Can you recommend a turntable for under $200?

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by jt9057, Aug 22, 2005.

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  1. jt9057

    jt9057 Member Thread Starter

    Hey all, Ive got a ton of vinyl around here just collecting dust. Im looking to get a good cheap turntable for around $200 or under. Any suggestions?
     
  2. JRH

    JRH Forum Resident

    Location:
    Orange County, CA
    That's a tough one...

    for the most part any TT under $500.00 (bought new) will prob just be disappointing to you when compared to cd. At the mid to high levels TT's can outshine cd playback. Of course this is software dependent (crappy lp's sound bad, just like crapy cd's sound bad). Also, I assume that you don't need a seperate phono pre amp.

    Just to give you some insight as what can happen to you!!!

    I bought my Linn LP12 for $250.00. Replaced the basic tonearm for the Ittok for $300.00. Upgraded RCA's on back of TT $75.00. Bought Benz Ace L cart $500.00. Bought phone pre-amp $900.00.

    Does it sound better than my Wadia cd player? Sometimes
     
  3. Six String

    Six String Senior Member

    You would probably do better buying a used TT for that price than a new one, if that's even possible, below $200.00. Have you never owned a TT before? You might get lucky in the wantadds or a garage sale and find a used TT for cheap. Panasonic, Pioneer, possbily an old Dual, Thorens, Garard. If you need a phono stage for it to play on your system, you can kiss this idea goodbye. They aren't necessarily expensive but they will add considerably to your bill and you won't find one of those at a garage sale. The problem with finding a used one is that many people that get rid of their turntables have upgraded to these new surround sound systems and they might not have a phono stage for you to test it on. Most people who stopped listening to records a long time ago could have worn out needles to boot adding more to your bill. My best suggestion would be to wait until you can spend a little more money.
     
  4. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    Do you have a car?

    Check out the flea market at Sheppard and Midland in Toronto. They have many TT's under $200.00. Some can run as high as $400 or $500 depending on what it is. They all have cartridges.

    If you are looking for a more expensive TT, get there at 9:45 (it opens at 10) because the really good stuff leaves pretty fast.... the last "good" TT I saw there was a "Revolver" IIRC. But there are probably Duals, Technics, Pioneer, Yamaha and others that are "in stock".

    Happy hunting!
     
  5. Gary

    Gary Nauga Gort! Staff

    Location:
    Toronto
    PS If you need specific instuctions, just PM me.
     
  6. bresna

    bresna Senior Member

    Location:
    York, Maine
    Denon's entry-level DP-29F is a nice little TT that sells for $150. As a bonus, it includes a switchable phono pre-amp. Very nice feature. I use this in my secondary listening room and it does a fine job. Of course, I only use it every now & then so it doesn't need to be top-dog. :)

    Kevin
     
  7. quadjoe

    quadjoe Senior Member

    JRH, I must respectfully disagree. JT will probably have to spend more than $200 for decent performance, that's true, but he needn't spend $1000. My 18 year-old Technics SLDD-22 is quite nice, and people who hear records on my system (which I admit is modest, compared to some) are amazed at how good they sound, very often much better than CD (Steve's Roy Orbison, or Peggy Lee "Bewitching" are two stellar examples). Let's not discourage someone who is new to vinyl from taking the plunge.

    JT, here are some suggestions if you're willing to spend a little more than your $200 budget:

    Pro-ject Debut III (with Ortofon OM-5MM cart) can be had for $279. (a very decent TT for the price)
    Technics SLBD-20D - $180 not as good as the Pro-ject and you'll be forced to use only P-mount cartridges (not necessarily a bad thing, but your choices are limited). Not bad for the price.
    Music Hall MMF 2.1 - $349, from what I've read it is probably on a par with the Pro-ject in terms of quality and it comes with a Goldring cartridge.

    The above are new turntables and are readily available from several on-line sources.

    If you have experience with turntables and aren't afraid of installing a new cartridge on an old turntable, you could try e-Bay. Your best bets for used tables would be manual ones as the automatic functions are usually what goes bad on an older table. There are a wide variety available, but my favorites to recommend are the old Pioneers from the '70's: the PL-10 or the PL-12 series. Belts are still readily available for these units, and you can equip them with a wide variety of cartridges. If you win a PL-10 for say, around $100 you could then pick up a Shure M97XE for $89 and fall within your budget. Happy hunting!

    Let me warn you that JRH is right about getting the bug: once you start down this path you might very possibly end up with a $1000 table at some point. I know that I'm saving up for something better than what I currently own, but I'm quite happy with what I have even though I know I'll probably be floored by how much better a new TT will sound (hopefully). :)
     
  8. ag1

    ag1 Forum Resident

    Location:
    NY, NY, USA
    If your willing to buy used, you can pick up a nice thorens for this price (TD 160,150,145)
    something like this

    http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1129862851

    Be careful about getting it shipped though.

    New, the Technics SBD 20/22 are your best bets (if money's real tight, these are dirt cheap used). I had one and was content until I upgraded to a MMF 5.

    Dont be put off by people saying you have to spend such and such to match CDs.
    If youve already got a ton of vinyl, get yourself a record player!!! No brainer.
     
  9. AudioEnz

    AudioEnz Senior Member

    The Project Debut 3 is my standard recommendation for a new, affordable turntable. The Debut's sound far better than they have any right to, and far better than any plastic-fantastic turntables from Japan.

    Project's have a low profile in the USA, but they are one of the best selling turntable brands worldwide.
     
  10. Barry Wom

    Barry Wom New Member

    Location:
    Pepperland
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