Audiophiles - recommend me a turntable?

ChopperDave

So the turntable I've had since I was in college was a casualty of my most recent move. Sad times.

I have more money to throw around than I did in college, so I figure I can afford to get a replacement that's higher quality than the cheap thing I got back in the day (may it rest in peace). I'll admit that I'm not a big enough audiophile to appreciate the smallest nuances in sound output, but I'd like the new kit to be play well with my stereo system. I don't need one of those turntables that can burn digital files from records -- I'd probably never use the feature, and most new LPs come with free MP3 downloads anyway. Something thin enough to fit snugly in my entertainment center would be nice, though not a requirement by any means.

Can anyone recommend me some nice turntables at different price ranges? I'm not yet sure how much I'm willing to spend yet and my parents have indicated that they're willing to chip in for my birthday, so it wouldn't hurt to have a few options to consider.

McKid

Disclaimer : I do not describe myself as an audiophile.

I always find the Wirecutter informative. You can straight-up follow their advice or use their reviews as a good starting point for your research. I'd at least look the "Step Down" and "The Competition" sections.

Also, I'm right with you regarding USB output. I've always had a "gimmick" feeling for that.

Donovan Puppyfucker

chrishallett83 wrote: »

A lot of really great new music also gets released on vinyl, especially dance music and hip-hop.

If you're already getting a nice stereo setup with an amp and a set of decent speakers, the amp should have a phono in port, or at worst, a 3.5mm microphone in port.

Turntables range from cheap and yet still pumps out pretty good sound: http://uturnaudio.com/store/orbit-plus-turntable-blue $279
to mid-range: http://audio-technica.com.au/turntables/at-lp1240-usb/ $800
to holy fuck that's a lot of money: http://www.lifestylestore.com.au/index.php/tt15s1.html $2700
to well it's either this, or a classic sportscar: http://onedof.com/ ~$100,000

BlindZenDriver

Good turntables live forever with the exception of a few parts that can be easily exchanged, so look what is around second hand. For instance I have one that is from the early eighties which I bought for cheap when vinyl was very out. Today I could likely sell it for what chrishallett83 defines as in the "holy fuck"-range, but more importantly it works as well as when it was new.

Research what you find and then budget with a little on the side for a new pick-up (the needle that touches the records as it wears out and a worn one will cause extra wear on the records). Also many turn tables may have a rubber band that needs replacing and there are on-line shops which sell those for even the most exotic unit.

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BlindZenDriver

mcdermott wrote: »

There are other things to consider, too. Some lower-end turntables will have nice auto-start and auto-stop mechanisms, as well as some lift and scan options. My old one does, and I think those AT models do. Once you get to the more expensive stuff, expect to have to drop your needle manually; audiophiles tend to avoid those bells and whistles. Personally I like them.

Auto start matters little I think, but auto-stop can be a good think although the main thing is there auto lift. I once went on an extended weekend without realizing my gf had been using my turn table and forgetting to stop it. Thus the pick up spends something like 70 hours "playing" or rather wearing into the inner grove of the record that was played - not a good thing.

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ChopperDave

Based on recommendations from this thread and reading reviews, I ended up getting the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. Seemed like the best entry-level turntable I could get, and reading up on records made me appreciate that I need to learn more about the technology before I invest in nicer equipment. Thanks for the help so far.

Speaking of, are there any mods and other secondary equipment I should consider investing in? Sounds like I may need to invest in a phono pre-amp.

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BlindZenDriver

ChopperDave wrote: »

Speaking of, are there any mods and other secondary equipment I should consider investing in? Sounds like I may need to invest in a phono pre-amp.

Congratulations on making the move. I'd be surprised if you regret doing so.

Apart from needing either an amplifier that has a phono input or a seperate phono amplifier (also know as a "Step-up") you'll need some gear for removing dust from the records and also from the very delicate needle. Info on such items and also tips on to store and handle the records can be found all over - I did a quick search and this seems like a good place to get the big picture discomusic.com/101-more/6193_0_7_0_C/

Back to the amplifier bit. There is one extra detail I can think of. As you know there is two types of phono amplifiers and the most used is the MM and the MC the often more expensive and more rare. Some amplifiers can do both and have a switch that selects one or the other and said switch is sometimes hidden on the back of the unit. In most cases if an amplifier doesn't specify if it is MM or MC, but simply says "Phono" or something like that, then it means it is a MM type.