(3) Turntables, which one would you pick and why?

listened quite a bit yesterday. it is grand slam home run sounding table!

 

Very glad you found the table for you Tony!!

 

Will the headshells that fit the AT-PL-120 also fit the 1200GR? The ones I've bought are Technics brand but I know they've made updates.

 

It really depends what you want to do and what your goals are. If I could afford the GR, I'd buy it without question (thinking about one later this year). The USB converter and phono preamp in the 120 are very, very low end stuff. If you are serious about making high quality needledrops know that it's a significant investment. Not just with the turntable, but the cartridge, phono preamp, and the A/D Converter or audio interface.

The $40 cart the AT comes with and the built in converter will work, but don't expect great results. I've heard some very good needledrops but those were done with a $3,000 cartridge and a $1,000 phono/pre + A/D converter. Even with that kind of investment it's easy to beat with a decent CD pressing of a particular album if one exists. The person that made those needledrops mainly does albums that haver never been released on CD or digital format or albums where the CD or digital version was botched for some reason. For run of the mill music that's easy to get a decent CD version, needledropping isn't worth the time, money, or general hassle.

 

Thanks for the advice. I'll wait and save up for a more high-end model, but that will need to wait a little longer, methinks.