Turntable Suggestion

Hi, new to the forums. I am looking for some advice on choosing a turntable. My current setup is an Onkyo TX-NR609 amp, Vincent PHO-8 pre-amp, and an old Sony turntable. Looking to get into a turntable in the $300 - $500 range.

I bought a Pro-ject Debut Carbon DC, but it is plagued with the motor humming issue (I tired every fix out there, to no avail) and it is going back. I mostly listen through headphones and it is driving me crazy.

 

Forgot to mention, i’d like something with an acrylic platter or at least is good with static as it is hot and dry where I live

 

In that price range: Rega Planar 1. Or a used AR XA, XB, or 77-XB.

 

I have a Project Debut Carbon. In January, I decided I had enough of the hum and bought a Pioneer PLX-1000. I'm very happy since. It's a little over your budget, $700 I believe without cartridge. But it's really much better than the Debut Carbon if you can stretch your budget.

 

Welcome to the forum ;^)

Are you completely against going vintage?

If so I can always recommend Rega as an easy to plug and play option. Although they can also be prone to some small issues and no acryllic platter there. There are not many acryllic platter options at that price but if static is a problem you should be looking to fix the problem instead of working around it. Here in Sweden its also very dry, and during the cold winters you will get a static shock just from taking off your bathrobe. A humidifier solved many of my problems, but it can be a little annoying to maintain.

 

Phoenix is DRY. I don't have a problem with the my Rega, AR, or Garrard. You should not limit yourself to a particular feature such as platter material. Go for overall quality instead.

 

I’m not against vintage at all. Here are my basic requirements:

- Sounds great with Heavy Metal/Punk/Classic Rock
- Low noise, I listen mostly through headphones
- Not a static machine

I don’t care how it looks, it’s all about the performance. The Rega Planar 1 looks like a good fit, but doing a google search revealed most of the tables in this price range have issues with motor noise, pro-ject/rega/orbit. I guess I am just nervous after my debut carbon experience. I will look into the Pioneer

 

Technics SL1200. But really, your local scene is your oyster. Have a look around and see what you find. You can make some great deals for only 100$ that will perform just as good as any 300$ new table you can buy.

The table itself doesnt make the record static. Playing your records will add static, but so will walking across a floor mat. The table can only at some threshhold prevent more static from being added through playing, but that doesnt help much most of the time.
You can experiment with rubber and cork mats for the table but I still think thats avoiding the problem rather than fixing it. If its dry enough at your place that probably wont help much.

 

Put me in the used 1200 camp. That is always my stock answer for the $300-$500 question. Add a CF mat if you need extra static protection.

 

There is a used 1200 near me for $450, not sure if that is a good deal or not.

 

What model is it MK2, 3, 4 or higher? Has it been used as a DJ table? Does a cartridge come with it ( You would want to replace it if its old but might be viable )? Can you have a look at it with your own hands and try everything out?

This is what you found right away too. Im sure there are more good deals to be found.
But depending on the condition it might be a good deal. Its possible to go closer to 250$ in some cases though.

 

Used SL-1200 gets my vote.

 

It’s an mk5, looks like it was used as a DJ table as it comes with a road case. Comes with a Stanton 500 needle, No dust cover though.

 

If it's not been subject to DJ abuse, That's about the rate. I like to look at CL and pawn shops for 1200's. You would be amazed at how much "DJ gear" they have. Might seem scary, but Many, many of these are from guys that bought a bunch of nice gear and never played a working gig with it and as such dump it.

Not really hard to spot, look for wear on the front top and on the platter strobe marks. Usually will have the finish work at the Start/Stop button. Also if it just had fairly light DJ use, that's not a big deal, as the 1200s are incredibly robust machines.

 

Technics SL-1200MK5 Silver Color Analog DJ Turntable Stanton 500 Needle & Case Technics SL-1200MK5 Silver Color Analog DJ Turntable Stanton 500 Needle & Case | eBay

At a pawn shop near me

 

If you can't find an SL-1200 that hasn't been abused or ridiculously priced, try looking for an SL-1500/1600/1700. The Mk ii's are generally more desirable, but the Mk i is a fine table.

 

That one's got a bit of wear on it, You can do better. If you can get it for under $300 it would likely be OK, but $450 is way high for that one. I would watch Craigslist.

 

Man, the Phoenix Craigslist page has some pretty nice stuff (compared to my area).

a bit over budget, but might be negotiable...

Kenwood KP-770D Turntable, Fully Restored

If you are interested in Vintage, this is a greatly overlooked absolute classic...

VINTAGE PHILIPS 312 TURNTABLE

Even this one looks better than the one posted above...

Technics DJ turntable

edit: Sorry, I saw Phoenix and got that in my brain, but the point is to dig through CL....

 

Personally I would pass on that. You should be able to find a nicer one in that price range and it will have a dust cover and the 45 rpm adapter. One positive thing about that one is the head shell. I see a lot of these for sale without the original head shells. But I'd keep looking.

 

Thanks, but i'm in Southern California

 

Yeah, I saw the post after you and got AZ stuck in my head!

 

It's working ! LOL.

 

DJ equipment

Asking $550 for the PLX, probably can be talked down a bit. Avoid, or look into it?

 

Not sure if the PLX-1000 is what you want, you'll have to decide that. There is a huge thread around here and some happy users. If so, there is a (claimed) NIB one on ebay for $540 ... New Pioneer PLX-1000 Turntable 686751476679 | eBay

 

I'm not stuck on any particular table, just going off of the advice on here. I'm still pretty new to all of this so I am not really refined as far as taste goes. I just want something that sounds good, has no issues, and is a good value in the price range. No DJ'ing over here.

The SL1200 market around here is pretty weak, a lot of overpriced tables in poor shape.