Help me choose a good turntable

OP, is your $400 budget for turntable only or is $400 for the whole package (turntable, receiver and speakers)? From your question it seems like $400 is for the whole package. If so, that will limit your choices very much if you want everything new.
 
OP, is your $400 budget for turntable only or is $400 for the whole package (turntable, receiver and speakers)? From your question it seems like $400 is for the whole package. If so, that will limit your choices very much if you want everything new.
I Meant the $400 is for the turntable, and for the other equipments i will have to research more, so i'll know whether to save up if it's worth it or buy something affordable.
 
No I do not have any speakers at the moment. Will buying only the speakers suffice, or do I need to buy more equipments? (eg. a receiver, preamp, amp)
You need Turntable>Phono preamp>Amp(or receiver)>Speakers
Some turntables have phono preamp built in.
Some Amps(receivers) have Phono Preamp built in.
Some speakers have Amp built in (not phono preamp), called active speakers.
So you'll need to make the right combination, depending on your budget.
 
If you must buy new, I am afraid that your only option is the Denon DP300F. I compared it side by side to AKAI BT500, Fluance RT81, Uturn Audio (most expensive package) and Project Debut Carbon. Soundwise very close to the latter, and light years ahead of the three before that.
I ended up getting recently serviced Denon DP 1200 for $202. The most improvement was in the reliability and looks department. Believe it or not, serviced pre-owned tables would have better reliability than that of brand new decks within your budget.
 
A few of the guys on Stereonet have owned both the Pioneer PLX1000 and Reloop RP7000. Reckons that the Reloop is better despite being half the cost. I've no first hand experience with either though
 
You need Turntable>Phono preamp>Amp(or receiver)>Speakers
Some turntables have phono preamp built in.
Some Amps(receivers) have Phono Preamp built in.
Some speakers have Amp built in (not phono preamp), called active speakers.
So you'll need to make the right combination, depending on your budget.

^ There are actually even speakers with built in phono preamps, like the Roth VA4 that Techmoan reviewed on his YouTube channel earlier this year. Since they have both a phono preamp and amp built in, you'd literally only need to buy the speakers:


I can't comment on their quality, but Techmoan seems to think they're decent. Perhaps something to consider if on a limited budget, since even the cheapest low end preamp + amp + speaker combo would probably only be ever so slightly cheaper than the Roth VA4's.

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Turntable wise it depends where you're located. I assume you're in the US based on your use of dollars, but then again I always talk about prices in dollars and I'm based in Europe - so I'm not 100% sure. If you did happen to be in Europe, the Rega Planar 1 may be a good option, as it's between $330 and $385 or so in Europe, depending on the country. It'll probably be the best sounding new table you can get in your price range. The only downside is the lack of a removable headshell,

If a removable headshell is a must (I'm guessing that's one of the things that drew you to the AudioTechnica LP-120 and Pioneer PLX-500?) then your best bet is the Fluance RT81 that someone else posted. Both the Pioneer and LP-120 are somewhat noisy tables, with a signal-to-noise ratio of a mere 50db, and both have a not so great wow-and-flutter spec of ~0.2%. The Fluance is no better in the wow-and-flutter department, but it's significantly better in the noise department, with a signal-to-noise ratio of ~67db, which is very quiet.

Alongside being noisier, the AT-LP120 has an issue where the preamp actually filters out some sound at the high frequencies EVEN if you have the preamp switched off and use an external preamp. Which results in you having to actually open up the table and remove the preamp board if you want to get the best sound.

The only real downside of the Fluance is that it's only available in the US, so if you're not US based it's not an option.

The Fluance also does have a built in preamp (the Audio Technica and Pioneer do too) so you could just buy speakers + an amp, or regular powered speakers, and use the built in preamp if you wanted to.

You won't get anything better than the Fluance in your price range if a removable headshell is something you want.
 
Turntable wise it depends where you're located. I assume you're in the US based on your use of dollars,
No I'm not in the US, I'm in Saudi Arabia, I just use the dollar currency because I plan to order online and most of the websites are US based
 
If a removable headshell is a must (I'm guessing that's one of the things that drew you to the AudioTechnica LP-120 and Pioneer PLX-500?) then your best bet is the Fluance RT81
I think a removable head shell is easier to replace. I like the sleek look of the Fluance RT8, but where do i buy another belt if the original one was damaged? it's a bit of a hassle to buy one item online and paying more of what it's worth for shipping overseas.
 
I think a removable head shell is easier to replace. I like the sleek look of the Fluance RT8, but where do i buy another belt if the original one was damaged? it's a bit of a hassle to buy one item online and paying more of what it's worth for shipping overseas.

If you're buying it new then the belt should last you at least 5 years. Some old turntables with 20-30 year old belts are still working as well as they were on the day they were bought - although a lot of manufacturers will recommend you replace the belt every ~5 years or so anyway.

If you measure the belt then you can order a replacement from Amazon or a number of other sites based on the length. We're talking maybe a $15-$25 purchase every 5+ years. You'll probably be paying to replace your stylus more often than that, so you can just order the stylus and belt from the same place at the same time to save on shipping costs.

That's if you haven't already upgraded to another more expensive turntable in 5 years time - which, knowing most people in this hobby.. will probably happen ;)
 
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