Which turntable should i purchase?

LuskTusk

New Member
Hello im completely new to vinyl but would like to get into it. I cant spend much so id like to make the money count im currently looking at craigslist and there are some decent looking options. How good are these in general and for the price?


PIONEER PL 250 TURNTABLE - $35

Technics sl-b2 automatic Turntable - $55


Technics SL-Q300 - $75

If non are worth it could i have some recommendations for a good turn table under $100? Thank you for any help you can offer.
 
Hello and welcome to AK.

To help with your enquiry, could you give us an idea of what equipment you already have ( if any ) like speakers, amp etc ?

Do you have any technical or DIY skills ? Older equipment may need at least some basic servicing.

These 'what turntable should I buy' threads are becoming very common here so give us as much information about you, your budget, your gear, your tastes as you can and we can try to point you towards something that hopefully will suit.
 
Personally, without knowing anything about your system, I would go with the SL-Q300 mainly because its direct drive (no drive belt to replace) and its quartz locked for speed accuracy. You will need an amp and speakers with it though.
 
Alll three!!
If not, you can;t go wrong with any of them for the price.
Technics and Pioneer were both making quality budget TT's at that time and I would have one of them than a newer, more expensive "budget" table.
Like Mark above said though, with a good price usially comes a little tuning up to bring back to spec.
Anything with an auto-return function is nice if you fall asleep but has a little more hardware under the hood to tune.
A Pioneer PL-series (112,115,117) are alse decent budget tables that are belt drive.
My experience has been my PL-115D belt drive is quieter than any of the 3 direct drives I run which surprised me hearing and reading how it should have been the other way around.
YMMV..... Do note, sometimes Technics need to have a good ground point as I learned with a SL-1600.
 
Personally, without knowing anything about your system, I would go with the SL-Q300 mainly because its direct drive (no drive belt to replace) and its quartz locked for speed accuracy. You will need an amp and speakers with it though.


My choice as well.

Have you made use of the "search" option in the "TT" forum, as many before you have asked the similar question with the discussions that followed.

Q
 
I would personally buy the Technics SL-B2 because of the removable headshell and option to swap out different carts. But since you are new to vinyl, I would go along with the other recommendations for the SL-Q300. It's simple (no cart alignment) and it's direct drive, quartz locked, automatic. Plug it in and play music.

In reality, I would buy them all. Those are 2004 prices!
 
I didn't notice that the Q300 was P-mount @hi*ball so yes perhaps I would go with the other Technics too for that reason.

Saying it, it does have the advantage of less setup :)
 
The Pioneer is probably the best bang for the buck, as it is direct drive (although not quartz locked, this isn't a big deal as long as the speed can be calibrated correctly). I probably wouldn't go for the SL-Q300 because I'm not a fan of either fully automatic tables (there's more to go wrong) nor P-mount (the selection of cartridges available is much lower than standard mount).

Other things to consider:

1. Is cartridge included? If so, is the stylus still usable?
2. (for the SL-B2) Is the belt good (belts are fairly cheap but you still have the hassle of obtaining one)?
3. Does the auto-return function work reliably? Old mechanicals (the Pioneer and SL-B2 are about 35 years old) can get gummed up.
4. What's the physical condition? Is the deck in good shape? Is the dust cover intact and relatively unscratched? Is the rubber mat relatively soft and uncracked?
 
The answer to your first question is - neither.
The answer to your second question is - none.
There is NO good table to get under $100, unless ypu buy it from someone who has no clue about market value.


Hello im completely new to vinyl but would like to get into it. I cant spend much so id like to make the money count im currently looking at craigslist and there are some decent looking options. How good are these in general and for the price?


PIONEER PL 250 TURNTABLE - $35

Technics sl-b2 automatic Turntable - $55

Technics SL-Q300 - $75

If non are worth it could i have some recommendations for a good turn table under $100? Thank you for any help you can offer.
 
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Personally, without knowing anything about your system, I would go with the SL-Q300 mainly because its direct drive (no drive belt to replace) and its quartz locked for speed accuracy. You will need an amp and speakers with it though.

I agree, but I'd opt for a deck that isn't a P mount if given a choice. The SL-B2 is a good deck if it is in decent trim..Semi-automatic, reliable and built well. Still - I'd prefer a direct drive TT, if given a choice.

Also - when going to look at them, make sure there is a fresh belt on the deck. Otherwise, add $15 or so to the price for a new belt.
 
Scoop the pioneer, they're solid turntables and it's the cheapest so it allows you to: A) See if you like vinyl and B) Buy more vinyl with the money you save.
 
PIONEER PL 250 TURNTABLE - $35

Pioneer used that model number twice. If it is the heavy 70s silver looking one grab it. If it is the 80s BPC run fast in the other direction.

Good...

pioneer_pl-255.jpg


Bad...

s9g9ttzp7ral46mkpwnk.jpg
 
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It was a drive by thread.

Poster returned on Nov.24 for a look and have not been back. :no:
That's okay. Maybe some AKers didn't know that Pioneer used that model number twice. I was sad when I found out (answering a Freecycle ad for a PIONEER PL 250 TURNTABLE).
 
IMHO, the question - "Which turntable is best when new" is different than the "Which turntable is the best buy today." The latter question is what people should be asking, and that requires more information about the current condition of each item.

Recommendations will depend on how well each of the tables is functioning.
 
I also needs some assistance.... I have never purchased a TT.... ( I like choices #1 & #2) my choices thus far from a good friends who is an audiophile.....downsizing his gear at good prices for me........

1.Super Rega Planar 3 Stereo 021
2.Yamaha NS YP-D8 Direct Drive
3.Kenwood KD-2077
4.Kenwood KD-2055 Automatic Return
5.Technics Direct Drive Automatic SL-190

ANY thoughts and or insight would be much appreciated! +blessings! Greg
 
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