Buying a new turntable

That was a long time ago. They're 1500, new. Just bought one for my father-in-law since he decided to upgrade after the Rega lemon he got which was supposedly refurbished. This was an open-box item which according to the dealer wasn't ever even used. Got it for $1100. Seems like a good deal. The dealer has close to 3000 feedback ratings at 100% satisfaction levels.

Meanwhile, the one on eBay is from a seller with only 6 entries, the last 2 being the only ones which are shown, meaning this person doesn't sell often. The entries show $400 and $700 items were sold so that's encouraging. Still, I doubt it'll be that much lower than what I bought my FIL's for. Plus, I'll get a warranty with it. No such thing through eBay. Some manufacturers don't even allow transferable warranties either.

 

Okay, so I'm going to go look at that Beogram (for $100) selling in my area tomorrow. What should I be looking for when I check it out?

 

Before you blow a bunch of money on a turntable, I'd check out what the record companies use to check the records they make. You'd be surprised what little expense they allocate for a playback system. Why spend a lot on a turntable to hear what the record companies don't know is there or what they never meant to be heard? You don't have to spend $400. to $600. on a turntable, the record companies don't spend that much.

 

FIRST -> there is a 2402 in Southampton, PA, on eBay for which one picture clearly matches a CL pic. (#1 pic in both ads showing lid proped up with ? & turntable on a white background). It could be that the CL seller used a pic off the ebay ad. The eBay 2402 has some problems listed: “Turntable does not power on. Dust Cover will not stay up, half of its spring support system is broken. Does not include Cartridge/Needle. Selling fpr Parts/Not Working As-Is.” That would explain the object holding up the Right side of the dustcover in both pictures. The CL ad has another pic with the lid up & nothing wedged under it. I would bet the first pic is not the unit the CL owner has. I might raise a Question: was that a generic picture, or of your 2402, does the lid stay up?

In looking @ several 2402s now on eBay > there's a possibility that rather than having 2 RCA male leads, it may have a single DIN socket. This would require a DIN to RCA adapter (137 results on eBay).

Taking the platter off, you should see the belt & 3 transit screws. The screws are to be backed off counterclockwise to release the subplatter from the transit position. When shipping, these screws are screwed all the way down. Sellers who have no knowledge, may attempt to play a record with the screws locked down; or ship with them backed out, causing shipping damage.

As the CL ad states Works perfectly, plays both 30's and 45's you of course, want a demo (at least 33 rpm). IF it has a DIN plug, the owner will have an adapter, or a B&O receiver to plug the 2402 into. I would ask that the owner operate all the keypad functions (turn, stop, pause, 33, 45). Check that all cords are in good shape.

I have seen some Beograms where the veneers have separated @ a corner. And of course scratching of the dustcover. Those scratches can be buffed out. Be sure & ask about any box, manuals, accessories the owner might have.

I had 2 problems with my Beogram 3000 (1972-1990): roommate set up stereo & spun a record with transit screws locked down. Dustcover balance spring broke & would not stay up.

Good luck with purchase. Oh, the non-working 2402 on eBay for parts is $199 + shipping.

 

This is complete nonsense. Or a poorly executed joke. Either way....

 

Hmmmmm, that's not the impression I have from my nearest record company, Analogue Productions/Acoustic Sounds, Salina, KS. What passes for a ribeye in the Republic of California?

 

Sorry, but that is not in any way accurate. I currently am using a Rega Planar 3 2016 with a Dynavector 20x2H cartridge. Yep, my cartridge cost as much as my turntable. I am just getting back into vinyl after losing my system and all my records in a home fire back in the 90's. I had two tables with that system, a Merrill and an original Well Tempered. If you think any cheap table can even approach the sound of any of those 3, I have some ocean front property in Kansas to sell you.

 

Thanks for all the info! It sounds like the seller doesn't really know much about it and doesn't have it set up, but I'll see tomorrow.

 

Beogram?

FWIW, in their heyday the were decent TTs if more than a bit overpriced. I realize that there are going to be fans here who will offer positive assessments, but at this point in time they seem somewhat antiquated. Your choice of cartridges would be limited, and any low priced offering is bound to have issues. If you are already willing to spend the five or six hundred on a unit, why not go ahead and get the best turntable you can afford?

 

I'd buy new and take my chances and simply return if the table didn't meet my requirements.

 

+1. I owned a B&O TT very similar to the one that the OP is looking at. It looked cool (futuristic styling), was seemingly very gentle on records (light arm/light cart/low tracking force), but the sound? Meh. Just okay at best. And you had to buy their B&O cartridges, nothing else was compatible.

It's not a bad 'table, but the OP can probably do better, even on the cheap.
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I guess you haven't been around much. Here's a video showing Jack Black, artist, perfectionist and has Third Man Records. Check out the turntable he is using.


Here's what Gotta Groove Records uses. Last time I spoke with them, I asked them what cartridge they used. They told me they used whatever was around,nothing special.
Gotta Groove Records - The Artist's Preferred Record Pressing Plant

 

I guess that you obviously don't know Analogue Productions' Quality Record Pressing subsidiary very well. Here's a look inside what goes on there and please note the turntables they are using.

 

My point is that this is irrelevant. If a guitar factory tests their guitars through a transistor radio, that's no reason not to play it through a Marshall amplifier.

 

I don't feel that it is irrelevant at all. As an analogy, why would you put tires designed for a Cadillac on a Fiat? Why would you put more effort into doing a job than the person who assigned you a job expected you to do?
So, consequentially, why would you buy a turntable which was better than the record manufacturer checked it's work with and/or intended the records to be played on? I'm not saying to buy Crosley type junk, but that you don't need to go overboard.

 

I think if you heard a $300 turntable vs a $3000 one, you wouldn't be much worried about such things.

There is an audible difference, and it's pretty huge. Immense, even.

That said, if all one can afford is a $300 'table, then use it, love it, take care of it. Vinyl is life.
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Who would say something stupid like that? My favorite turntables are belt driven, but I do have a couple of DD and another professional turntable which it idler driven.

 

If your point is that you don't need a Cadillac to enjoy driving, then that's fine. What you posted was that records can't/won't sound any better than whatever they were tested on. That is just not true.

 

I've disagreed with Automated in other threads, but the thrust of his point here seems reasonable to me. LP playback was engineered to be an affordable consumer affair and the playback media itself is typically manufactured out-of-round and non-flat. I'm amazed at how obsessive and fetishistic hobbyists get, and how much money they are willing to spend, chasing incredible extremes of precision to play back such IMPRECISE media. It makes absolutely no sense at all, except to the manufacturers of "audiophilia" equipment. I find myself fascinated with these ironies myself and the gadget-guy in me has moments of fetishistic-temptation as well, but I'm normally able to remember that it makes ZERO sense to obsess about playback equipment when the records themselves are almost never nearly as precise as the budget equipment I already own.

 

I thought that was you, sorry.

 

Been there, done that. Try $10K and $15K. It doesn't pencil out financially nor does it work out electronically or physically when tested on a scope. Records are records, you can hear pressing defects and surface noise with a $300. and if not accentuated, even better on a $10K turntable. Can't cover up defects.

 

Do you enjoy listening to records?

 

Scopes don't matter, 'cept in the doctor's office or on a rifle. You hear with your ears, not specs.

Financially, I wouldn't spend $10-15K on a turntable, but I could afford to. It 'pencils out' fine for me, and enough others I'm sure, otherwise they wouldn't keep on making 'em.

Finally, on the great 'tables I've heard (Linn Sondek, Goldmund Studietto, Goldmund Studio), surface noise isn't really any worse. The one bummer is that crappy recordings are revealed in all of their crappy un-glory, but conversely, good-to-great recordings are revealed in all of their awesomeness. And they are well worth the price of admission.

Would be interested to know what $10-15K 'tables you've owned that soured you so, and what systems they were in. Sounds like something wasn't quite right, or perhaps you ran afoul of a great many bad pressings. I guess there's also some high-end cartridges that can be cold/clinical/excessively-detailed, while not being very musical.

Not questioning you, it's just that I've run across very few individuals (i.e. one, counting you) who ever said, "Yeah, I hate my super-high-end turntable, it's excessively awesome. I can hear everything too well, so I'm kicking it to the curb."
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Thank you!
I was always obsessed with records my whole life. Even when I was a lot younger if I bought a record which didn't sound or look right, back to the store it went for an exchange. This is one of the reasons that many of my records are in pristine like new condition even though they are over 50 years old. I bought so many records from Classic Records when they sold direct that they would hand select the records and flattened if necessary before they shipped them to me. They would normally charge $1. for this service but they didn't charge me anything.
I can appreciate high-end equipment like many, but I don't see the need to spend a fortune to hear something just a little bit better.
My first high quality turntable was in 1972 and a Pioneer PL 12D-II, first with an AT12S, then a Grado and finally a Shure V-15. I am truly sorry that I let it go and traded it for a Dual 506. I'm always on the lookout for another one. I still have the Dual 506, but I retired it many years ago.

 

Sure do! I spend $100.'s every year on vinyl records and play them regularly. My wife can't understand my habit.