What's a low cost entry into turntables look like

So I am curious if there is a low cost entry into the turntable world that would convince me to explore it. I have a couple of headphone amps. Do I need a preamp or can I get a TT with one built in? Does this suck:
http://www.amazon.com/Audio-Technica-AT-LP120-USB-Direct-Drive-Professional-Turntable/dp/B002S1CJ2Q

Noob here is curious.

 

You can use that table as is or later add a dedicated phono pre which is nice for a headphone setup. I've read of some throwing money at the at table and being happy with it.

Headphones and vinyl listening though... so far I can take it or leave it.

 

TT noob here too. Do most of them come with a preamp, and if they do are they decent? Or am I better off investing in something like a schiit mani?

 

I think the Audio Technica LP120 or U-Turn orbit are the best budget ones without going used.

 

Basic turntable + integrated amplifier + speakers = affordable.

Affordable why?

• Used market.
• Vintage audio gear.
• Pro-audio gear.
• DIY options.

A decent well built belt-driven turntable can be had for less than 50 Dollars/Euros in good condition. Think of the old Philips, Pioneers etcetera. A decent or even good integrated amplifier can be found with ease when you know what to look for, especially used or vintage. The speakers depend but a good stereo set can easily be found cheaply on the used market nowadays because good audio gear has for decades been dumped in masses in favour of newer gear.

DIY, well if you are handy and daring enough you can do many many things yourself.

With a good preparations and good hunting you can be done for 200 Dollars/Euros or less. Maintaining the system is next and that is where the expenses tend to increase.

 

I agree with the above.

Buy a cheap vintage deck (Pioneer, Yamaha, Technics) for sub $100. Stick an Ortofon 2M Red or Nagaoka MP-110 (ebay from japan) on it for $100. Add a Schiit Mani or other entry level phono stage for $100-150 (or your integrated receiver may have one already!) and enjoy some music.

(Edit: Also, find a friend with a scale so you get the VTF set correct)

 

I think some of you guys forget, a noob may not have an easy time finding a deal on a functional/clean table. A deal on a fixer may end up costing more in the long run. Imo we are well past the days of vintage bargains in the vinyl realm.

 

I skipped the vintage route purely for fear of having to do repairs.

Went with the Debut Carbon and have been pleased. I've since upgraded to the acrylic platter and purchased the speed box.

 

I would advise people to avoid the Audio Technica LP-120 and other DJ style tables like it even the new Pioneer PLX-1000. Most of them are just crap re-badged Chinese tables made by a company called Hanpin with really bad wow & flutter specs and poor isolation from feeback.

 

I bought a vintage restored turntable myself, an old JVC based on recommendations from /r/vinyl when they browsed my local Craigslist. Said it was an excellent table for the price. A small plastic piece in the return mechanism broke. The original restorer and another table repair guy couldn't fix it. I'm not capable of fixing it either, so it's sitting in my closet and has been for a year. Can't say I regret buying a U-Turn Orbit afterwards. I have it going into a 2 channel Onkyo receiver I found at the thrift store, has a pre-in. Not the best set-up, but it's nice for just relaxing.

 

How is the U-Turn compared to the Projects?

 

U-turn Plus versus the Essential II, in the $300 price bracket you get a better acrylic platter, and much better cart on the U-turn, but ultimately a more capable arm on the project. Both decks will need either a stand alone phono preamp or an integrated/receiver that has one built in.

 

My buddy has a Project Carbon, and I think that it's a nice table, but I wasn't able to compare them side by side, or even on the same system to know how they compare for sure. The Project feels higher-end though.

 

While vintage can still offer some great deals, the vinyl revival has made for nasty price creep, at least in the US. It's pretty insane that midfi/lofi tables in unrestored condition are getting asking prices of a $100 and over these days. Back when those things ran about $10-15 at pawns, garage sales, and thrifts I'd agree, but spending north of $100 on a 30-40 year old so so table is pretty much lunacy now. I think you really need to know what to look for, and also be comfortable with basic electronic repair and cleaning to really make vintage stuff worthwhile anymore, at least in the US.

 

Yeah, I haven't seen a decent Technics under $200, and those look suspect in my area.

 

A lot of the Technics for sale even at higher prices have been really abused by DJs and you don't want to touch them as they will need a ton of restoration.

 

I've only owned vintage decks, but I'm a tinkerer at heart, who can read a schematic, and I'm comfortable with a meter and an iron. I'm not saying there aren't deals to be had, but you really need to know the valuation of the deck you're looking at and it's operation anymore given the wildly inflated pricing.

If you are going to go value vintage the advice I give to you this, ONLY BUY FULLY MANUAL TABLES, automatics especially cheap one are the minefield of electronics and easy to break mechanical components. Do not buy IC controlled arm tables(JVC QL-Y, Sony Biotracer, late Denon DP series) most of those 30 year old chips are unobtainable, they may work fine now, hell they may work fine for another 10-20 years, but when they go those beautiful decks become parts fodder. Avoid idler drive decks, I run an idler deck, I like it, the drive systems are more complex and require more work then belt or DD drive systems will for a newbie and you don't want to deal with it. Always replace the stylus, unless the seller has very recently, especially on cheap decks, you have no way of telling the use and abuse on that cart.

If you really really don't want to learn turntable set up and the finicky nature of analog, and jsut want a decent player don't over look linear tracking decks. They were scoffed at by True Audiophiles of their day but linear decks in good working order are the noob friendliest tables ever made and some of them(Technics) sound very good. That said with linear trackers, many of them, but not all need the arm track to be greased every so often, which isn't a hard job but you will need a screw driver.

 

Most of the budget models do and they can get you started, but a lot of the times with those even when you have them switched off to just output directly from the cartridge there are still capacitors in the signal path. A nice phono pre makes a huge difference and unfortunately the ones thrown into modern equipment as an afterthought can be pretty shit. A nice way to go on a budget is buy an old Japanese receiver like a Sansui or something.

 

Exactly. You can have a basic easy to modify belt driven turntable for easy listening. Then really pick your integrated amplifier/receiver and have money left for everything else.

The old basic turntables with reliable belt drives are the best starting point. Even the plastic light ones can be good and are so easy to improve. Think of needle, arm, tracking, platter, stability and weight with DIY products you can buy in the DIY stores. A vinyl system does not have to break the bank.

 

There's a Rega P1 taking up space in my storage unit. It needs a new cartridge, and the install should be done by a pro so that it gets aligned at the same time. If you're local (OC), just PM me to arrange a time to pick it up.

I also have two entry-level phono stages (a Music Hall and a Creek) that I doubt I will ever need again (actually, I only have the Creek--I think CEE TEE still has the Music Hall). Make me an offer.