Help the new kid on the block. (TT/Receiver/Spkrs, $1000 budget)*

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DarkStarMagnolia, Jun 20, 2017.

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  1. DarkStarMagnolia

    DarkStarMagnolia New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Florida
    * Dear Mods, Sorry in advance if this is in the wrong section. I'm new.*

    Hello everyone! My name is Dave and I like to let you all in on a secret. I'm a music junkie! I have a feeling I might not be the only one, Hehe. Anyways all different genres of music have always played a big role in my life. But most particularly, psychedelic rock/jazz/blues. I'm in my mid 20's and recenetly became obsessed with vinyls. My buddy told me to come on here and make an account. So here I am.

    I've been using a low grade turntable and I'm ready for my first real set up. So I just got a few questions for y'all.

    1. Is a turntable, receiver and speakers all I need for my first set up? Total budget of $1000. But willing I spend more if I need additional stuff.

    2. I keep reading vintage tables are the way to go. Mind pointing me in the right direction of which ones? Specific models would be appreciated. Sony/Pinoneer/ techinics etc, How about for receivers or any other additional equipment?



    Thanks in advance for all your help,

    Sincerely,


    Dave :)
     
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  2. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

  3. DarkStarMagnolia

    DarkStarMagnolia New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Florida
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  4. MLutthans

    MLutthans That's my spaghetti, Chewbacca! Staff

    Lots of very good sounding vintage receivers out there. Sansui and Pioneer are among those that often pop up in discussions here. I have a Sansui that has required one minor repair in 37 years of use.

    With turntables, Thorens and Technics are very popular, but there are certainly plenty of others. Don't cheap out on the stylus, and if you need to go strongly in the "budget" direction initially, check out this thread to make sure your records are SAFE and undamaged UNTIL you can upgrade:
    SH Spotlight - Newbies getting started playing vinyl, please avoid mistracking & resulting groove damage!!!
     
  5. Doc Diego

    Doc Diego Forum Resident

    Location:
    Nevada
    As long as the receiver has a phono input, all you need is tt, receiver and speakers. Generally spend a third of your budget on each. For about $2-300 you can get a Uturn Orbit. If you don't listen to radio get an integrated amplifier with phono input. Speakers are better auditioned before purchase if possible, good sound in speakers is very subjective.
     
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  6. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    It is pointless to mention specific models of vintage turntables. What matters is what kind of good stuff is available to you locally. Rather than asking for a laundry list, post your local Craiglist or pics of vintage TTs for sale at shops in your area.
     
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  7. patient_ot

    patient_ot Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    No, you'll need a few more things. Speaker stands if you are buying bookshelf/standmount speakers, some speaker wire, and a pair of wire strippers. You may also need a few sets of RCA cables. If the receiver or integrated amp you purchase does not have a phono preamp built in, you will need to buy a standalone one. *

    *There are some turntables with built in phono preamps, but with very few exceptions they are junk.
     
  8. RhodesSupremacy

    RhodesSupremacy Forum Resident

    Location:
    Away, India
    Ban him
     
  9. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Hey now!

    Welcome to the forum. What are you currently using for a Turntable and what do you have it connected to? Also, what kind of space are you working with? Is it a big room, an apartment or a house?

    $1,000 is a super tight budget around these parts but you can build a very nice system. I generally say to have a budget of $500 for each component. A $500 table, a $500 amp and a set of $500 speakers can really pull together a nice system.

    You will get much more for your money used but it's tough to make recommendations because the used market is so very different from place to place. Vintage can be tricky, old electronics can be demanding and you may get to know a repair shop and their wait time sooner rather than later.

    For a new system with about $1,000 budget I would get a U-turn table, a Yamaha 2ch Stereo amp and a pair of ELAC speakers.

    If you go used/vintage always ask if it has been restored or serviced and get specifics. A 30 year old amp needs new capacitors (also known as caps) a recapped vintage amp is a very good thing. If looking at turntables, if it doesn't have a new stylus or known hours of use on the one that is on it, get a new one. It's kind of like buying clothing at Goodwill and not washing them before wearing, you want a new stylus (also known as a needle or Cartridge if talking about the entire assembly)

    Used I would say a Technics sl-1200, A pioneer or Marantz amp from before 1980 with at least 45 Watts per channel and speakers are tough to recommend. Again, spending $500 used should get you a very nice pair of speakers. IF you find something just research pricing to make sure they are priced right and ask about them on here.

    Good luck.
     
  10. Synthfreek

    Synthfreek I’m a ray of sunshine & bastion of positivity

    Get whatever Music Hall turntable, Focal speakers and Yamaha integrated, $1000 will get you from the clearance section at musicdirect.com.
     
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  11. DarkStarMagnolia

    DarkStarMagnolia New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Florida
    Hey Doc! Apperciate the advice.
     
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  12. DarkStarMagnolia

    DarkStarMagnolia New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Florida

    Thank you so much for taking your time and giving me a very easy guide to understand. As far as your questions go....

    1. Current turntable is a Jensen JTA‑230. Please don't gather the townspeople after me! I know it's a very low end table. Got it as a Xmas gift a few years ago. And I currently have it connected to nothing. Guess that is where the reciever comes into play?

    2. Current space situation is not a issue. Got my own house and plenty of room to play with :)

    3. As far as my budget goes I thought $1000 would be more than enough. Guess my estimate is way off. Personally, I don't mind spending more if needed. I'll update the budget to $2,500. With my budget updated would you recomened anything else/different?

    Once again thanks again for making a list with specific brands and models. Makes it very easy for me to understand. Boy, I feel like a fat kid in a candy shop. Can't wait to have my first big boy setup.


    Sincerely,



    Dave :)
     
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  13. DarkStarMagnolia

    DarkStarMagnolia New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Florida
    Gather the pitchforks! ;)
     
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  14. DarkStarMagnolia

    DarkStarMagnolia New Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Florida
    I understand this type of post can be annoying. I will admit, I'm a complete rookie at all of this. So I really apperciate everyone who is being kind and helping out. Records weren't really a big thing when I was growing up. It was all about digital music. iPods and what not. When I got into college I picked up my first set of dead records.... and was hooked from the start. I built myself a nice little collection. If I can figure out how to post a pic on here I will upload a photo Haha.

    Anyways, enjoy the rest of the evening. Looks like I got a lot of research ahead of me.


    :)
     
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  15. SpeedMorris

    SpeedMorris Forum Resident

    Location:
    Iowa
    Welcome Noob!

    I have a 28-year old who informed me 3 years ago that he was going to buy the Beatles Mono Vinyl Box, and though he was in no particular hurry to get a a table (he had a nice used receiver and a decent pair of bookshelf speakers), it became rather inevitable and he now actually has a very nice sounding $600ish rig . So don't worry about the $1000 budget in the least- give yourself a few years to play some tunes and worry about upgrade-itis if and when it hits. (More is fine, of course, but these recs are for the $1000 area.)

    My game plan is to imagine that ol' pops is advising Junior. So...

    1- Speakers. I'll nominate 3 stand-mounted models with 6.5" woofers that will get you a good chunk of the bass on most albums and do lots of other things well.

    Two are linked at Cheecago's Music Direct. One is the Wharfedale Diamond 10.2, a closeout going for $299 shipped (orig $450). The other is the Elac B6, $249 shipped at the moment ($279 msrp). Lots of bass. The 10.2 has a rep for being more refined, but both get excellent reviews. My choice for Junior would be the 10.2, but if he said Elac, or the Polks below, I'd respond with a cheerful "OK then".

    Speakers | Shop Music Equipment - Music Direct

    If you'd like a bit more exuberant sound, a bit brighter on the highs, Polk's RTiA3 is a lot of speaker for the money, on ebay or Amazon. These guys have real wood veneer, if that sort of thing tickles your fancy. They are a bit more "sensitive" that the other two candidates, which means you wouldn't turn the dial up as much to get equal volume levels. I wouldn't be afraid of the refurbs, and they're almost free. If you're on tile or wood floors or your room is rather "live and hard", the Polks could be the most "dangerous" in terms of producing a bright sound, if that may not be your cup of tea.

    polk rti a3 | eBay

    You do get a 60 days satisfaction guarantee at MD, btw.

    2- Amplification. This refurbed Yamaha integrated amp should satisfy for many years. Plenty of power and functions. (An integrated amp is a "receiver" with no AM-FM tuner. The amplifier would be of higher quality than you'd get from a receiver.) You could look for a nice used receiver or integrated amp for less money, but if you'd like to just indulge yourself a bit, you can't go wrong on this one.

    YAMAHA A-S501 2-Ch x 85 Watts Integrated Amplifier w/ Built-in DAC Black

    A used receiver like this HK from earlier in the century should be pretty powerful and bombproof if you find the bank account emptying too quickly. Other model #s from around then would be the 3370, 3270, 3380, 3390, 3480, 3475, etc.

    Harman Kardon HK 3375 2 Channel 150 Watt Receiver 28292501050 | eBay

    3- Table. I'll stick to new for this post. If you're a good tinkerer or have a knowledgeable friend or nearby business establishment, the right vintage table could be a fun thing. Neither my son nor I would be any good at that, so it just depends on how mechanical or just plain intrepid you are. :)

    This $299 table was $449 until it was updated/replaced about a year ago. It has a cartridge that is good enough to keep you happy (I would think) until such time that you may decide you'd like to try for "more". Just a good sounding, reliable table. They do also have a demo model for $270.

    Music Hall - MMF-2.2 Turntable | Shop Music Direct

    4- Stands for speakers, assuming that concrete blocks aren't happening.

    Pangea Audio LS300 All Steel Speaker Stand-Audio Advisor

    5- Clean vinyl is really a good thing.

    https://www.musicdirect.com/Search?...opularity|DESC&page=1&c1=tab-products&c2=grid

    6- Daily dusting.

    Audioquest - Conductive LP Cleaning Brush | Shop Music Direct
     
  16. The Pinhead

    The Pinhead KING OF BOOM AND SIZZLE IN HELL

    Klipsch speakers will do your ¨vinyl's¨:laugh:justice :
     
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  17. sturgus

    sturgus Forum Resident

    Location:
    St. Louis Mo
    What part of Florida?
     
  18. Dennis0675

    Dennis0675 Hyperactive!

    Location:
    Ohio
    Cool, with a good sized space and no shared walls, I'd get floor standing speakers.

    Figure that out and then choose an amp that they are designed for. Speakers will determine how much power you need in an amp. A good bit of advice is to put your budget in the speakers and the source.
     
    Last edited: Jun 22, 2017
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  19. ZenMango

    ZenMango Forum Resident

    Location:
    Florida
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  20. Threshold

    Threshold Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Manchester NH
    KEF is clearing out the Q-300's for $399, Project Debut III w/cart $299 and the Yamaha AS-301 w/phono $349. Gives you a pretty good starter setup.
     
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