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The 'Under 300 Club' (TT's under 300 bucks)

131east23

131east23

...near Frank's Pizza!
I am always on a budget and can never afford to layout the thousands of dollars for my holy grail turntables that I want: Garrard 301, Garrard 401, Thorens TD124. I lust after these, but can't quite get the funds together to buy one, make a plinth, buy a tone arm, cart, etc... I think after I was done I would be up to about $4500.00 in expenses.

I have three turntables: A Dual 1249 with a wonderful Shure V15 III and an original MR stylus. A Garrard Lab 80 with five head shells and various cartridges. A Bogen-Lenco B 50-16 that I'm currently refurbing to be a dedicated mono table. The Dual was free, the Lab 80 cost $65.00, the little Lenco cost $40.00.

Was wondering what turntables you are using as daily drivers that are under the $300.00 and might be a step up from what I have, or be the next step towards my personal holy grail turntables? The Lenco L75 is on my radar but hard to find cheap. Elac 50H is also on my radar. I really do enjoy the Dual with the Shure and feel like it would take some real money to better that sound even though the 1249 is not really the TT of my dreams.

What are you using that is affordable, makes you happy, makes great sound?
 
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How can there be an "under 300" club for used products when there is no list price for a used product? I don't understand the point of this post.
 
markshan said:
How can there be an "under 300" club for used products when there is no list price for a used product? I don't understand the point of this post.
Click to expand...
The amount you paid for the used product is the price of the used product. Most Garrard Lab 80's sell for less than $300.00. Most Thorens TD124's sell for more than $300.00. If you are on a budget, have you run a cross a turntable that is inexpensive but performs well? That's all.
 
Are you more interested in new turntables for $300 or less, or vintage tables? I've found some good/great deals on turntables through the years, but the prices I paid are probably not representative of going values. Among others I got a Thorens TD 145 for $25, Lenco L70 for $50 (+$50 for service), Technics SP-15 for $100, Technics SL1100 for $100 (without headshell), and Elac 50H for $15 (+$65 for service). Except where noted, all came with cartridges of varying quality. It would probably be more informative to compile under $300 list based on eBay sold information for select vintage turntables.
 
Since there is no set prices for used turntables, it’s up to you to be patient and look for a score. I just saw a Thorens TD-160 on Facebook this morning for $300.

All of the turntables I own were under $300. No $20 deal like someone mentioned but not over $300 either:
Yamaha YP-D8
MMF 5
Sansui SR-838
Pioneer Pl-530
 
slowpat said:
Since there is no set prices for used turntables, it’s up to you to be patient and look for a score. I just saw a Thorens TD-160 on Facebook this morning for $300.

All of the turntables I own were under $300. No $20 deal like someone mentioned but not over $300 either:
Yamaha YP-D8
MMF 5
Sansui SR-838
Pioneer Pl-530
Click to expand...

$20 for mine.
 
Also have a clean Luxman PD 272 that I paid $15 for.......I would nearly fall asleep so I couldn't deal with it being fully manual. I have kept it though.

I use to be on the hunt for the 441 but never found with a good arm at the price I was willing to pay. Now the prices are silly......although one sold on that site for a pretty good price recently.
 
Mingo said:
Are you more interested in new turntables for $300 or less, or vintage tables? I've found some good/great deals on turntables through the years, but the prices I paid are probably not representative of going values. Among others I got a Thorens TD 145 for $25, Lenco L70 for $50 (+$50 for service), Technics SP-15 for $100, Technics SL1100 for $100 (without headshell), and Elac 50H for $15 (+$65 for service). Except where noted, all came with cartridges of varying quality. It would probably be more informative to compile under $300 list based on eBay sold information for select vintage turntables.
Click to expand...
Really, I'm just interested in TT's that have come to users for kind of cheap and wound up being daily drivers. A good friend of mine inherited his dad's AR and totally took it to a new level. I keep seeing prices for Rek-O-Kut B-12H's that that are over 300.00 bucks (maybe hitting around 500 bucks these days) but usually there is no tone arm, or it would need an upgrade... but still, that could be a real keeper. I was bidding on Elac on the auction site but just let it go because it really isn't much of an upgrade from the Dual I have. Anyway... I'm always looking.
 
I paid $300 for my HK T65C. I consider that a deal. For one because it sounds fantastic and secondly because I've literally never seen one for sale anywhere ever again since I got it. It's ridiculously rare.

20210716_191910.jpg
 
I love this thread! Under $300 is, frankly the price where you "win the lottery" except the odds are about 1 in 5 instead of 1/160000000000

I don't think there are any new under 300 tables on sale that equal OPs criteria, but there are plenty of "under 300" for sale in every state in the USA and most countries in Europe and I suspect even more in Asia.

I recently (about 7 years ago) acquired a Denon DP-7F for WAY under 300 and I see them now at about $200 online and that's a great sounding turntable for $200. Much better than the garbage that passes for a turntable new under 300.

So the Denon DP-7F is my star in the "Under 300" category. But like I said before, it's a lottery. So you could get a winner or a dud. But that's par for the course when you are gambling. you increase your odds in this game by trying before you buy.

EDIT... I sold that DP-7F for under 300 as well. :)
 
My Audio Technica Sound Burger AT-SB727...$279 brand new! It does exactly what I wanted it to do...including easily stored away when not in use. :cool:

Soundburger 1.jpg
 
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