby]

hey guys,
i dont know anything about turntables except that i want one.. know any good sites about em? any sites have good affordable packages? i'm just gonna listen to them via my headphones and maybe hook them up to my computer every now and then.
thanks in advance -mike

 

[chillysalsa]

I had lurked around the Vinyl Asylum for a while. It seems the favourites for entry level deck is the Thorens 160 (lots of used ones on eBay all the time), Music Hall MMF-5, and Rega P-3. A favourite cartridge seems to be the Shure V15VxMR - and Tuberoller did a Huge Cartridge Comparison here a while ago.

Good luck..

 

[deaby]

if i wanted to listen only with headphones do u know what i would need to get.

 

[JMT]

You would need a headphone amp and a phono pre-amp, either MM or MC depending on your cartridge.

 

[zowie]

and headphones.

 

[lkmich]

FYI-if you are a total newbie in the vinyl world, the Thorens TD-160 is not new-it's an old model table that is still respected and easy to find used. The Music Hall MMF-2.1, MMF-5 and the Rega Planar 2 & 3 are all new and range from $300-$700, approximately.

My best advice is to buy used and in person. Especially since you are in NYC, you shouldn't have too much trouble finding used gear. I've heard too many horror stories about turntables that arrived in pieces to ship anything without it's original packing.

One turntable to look out for is the Systemdek IIX-should be around $300 and sounds wonderful. It also has a tonearm that can be easily upgraded.

All of these tables are manual, meaning you have to lift the arm up at the end of the record yourself. Also, they all have to be changed from 33 to 45 RPM manually-no switches (except for the TD160, I think). It might seem like a pain, but that's how almost all good turntables are designed.

In general, don't buy a used cartridge.