Getting into vinyl, need advice on a certain turntable.

[Raegas]

I'm trying to get into vinyl so I can take my parents' old vinyl off their hands and start my own collection. I have enough money to buy an Audio Technica LP120 but I'd prefer to find something vintage that'll do an equally good job. There's a Yamaha P500 for sale on craigslist near me that's in full working order for $100, which would be preferable, but I can't find anything substantial that gives me an idea whether one will be better than the other. I don't want to keep waiting for something else to show up on craigslist because I've already been keeping an eye out for two or so months and almost nothing pops up.

So, should I go with a Yamaha P500, or is an LP120 a better choice for a beginner?

 

[EngineerNate]

Get the Yamaha, put an Ortofon OM20 cart on it and have fun. That's a good table. Make sure the vertical movement of the tonearm is nice and free.

 

[Raegas]

Thank you for the advice! What do you mean by the last sentence? Like when the tonearm lifts up to move onto the record and when it drops to play?

 

[EngineerNate]

These yamaha models for some reason can get gummed up vertical bearings with age. Basically just feel the vertical movement of the arm gently by hand and make sure it's nice and free.

 

[4-2-7]

I love when a 23 year old get's his parents records and needs a table.

There are so many tables out there and really if you end up liking to play records you'll be buying better and better tables as time moves on. You just need to pull the trigger and start somewhere. I don't know if a old used table would be good for you just starting off and never using one before.

Where are you located, we do have some very nice members that might be able to help you out.

 

[Eastham]

To be honest you can't go wrong with a old Technics direct drive 'deck.

 

[EngineerNate]

To be honest you can't go wrong with a old Japanese direct drive 'deck.

FTFY

 

[bangsezmax]

Get the Yamaha, put an Ortofon OM20 cart on it and have fun. That's a good table. Make sure the vertical movement of the tonearm is nice and free.

This is true. Kind of a funky design on those arms. If the arm feels like up and down motion is smooth, no worries.

You don't want to waste your money or be frustrated, but you don't want to overthink it either. Lots of great bargains in vintage gear to get you started.

Where are you located?

 

[EngineerNate]

In all seriousness, the Technics decks are reliable as hammers but until you get into really esoteric stuff or go really low end, late 70s DD tables from any of the mainline Japanese names that haven't been abused are damn solid pieces of equipment. I've worked on a few Pioneers, a JVC, a CEC built project/One, and my personal Sony and all are well thought out designs (for the most part). The biggest determinant of long term reliably is going to be how the deck was taken care of. Left in an un-climate controlled storage unit for 23 years? Probably going to need some maintenance. Same for any neglected deck. Used semi-regularly and with care? Might not even need a recap for another 15 years.

 

[OMGCat!]

I just gave my friend a P-751 which seems to be the fully automatic version of that P-500.
It is a well built table that is much heavier than you would think by looking at it. I stuck our favorite cart, the AT-3600L on it and am really impressed with how great it sounds.
For a beginner table you really can't go wrong.

 

[justjed2]

The Yamaha is a better table, especially for a beginner, at that price, if it is in good condition. Less stuff to mess with, less stuff to go wrong. Put a decent cartridge on it, check you-tube for set-up and alignment help, and enjoy.

What is the rest of your gear like? You might need a phono-pre to go with it, $40-60 should get you going there. I like the TEC TC-750 for a cheap unit. You will have better sound for less than you would spend for the AT LP-120, and learn more along the way.