Looking for my first turntable, need advice

[markot]

Hi everyone

I've been thinking to get into vinyl for a long time now. Currently I stream music from PC via Behringer UCA202 DAC to Yamaha A-S500 amplifier, Monitor Audio MR2 speakers and Monitor Audio MRW-10 subwoofer.

My budget for a turntable is up to 400 EUR. From all the turntables I found at this price, I like the Teac TN-300 the most. What do you think about this turntable?

Also, due to space constraints, I will have to place my turntable 2 meters away from amplifier, which means 5 meters of cable. Would the built-in phono stage of the turntable be able to play without loss at this cable length?

 

[trev57]

Why don't you look for a vintage table,I have half a dozen decent vintage tables which when compared to modern turntables friends have don't sound any worse ,I spent far less than 400€ on the lot,one I bought for 25€ is a polish unitra fonica turntable and is very good ,I have a thorens td105 which was not expensive and also sounds very good ,I picked up a lenco l70 for €18 also quite a good turntable. You can buy a nice vintage deck then spend what you save on vinyl.

 

[lico]

The Teac will serve you well. The built in preamp is decent and will work with long cables.

 

[markot]

Why don't you look for a vintage table,I have half a dozen decent vintage tables which when compared to modern turntables friends have don't sound any worse ,I spent far less than 400€ on the lot,one I bought for 25€ is a polish unitra fonica turntable and is very good ,I have a thorens td105 which was not expensive and also sounds very good ,I picked up a lenco l70 for €18 also quite a good turntable. You can buy a nice vintage deck then spend what you save on vinyl.

I prefer new. I'm also affraid I would get a bad deal. And I really, really like the looks of this Teac. Maybe I'll try some vintage stuff later on, but first I want something that works for sure.

The Teac will serve you well. The built in preamp is decent and will work with long cables.

Good to hear that from someone who actually owns this turntable.

 

[thomo57]

I'm not sure I understand your apprehension with buying a vintage turntable.
You will get a lot more bang for your buck buying vintage as opposed to buying something in the same price bracket new.
There is a multitude of quality vintage turntables available and once you've dipped your toe in the pool you'll be hooked.

Use the internet or AK to do your homework on what's available.
Look in the price bracket for turntables available and then the internet for information.

 

[savatage1973]

I'm not sure I understand your apprehension with buying a vintage turntable.
You will get a lot more bang for your buck buying vintage as opposed to buying something in the same price bracket new.

I fully agree with you on this, but it sounds like the OP is not comfortable tinkering with vintage stuff like the majority of us do. He wants to open the box, plug it in and fill out a WARRANTY card.

That said--to the OP--you might want to shop around for a professionally restored/serviced used/vintage table. If you buy it from a "shop" rather than a private seller, they will likely provide some sort of warranty or service if needed.

You certainly can get more "bang for the buck" buying a used/vintage table, as new audio gear depreciates faster than a new car leaving the parking lot, and there is definitely a reason that these 40+ year old tables are still around, playing and sought after--not just nostalgia--they WERE built that well.

 

[markot]

-- it sounds like the OP is not comfortable tinkering with vintage stuff like the majority of us do. He wants to open the box, plug it in and fill out a WARRANTY card.

That is quite correct.

That said--to the OP--you might want to shop around for a professionally restored/serviced used/vintage table. If you buy it from a "shop" rather than a private seller, they will likely provide some sort of warranty or service if needed.

You certainly can get more "bang for the buck" buying a used/vintage table, as new audio gear depreciates faster than a new car leaving the parking lot, and there is definitely a reason that these 40+ year old tables are still around, playing and sought after--not just nostalgia--they WERE built that well.

Maybe after I get more experienced with turntables, I'll try vintage stuff. But right now, if I was to go to inspect/audition a vintage turntable I don't even know what to look for etc.
Besides I could only find a handful of used/vintage turntables in my area and I wouldn't be comfortable ordering used stuff from ebay.

 

[lico]

I really do think you will be satisfied with the Teac. If not - you can always return it, no harm no foul. Very little chance you can return any vintage turntable you buy (especially online from the auction site).

BTW - I also own Monitor Audio MR2 speakers and a Yamaha A-S500 in different systems, really like the the Monitor Audios.

 

[Dr Tinear]

There was a long thread here in the Turntables forum about the Teac TN-300. Its 0.2% wow and flutter spec is apparently very conservative -- the original poster in that thread measured his TN-300 at an excellent 0.06% -- and the build quality seems very good for the money. The OP's Teac ran slightly fast, but the turntable comes equipped with speed adjustment pots for both the 33 and 45 speeds. These are accessible through the bottom cover, so adjusting them with the aid of a strobe disc or smartphone app won't void the warranty. The TN-300 seems like a very good choice for a music lover on a budget who's looking to buy a new turntable.

 

[trev57]

400€ would buy you a spanka of a vintage turntable and they are not all duffers that need fiddling with by an expert,you can actually buy some you can plug in and play records on,new turntables to me have no style either look like some blingy disco job or a bit of black MDF with the tip of a fishing rod as an arm and they certainly do not have any wow and from what I've heard so far don't really sound much better than a lot of my old 70s and 80s tables.

 

[BillyBatts]

OP:

Do what you want, but many Vintage Tables are pristine and ready for another 5,000 hours easily. IMO, it's worth looking. Many vintage tables are built like tanks for pennies on the Euro for what you'd pay for a new table. As an example, if I sold mine (and they are not for sale), you'd get one heck of a deal because I pampered them over the first 10 years, then stored them for 15 or so years high and dry, then put them back in service after a compete tune-up.

I prefer direct drive but belt has served me fine also (I have both) and use my belt tables 70 percent of the time.

Good luck in whatever you decide. I'm sure you'll do well. Keep us posted.

 

[lico]

As an owner of about 15 vintage turntables, and one new turntable, here is what I would offer for your entertainment. I enjoy my new Teac turntable more than any of my vintage tables.

Why is that? Because sometimes people want to buy something new. Does it sound better? It sounds as good as any of the old ones, and looks 10x better. If I am pairing a turntable with other new gear (amp, speakers) I would a rather have a new deck as the OP would as well.

A few years back I collected many tables, was much easier. These days, I think the used turntable market has become a hodge podge of iffy decks out there marketed by sellers looking to get top dollar for their old dirty broken junk. Sure there are always finds - but they are mostly luck.

How does that grab you guys?

 

[thomo57]

As an owner of about 15 vintage turntables, and one new turntable, here is what I would offer for your entertainment. I enjoy my new Teac turntable more than any of my vintage tables.

Why is that? Because sometimes people want to buy something new. Does it sound better? It sounds as good as any of the old ones, and looks 10x better. If I am pairing a turntable with other new gear (amp, speakers) I would a rather have a new deck as the OP would as well.

A few years back I collected many tables, was much easier. These days, I think the used turntable market has become a hodge podge of iffy decks out there marketed by sellers looking to get top dollar for their old dirty broken junk. Sure there are always finds - but they are mostly luck.

How does that grab you guys?

Luck :scratch2:
There are thousands of perfectly good to great vintage turntables available no luck involved.
True there are sellers who think their turntables records or whatever else they are selling is worth a fortune but caveat emptor, Let the buyer beware.
Educate yourself.
Read read read.
Watch eBay.
Read the forum posts
Buy from a reputable seller
Sounds like markot has his mind made up and will buy the Teac.
Make your next one a vintage markot:thmbsp:

 

[h3ll0]

A few years back I collected many tables, was much easier. These days, I think the used turntable market has become a hodge podge of iffy decks out there marketed by sellers looking to get top dollar for their old dirty broken junk. Sure there are always finds - but they are mostly luck.

How does that grab you guys?

I agree with this statment, I have bought 6 vintage turntables and only 1 works perfectly with one that needs a recap of the pcb's,

One that needs the spindle taken apart and fed new oil yet the set screw is stuck.

A pioneer pl12d that needs the tonearm bearings tightened yet in order to do that I would have to take the entire tonarm off and resolder the wires, also for some reason the motor decides to turn on when it feels like doing so.

Also a dual 1214 that needs a new cam wheel, dustcover, and needle, but it was free.

The one turntable that needed only basic maintenance was my Technics SL-3300, it just needed new oil in the platter bearing and a cleaning of the speed pots and it works perfectly.

I've only seen two turntables where I live that can best the Teac or U-Turn orbit plus in sound quality and looks, and that is a Lenco L-75 and a Thorens TD-150 both $350 each for 50 year old turntables.

If the owner serviced them every couple of years, then ya its worth it but what about the 50 year old motor, the bearings, and the wiring. The thing could stop working at any moment then your screwed.:sigh:

 

[Sprags]

If I were going to go with a vintage turntable I would buy only from a local source that you can actually personally carry it out of the sellers door and into yours. Don't gamble with EBay turntables. Even if it really is in great condition before it shipped 90% of the time they become damaged during shipping. Most people do not know how to pack a TT for shipping. Of course if the eBay find is local and you can physically carry it home then it may be worth taking the chance.

 

[markot]

I appreciate all the suggestions regarding used/vintage turntables, but for my first I'd like to get a new one, plug it in and don't worry about it.

When I created this thread I just came looking for your opinions about Teac TN-300 (I got them, thanks) and maybe some alternatives in this price range (Rega, Pro-ject, ...).

Anyway in the meanwhile I did more research and found out there's really nothing else that appeals to me at this price. Teac looks classic and modern at the same time and has speed switch knob which Rega doesn't have.

By the way everyone on the internet seems to have cherry version of Teac. What's up with that
I think I'll get it in black, since I have everything else in black already.

 

[4Play]

The Teac is a good choice if you're looking for a manual turntable. There is another option if you prefer an automatic is the Denon DP-300f. There is a lengthy thread where the OP has had his for over five years without any issues, and there a several other members who own one and have been happy.

For a new turntable, you have two choices. One for manual and one for automatic.

 

[Starquest]

If I were going to go with a vintage turntable I would buy only from a local source that you can actually personally carry it out of the sellers door and into yours. Don't gamble with EBay turntables. Even if it really is in great condition before it shipped 90% of the time they become damaged during shipping. Most people do not know how to pack a TT for shipping. Of course if the eBay find is local and you can physically carry it home then it may be worth taking the chance.

Again, items damaged in shipping are the seller's responsibility.

If the item is damaged or not as described, sellers must cover return shipping costs

http://pages.ebay.com/ebay-money-back-guarantee/questions.html

p.s. I have no affiliation with ebay. It's just that I see warnings about shipping turntables all the time, and most folks aren't aware of the polcy.

 

[markot]

The Teac is a good choice if you're looking for a manual turntable. There is another option if you prefer an automatic is the Denon DP-300f. There is a lengthy thread where the OP has had his for over five years without any issues, and there a several other members who own one and have been happy.

For a new turntable, you have two choices. One for manual and one for automatic.

Wow, how could I miss that Denon! It looks nice and is considerably cheaper than Teac. Read the reviews online and they're mostly very positive.

This being an automatic turntable, can I still drop the needle wherever I want if I so desire?

Would Denon's integrated phono preamp handle 5 meters of cable?

 

[trev57]

Yes it will handle 5 metres.turntables are quite simple bits of kit ,the mechanics are easy to get your head round and no where near as complex as some people try to make out,but with the sound its not just the cartridge that's the important bit its the construction of the turntable.before you commit yourself to spending 400 bucks you should find somewhere where you can listen to a few different decks ,take some music you like and see which one you like the sound of,with me its the sound of drums and bass on bto's not fragile and the cymbals and guitar on the start of trowers bridge of sighs.