I only want to get more information about expectations to make proper recommendation. You can have ONE table for all uses (like I do), but cost will be really high. But if someone wants to play modern audiophile quality records he should NOT even look at U-turn or Pro-Ject.
Turntable needed
- Thread starter siouxafrican
- Start date
I only want to get more information about expectations to make proper recommendation. You can have ONE table for all uses (like I do), but cost will be really high. But if someone wants to play modern audiophile quality records he should NOT even look at U-turn or Pro-Ject.
Im not a fan of either Pro-Ject or U-Turn tables, but its a low buck way to get into the hobby.
What I find odd is that you are asking what style of LP's he will be listening to, Id bet he will play new pressings, and old pressings. I would doubt he is going to come back and say "only LP's from 1949-1968".
what kind of music or albums do you think he will be listening to? I can call this out all day long. Low buck ones he finds and the few new pressings of bands he really likes.
So if someone (like me) likes all styles of music (you can see my posts each evening in the music threads) what do you suggest?
I was listening to Minnie Pearl, and Post Malone just yesterday. On the same table.
If that is the case, what would you recommend?
Well said ^^
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
There is a very clean looking Technics SL-1300MK2 on the Omaha craigslist right now at a very fair price (no affiliation - if that needs to be said). I'd be all over that if I could test and inspect it before purchase. The cueing mechanism is a known problem area on this model.
I would not pay premium price for Post Malone music released on vinyl over same content on CD. Source material is digital anyway.
As to vintage LPs - I do play them through single ended triode power amplifier to keep playback chain more in line with the time of LP release. They sound better that way too.
What does that have to do with the price of tea in China?
I didn't ask what you would pay for any album, new or old...
Ok your on another level man
good on you!
Trekkie4
Retired Member
Every rule has an exception ... I was talking in general. As long as you can find a genuine SL-1200 in good condition, for the same amount of money as LP-120 or similar then yes, absolutely. SL-1200 is miles ahead of its low cost competition!
BUT ... with that being said, most 1200 units are sold for hefty prices, and/or require a lot of work before they will look & perform "decently". And I'm actually speaking from my own & personal experience. I wanted to buy SL-1200 MK2 (or 1210, I'm not picky
) but the cheapest one I could find, in good condition was approx. twice the price of a brand new LP-120. Not to mention that spares for Panasonic, Technics are worth a fortune & not easy to find locally, so when you put those two together you get a very expensive project on your hand, with the good potential to become a bottomless money pit.There's also another fact to consider, of funding your new (or old, used) table... I got my LP120 on 12month credit, which ended up being around $25 per month, which is not bad at all - even if you have extremely limited budget on your hand. And that's a privilege of buying "new", vs buying old, where you have to pay the entire amount in cash.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
Every rule has an exception ... I was talking in general. As long as you can find a genuine SL-1200 in good condition, for the same amount of money as LP-120 or similar then yes, absolutely. SL-1200 is miles ahead of its low cost competition!
BUT ... with that being said, most 1200 units are sold for hefty prices, and/or require a lot of work before they will look & perform "decently". And I'm actually speaking from my own & personal experience. I wanted to buy SL-1200 MK2 (or 1210, I'm not picky
There's also another fact to consider, of funding your new (or old, used) table... I got my LP120 on 12month credit, which ended up being around $25 per month, which is not bad at all - even if you have extremely limited budget on your hand. And that's a privilege of buying "new", vs buying old, where you have to pay the entire amount in cash.
Price and availability of used Technics (or other) turntables varies wildly with location. The SL-1200 gets the lion's share of the attention, but there are many other models in the line up that can be had for considerably less. Many of them add convenience features like semi-automatic operation, that a beginner may appreciate. And best of all, tend to sell for a fraction the cost of an SL-1200. I"m not saying the SL-1200 isn't superior, but it's also the most expensive of the lot, by a large margin, which may push it beyond the budget of a beginner. Heck that SL-1300MK2 is about half the price of a new Audio Technika LP-120, and it comes with a very nice Grado cartridge, a Discwasher and other accessories.
Buying used isn't for everyone, but it can be a great alternative for those willing to do a little research and ask some questions.
Trekkie4
Retired Member
Availability of used SL-1200s is not an issue, at least not for me. I've seen dozens of them on sale locally, in various conditions. From the two badly-damaged & vandalized (but otherwise functional) 1200 Mk2 units sold together for the price of $750, to fairly decent 1210 Mk5 for around $570 and all the way to brand new, unopened SL1200GR with Ortofon 2m Black (also brand new, inside the box) for the price of around $2000,00
Sooo yes, I would have to agree regarding being the most expensive choice. There's also plenty of other Technics to choose from, such as SL-3110 for example. Seems like a decent table, wouldn't mind owning one actually. But again, the asking price is around $285, which is quite expensive for used gear IMO. Especially if you're not willing to invest further into the parts & maintenance. For someone who is not experienced with electronics & soldering, or capable to invest more funds into the replacement parts, those $285 would be better spent on a new Audio Technica or similar Hanpin model.
I also realize there are other & cheaper models (such as SL1300, which you mentioned) but like I said - it all comes down to condition & repairs. There's no telling how much work is involved until you actually have it in your hands, all set up & ready to go. Heck, I've experienced the same thing first hand, when my next-door neighbor asked me to take a quick look at his Thorens TD-110 & maybe fix a thing or two. We already knew that it needed a new stylus, but what I didn't realize is that everything (and I really DO mean everything) on that table was out of spec or causing some sort of problem. Belt was completely shot, motor bearing was noisy & squeaking, cue lever wasn't working, RCA cable had a short & needed to be replaced, power "flip" switch was seized up & not engaging when toggled, etc, etc. At some point I was so angry & frustrated that I almost threw the entire thing through the window! Needless to say, I got it fixed eventually and I only charged him for the new stylus. But that's beside the point...
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
My experience with used Japanese direct drive turntables from the late 70s and early 80s is that they were well built and as long as they haven't been abused, are very reliable and easy to service. The Technics SL-1200 is a bit of a double edged sword. It has a reputation for being extremely robust and capable of handling heavy usage. That is why the are a favorite of professional DJs. The downside is a LOT of the ones on the used market have seen VERY heavy use. It's very hard to find a good clean used sample at a reasonable price.
The particular SL-1300MK2 I mentioned looks to be in VERY clean condition. It includes the original documentation and the container and mounting tools for the Grado cartridge. It's located in the OP's city and only a hair over half the price of the SL-3110 you mentioned above. Even still, I listed the caveat in my original post that I'd still want to inspect/test it in person before committing to purchase. Unless it's practically free, I never purchase used gear I can't inspect and test first.
Trekkie4
Retired Member
Absolutely. I was referring to my own point of view & my own situation. OP might experience a totally different situation, like you said it all comes down to location & availability.
As for the legendary SL-1200 series, it would appear some folks seem to think that 1200 series is indestructible & therefore will last forever. But that's a nonsense IMO, I happen to know several issues with those tables, ranging from the tonearm height adjustment ring being seized up, to broken/damaged RCA leads & tonearm PCB, etc. Like I said, a bottomless money pit! Of course, not saying I wouldn't want to own one, I find them beautiful, almost a work of art. But definitely not a choice for those on tight budget.
MCM_Fan
AK Subscriber
There's also a very clean sample of the SL-D2 on the Omaha craigslist at a fair asking price. Dang, people in Omaha sure seem to take good care of their turntables! Also a clean looking SL-Q2.
siouxafrican
Member
70s and 80s records
siouxafrican
Member
I got a MONO switch on my Denon amp.....lolThat's a nice way to overcomplicate things for somebody who just wants a starter turntable.
I would also say all those needs would be perfectly served by a high-quality direct drive turntable. It would have more torque than any idler and it would be quieter than any audiophile belt-driven turntable.
As a side note, I have many records from 1950s-1960s (mostly classical music) and they're every bit as good as modern records and truly benefit from a quiet turntable. In fact, I have only one record that has noticeable low-frequency rumble on its own, and it's one of the first stereo records ever made - the 1959 pressing of Bernstein conducting Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and An American In Paris.
Deccas from 1960s are especially impressive, with eerily quiet background and exceptional sound quality.
Mono records are a different matter and mono playback is indeed not sensitive to rumble (at least when played with a mono cartridge), but this is another rabbit hole...
siouxafrican
Member
Thanks! They do look very nice and clean!
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siouxafrican
Member
I'm leaning for a Denon or Pioneer to match my amps and yea my budget is around couple hundred bucks, I'm going to look into all recommendations on this thread and yours are good leads!
siouxafrican
Member
Im just buying used records from craigslist, garage sales, etc.
siouxafrican
Member
Hilarious!
SterlingOne
Super Member
I was under the impression that LPs were manufactured to be somewhat compliant to general turntable/cartridge engineering parameters. So far, that impression has been bolstered by good results with my 44 year old Sony PS-4750 with Shure V15V-MR, from all LPs I have in my collection, which cover the late 1950's to Present. I have some micro groove recordings in my collection too, which cause marvel at my equipment's capability to play such records without complaint. At any rate, I have not contemplated a need for a particular turntable/cartridge configuration to accomodate any records in my collection.