Search for vintage or get a new, budget turntable?
- Thread starter sATLite
- Start date
My ideal future TT would be vintage so I lean towards finding a mid-tier vintage TT to learn with.
Yeah I'm still considering it - I offered $200 to see if they would take it but I'm still waiting to find out what cartridge is in it.
Also found a listing for a Hitachi PS-48 that seems quality enough and has the wood aesthetics my wife wants. That might work too.
I had one of the PS-48's and it was a nice table.
knotscott
Super Member
A serviced machine could carry you for a quite a while, but it's really an unknown.
Nearly two years ago my kids gave me an AT-LP120XUSB. I understood that it's not a coveted audiophile TT, but it's a pretty decent sounding machine in it's stock form for the price, and has a nice affordable stylus upgrade path. I took that stock table and added the shibata stylus, upgraded the cables, added a cork/rubber mat, undercoated the platter, added plasticine under the plinth, added a record weight for more mass, added weighted grip tape (tennis or golf type) to the counterweight so the weight would be move closer to the pivot point (takes less energy to move it), added orthodontia rubber bands to the tonearm to help reduce resonance, and added sorbathane feet. I even built a simple wood frame to spruce it up some. It's easily went to a next level TT....a sleeper that sounds on the impressive side. It was good enough that I added an excellent Nagaoka cart to it, and now it really sounds kind of amazing. Point is, you'd be surprised what you can squeeze out of a basic decent TT if you optimize those basics.
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Hate to throw any wrench in you plans but I might suggest you to try out something better than an AVR for your amplification. In your post you claim little knowledge in regards to turntables but well versed on speakers and amps. You might think about that amp of yours.
Daniel Dbar
New Member
Hey Knotscott! Your reply stuck out to me as I've been researching the AT-LP120XUSB as a replacement to my current record player, (its a $100 ION premier with built in speakers that i'm now terrified will destroy my vinyl collection)
Would you advise on the LP120 being a solid entry player to grow with? Based on your post it seems very feasible to enhance different aspects as the hobby grows, and it seems like a solid replacement at the moment. Greatly appreciate any input you could provide!
-Dan
knotscott
Super Member
My experience has been really positive, so it'd be hard not to recommend it. There's an LP120, and a newer updated LP120"X", and there are some notable improvements to the X. The LP120XUSB is still my daily driver. I have a few good vintage tables too. I'm not saying its as well built as some of them, but it works well and sounds really good on what I consider a pretty good system.
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Apologies for butting in, but just wanted to add that I had been very pleasantly surprised at how enjoyable the LP120XUSB was in my system. I bought it for 78's, having a Rega RP3 for lp's, but with my only change from stock being to mount up a $79 Sumiko Oyster on a second headshell for lp's and 45's, the modest AT turntable really drew me into the music. In a budget-necessitated move to Texas recently, I chose to avoid moving expenses by simply getting rid of almost everything I owned, including all my records and hifi equipment. If and when I start over, it will be with an AT-120XUSB and Sumiko Oyster cartridge; despite the modest cost, I found this combination totally satisfying when playing records.
T68 mentioned the AT-LP5x, and it reminded me of a quote I love from What HiFi's review of its predecessor, the LP5. When they compared it to the RP1, they said the Rega provides "a step up in most respects, as well as a more general warmth to the sound, but it cannot detract from the AT-LP5’s musicality. Sonically, the RP1 has the edge you’d expect from a sole-purpose turntable, but when we switch back we are more than pleased to listen for the rest of the day without missing the extra detail or dynamics." Similarly, while my Rega was better head-to-head than the LP120XUSB/Sumiko Oyster combo, I could listen to the latter all day long without ever feeling I was missing anything, and, as with the Rega, being so captivated by the performances that I was led to play record after record. Due to a Covid-related shortage of Rega belts in 2020, I used my AT exclusively for several months, realizing after that experience that I really don't need anything better to enjoy my albums.
Milano
Member
For crying out loud I just wrote you a really long response about three paragraphs long and then I hit the wrong button and it's gone.
Here's the key points
I love dual. Dual idler drives. Would probably like their direct drives but that's not in most people's budget....
I bought two vintage turntables in the past few months and that's all I own. And if I had to do it again I would have started with the cheapest audio Technica that provided me an auto return or auto stop function so that I had something as a reference to determine if something was amiss with my 35-50-year-old units. Like, "is this 50-year-old cartridge going bad or is this just a poorly recorded album? - how about I throw it on a brand new table and see?"
For dual I believe the 12 means 12-in platter and the 10 means 10-in platter. 09, 19, 29 are simply chronological model numbers.
When they got up to 601, 701 I'm not sure what the difference was. And don't ask me about the letter q or whatever after some of them lol
Here's the key points
I love dual. Dual idler drives. Would probably like their direct drives but that's not in most people's budget....
I bought two vintage turntables in the past few months and that's all I own. And if I had to do it again I would have started with the cheapest audio Technica that provided me an auto return or auto stop function so that I had something as a reference to determine if something was amiss with my 35-50-year-old units. Like, "is this 50-year-old cartridge going bad or is this just a poorly recorded album? - how about I throw it on a brand new table and see?"
For dual I believe the 12 means 12-in platter and the 10 means 10-in platter. 09, 19, 29 are simply chronological model numbers.
When they got up to 601, 701 I'm not sure what the difference was. And don't ask me about the letter q or whatever after some of them lol
So many great vintage TT's out there and at todays cost many of them would be expensive. I would just want to make sure I had a good and reasonable repair tech in the area that know about TT's. On most of them, once they are refurbished they will be good for another few decades. There really isn't much to them and what there is is mostly replaceable or repairable. Then it gets down to the cart which is a vast majority of the sound quality anyway.
Daniel Dbar
New Member
Thank you all so much for your replies and input on the LP120XUSB. Truly appreciate such a welcoming community.
At the moment my biggest hesitation with the table is the recent price fluctuation. Looks like it's shot up to $350 in the states in the past 8 months.
Obviously with supply chain issues and material shortages that is likely to happen, but i'd hate to invest extra money without extra value. A few other forums also voiced that if I wasn't planning to DJ with it, (I'm not) there are many great TT's out there at a similar price point. Such as the Pro-Ject Essentail II for only $50 more.
With that current price point of $350, would y'all still advise the LP120XUSB to be a solid mid-tier option, or should I continue to weigh my options and look elsewhere? I'm interested in some of these used options, but also have concerns about repairs with the current market availability.
Thanks for any and all input you can provide!
-Dan
At the moment my biggest hesitation with the table is the recent price fluctuation. Looks like it's shot up to $350 in the states in the past 8 months.
Obviously with supply chain issues and material shortages that is likely to happen, but i'd hate to invest extra money without extra value. A few other forums also voiced that if I wasn't planning to DJ with it, (I'm not) there are many great TT's out there at a similar price point. Such as the Pro-Ject Essentail II for only $50 more.
With that current price point of $350, would y'all still advise the LP120XUSB to be a solid mid-tier option, or should I continue to weigh my options and look elsewhere? I'm interested in some of these used options, but also have concerns about repairs with the current market availability.
Thanks for any and all input you can provide!
-Dan
The ATLP120 is a good option at $350 IMO, but so would the Fluance RT83, or one of the Pro-jects, or a U-Turn Orbit, or another AT deck at the same price point. Each bring certain positives and any would provide solid function and good sound.
They'll all come with warranty and allow you to get started in the hobby. Any will be sellable on the used market if you decide to sell.
They'll all come with warranty and allow you to get started in the hobby. Any will be sellable on the used market if you decide to sell.
Yes, prices are up for several entry-level decks. I bought my LP120XUSB when the MSRP was $249, and I see that the entry-level Rega has gone from $475 to $595. One interesting deck whose price hasn't changed, yet, is the Music Hall mmf-1.5, still at $399.
Interesting that other forums mention DJ use for the LP120XUSB. My understanding is that while its predecessor was marketed as a beginner's DJ option, the new model was strictly for hifi listening. AT proudly mentioned its reduced torque motor which they said would provide higher quality sound, while the accompanying 140XP retained arm height adjustment, forward/reverse play, a DJ cartridge, and a higher torque motor than the old LP-120-USB. Their descriptions of the two new models were:
LP120XUSB, "Experience the high-fidelity audio of vinyl"
LP140XP, "Experience high-fidelity audio and professional DJ performance"
In any event, my opinion is biased by my having owned and enjoyed the LP120XUSB for about 2 1/2 years. I know how much I liked it (with the Oyster cartridge), so I still consider it a bargain at $350 (plus $79 for the Sumiko Oyster) and would not want to take a chance on anything else in that price range without extensive auditioning to ensure I would like it. The next cheapest turntable I have enough experience with to know that I could just buy it and be happy is the Rega Planar 2 (and it's gone up from $675 to $775).
Fluance is one company whose prices have not gone up, and they offer a 30-day trial period to ensure that what you bought meets your expectations. If I wanted to try a lower-cost option than the AT, the Fluance RT80 at $199 is one I might try, especially since I already know that I like the AT91 cartridge it comes with.
Jason Lafler
Active Member
I'm in the same boat as the OP. I decided on a u turn orbit. On a budget. Ordering the custom . Chose a Ortofon red cart, cue lever option for safety.Stayed with the mdf platter to stay in budget. And an extra belt. It's my first TT since 1985. I'm sure it will sound better than CD or the Bluetooth receiver I've been running with the vintage receivers I have.
knotscott
Super Member
Ouch...price increases are a b!tch, especially when they jump during your decision process. Rega, Project, Uturn, Music Hall, Fluance, the right vintage model....all good options. Sometimes you find a deal on a display model. A good cart that's well matched is still the key to superior sound.
no affiliation
Some second-hand input in the form of a video review by Paul Rigby that includes the Lenco L-3808, AT-LP120XUSB, Fluance RT81, and Rega RP1 (not the current Planar 1). What's interesting to me is that in the UK, where Rigby is apparently reviewing these from, the latter three are roughly the same price (the current Planar 1 is £299.00, about £50 higher than the RP1 was when reviewed) while in the US, at present, the RT81 is $249, the LP120X is $350, and the Planar 1 is $595, making relative value a bit different than in the UK.