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Topic: Budget turntables (Read 9377 times) previous topic - next topic
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Budget turntables

I am looking at buying my first turntable and am having a hard time deciding between the Stanton T62 and Reloop RP1000M. Which one would be a better quality turntable or what are other quality turntables at this price point?

Budget turntables

Reply #1 –
Quote from: Bro code on
I am looking at buying my first turntable and am having a hard time deciding between the Stanton T62 and Reloop RP1000M. Which one would be a better quality turntable or what are other quality turntables at this price point?

What is your intended use? Both of these are DJ turntables - built for that in mind rather than sound quality. The Stanton even has a straight arm with no offset (intended for scratching) so its tracking geometry will be way out.

If you are indeed intending to do DJ-ing, then I guess either might fit the bill - I don't really know anything about the requirements of a DJ.

But if you are planning to use it for serious listening or perhaps transfer to digital, then you want something built for sound quality. Look for manual turntables without pitch control. The best value would probably be to buy a good HiFi turntable secondhand. Avoid cheap USB turntables from the likes of Ion and Numark.

Budget turntables

Reply #2 –
The Pro-Ject Debut is pretty much the goto "entry-level" turntable these days, along with similar models from U-Turn etc. No fancy bells and whistles, just the basics.

Personally, I went the second-hand vintage route instead. First with a Thorens TD-105 MK2 (which admittedly needed repairs), then a Technics SL-1500, followed by an SL-1210 MK2. Each of those three turntables cost me less than a new Pro-Ject or U-Turn, and the Technics were in 100% working condition, completely ready to go.

Budget turntables

Reply #3 –
Quote from: KozmoNaut on
The Pro-Ject Debut is pretty much the goto "entry-level" turntable these days, along with similar models from U-Turn etc. No fancy bells and whistles, just the basics.

Personally, I went the second-hand vintage route instead. First with a Thorens TD-105 MK2 (which admittedly needed repairs), then a Technics SL-1500, followed by an SL-1210 MK2. Each of those three turntables cost me less than a new Pro-Ject or U-Turn, and the Technics were in 100% working condition, completely ready to go.

Pro-Ject have even cheaper models than the Debut these days.
The Elemental appears to be the starter model, but doesn't have a dustcover. That could be a problem for some customers, especially in dusty old houses like mine.
Then there's the Essential, which is a more conventionally-styled turntable.
Then, above that is the Debut.

Budget turntables

Reply #4 –
I see, I'll be the first to admit I'm not really up to date on modern turntables, I prefer the vintage units

Budget turntables

Reply #5 –
Quote from: KozmoNaut on
I see, I'll be the first to admit I'm not really up to date on modern turntables, I prefer the vintage units

I'd say that, if buying second-hand, set yourself a checklist beforehand and stick to it. If possible, get a chance to play music on it before paying money down.

Loads of Technics decks on the second-hand market, because they built and sold so many of them over the years, but if it's been used for DJing by someone careless or clumsy, it may not be in great condition.

Budget turntables

Reply #6 –
I would also suggest to stay away from turntables that have "P-mount" cartridges if you plan on changing to a better/expensive cartridge. Most p-mount cartridges are cheaper ones and the higher end and better tracking and sounding ones are usually of the standard ½ inch mount. Please correct if I am wrong because it was about ten years ago my interest in turntables diminished and now I play vinyl once in a while.

Budget turntables

Reply #7 –
It's true that the selection of P-mount cartridges is smaller, but there are definitely still some good choices out there, for instance from Shure. And of course, they're much easier to install and align than the ½-inch mount.

Budget turntables

Reply #8 –
Knowzy.com has lots of turntable reviews & recommendations.  (I don't know if those two are on the list.)

Make sure to get a turntable with a magnetic cartridge (NOT a ceramic cartridge).

Quote
I am looking at buying my first turntable
Just in case you don't know this, you need a phono preamp, or an interface with a built-in preamp if you are planning in digitizing records. 

USB turntables have a preamp built-in and most have line-level analog outputs so you don't need to buy a preamp.  (There a few fully-analog turntables with a preamp built-in.)

Older stereo receivers had a phono preamp built-in, but most current receivers don't.

Also, if you are digitizing records and you want to plug an analog turntable into a laptop you'll need a line-level audio interface.  The microphone input won't work properly.  (Regular soundcards on desktop/tower computers have line-level inputs.)

Budget turntables

Reply #9 –
I think of the Technics SL1200 Mk II and 1210 Mk II as kind of a high-water mark in turntable design. Beyond Mk II, they got DJ-oriented features and finishes which shouldn't help or hinder you for regular hifi listening but they may command a hefty premium (black-and-gold Limited Edition SL1200 oh yeah)

Not endorsing their various mods, but kabusa.com is a good place to get SL1200 parts and information.

Lots of SL1200 imitators, but the specs tend to be at least an order of magnitude worse, assuming they publish at all.

Somewhat off-topic, I'd love to see how popular audiophile products would test for speed accuracy in actual listening conditions where stylus drag varies widely, suspect it would be an embarassment.

Budget turntables

Reply #10 –
Thanks for all the comments. This has deffinatly changed the type of turntable I am looking at and I am going to adjust my budget so I can get a quality turntable.

Some turntables I have been looking at now are the Teac TN-300 and the Onkyo CP-1050.

Budget turntables

Reply #11 –
Quote from: Bro code on
Thanks for all the comments. This has deffinatly changed the type of turntable I am looking at and I am going to adjust my budget so I can get a quality turntable.

Some turntables I have been looking at now are the Teac TN-300 and the Onkyo CP-1050.

I don't know either of those models, but a quick Google shows that the Teac TN-300 has a built-in phono stage and USB output. The Onkyo does not, but it's direct-drive.  Depends on how you want to use the deck, but the Teac's extra features could be quite convenient.

Budget turntables

Reply #12 –
I'm also looking into buying my first turntable, but I'm not sure if I'm really going to like vinyl, so don't like to spend an arm on it for the first run. I would love an SL-1200 but it's almost twice the budget I like to spend at max.

I've also thought about buying the Elemental but considering it's price it's still very spartan looking and a dust cover is a must for me.

Just found a used Technics SL-D303 for a reasonable price (around $90). Is it worth getting it? Sites like Audiokarma don't say bad things about it, and I would replace the stylus anyway (it comes with the stock Technics stylus). I have a Sony STR-DE215 receiver so i don't need a phono preamp.

Budget turntables

Reply #13 –
I say go for it, but see if you can get it a little cheaper. Consider it your first turntable, not your last.

That said, I would look for an SL-1500 or 1300, 1400, 1600 etc., they're all good choices. Remember that there are also sub models like the 1510 that are usually black instead of silver.

Budget turntables

Reply #14 –
Thanks KozmoNaut! Yeah, I'm trying to negotiate about a lower price, especially that i need to pay for the shipping.

Budget turntables

Reply #15 –
Yeah, I'd say the SL-D303 is good deal as long as it works.

Quote
...and I would replace the stylus anyway (it comes with the stock Technics stylus).
Often, a new cartridge is about the same price as a stylus.  Have you looked for that stylus?  I assume Technics no longer makes it, but someone else might make a replacement.  It is a little more work to replace the whole cartridge  - You have to connect 4 tiny push-on connectors and you have to get the colors right.

Shure's best cartridge (M97) is about $70 USD at Amazon.    It's a good cartridge and I wouldn't spend more than that.

Quote
I'm also looking into buying my first turntable, but I'm not sure if I'm really going to like vinyl, so don't like to spend an arm on it for the first run.
Don't expect anything like "digital sound quality", no matter how much money you spend.    (Some people like the sound of vinyl anyway.) 

And above a certain price, the biggest affect on sound quality is the record itself. (And, you don't need an SL1200 to get better quality than a record.)  Back in the "vinyl days" quality varied a lot, and of course if you have older records they are likely to be worn and damaged.  I assume modern vinyl is better and more consistent but I haven't bought a record since I got my 1st CD player.

Budget turntables

Reply #16 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
Often, a new cartridge is about the same price as a stylus.


Ehm, sorry. I thought about replacing the whole cartridge of course, just used the wrong word. Audio Technica AT-95E seems like a good choice.
Is it hard to calibrate these decks without any special equipment? (anti-skating, tracking force, etc.)

Budget turntables

Reply #17 –
Quote from: darkbyte on
Quote from: DVDdoug on
Often, a new cartridge is about the same price as a stylus.


Ehm, sorry. I thought about replacing the whole cartridge of course, just used the wrong word. Audio Technica AT-95E seems like a good choice.
Is it hard to calibrate these decks without any special equipment? (anti-skating, tracking force, etc.)

Setup - some tonearm counterweights have a marked dial, so you can set the tracking force within the suggested range. Others just have a guide, saying something like "once you have the arm balanced, each full turn of the threaded weight equals 1g" or something similar. Mine did, and it was a Rega arm, which is widely used.

However, my local corner shop sells cheapish digital scales that (allegedly) measure to 0.01g... although their normal customers don't use them for turntable set-up, if you know what I mean.

Anti-skating methods vary, from dials to sliding knobs to string/weight combos. So it does depend a bit in what you end up with.

But the first thing to do is get the deck level before you start adjusting anything. A decent spirit-level can be had pretty cheaply, and you'll probably find other uses for it around the house once you have it.

Budget turntables

Reply #18 –
Forgot to reply here. Thanks for the help JabbaThePrawn!

I am waiting for the deck to arrive  What i didn't notice is that the player had a counterweight missing so i could lower the price to $50. Luckily some guy at Audiokarma was helpful enough to look up his spare weights and found one which seems to be from this product line of Technics and posted it for me for $15.

The player has another defect: the dust cover is missing a broken away part. If anything other on the player functions as it should i can live with this for a while, but already started searching for a replacement lid. Sadly it's either very expensive or if it's cheap, it's on the other side of the world and the shipping is expensive. Oh well

My colleague who recently admitted that he is into vinyl said that maybe i should look into the Ortofon OM5E cartridge as well. It's the same price as the AT95E. And yeah it's the default cartridge on the Elemental.

Budget turntables

Reply #19 –
I use an Ortofon OM5E on my SL-1210MK2, and I have absolutely no complaints. It's an inexpensive high-quality cartridge and replacement styluses are cheap. I have never had any sort of tracking issues or anything of that nature, it just works great, and the sound quality is good.

Budget turntables

Reply #20 –
Quote from: DVDdoug on
Shure's best cartridge (M97) is about $70 USD at Amazon. It's a good cartridge and I wouldn't spend more than that.
Wow. That cartridge has become a lot cheaper compared to ten years ago when it, if i remember correctly, cost about $250. I always wanted it but didn't want to spend that much so I bought Audio-Technica 440ML which has really great tracking. 400ML is a slightly treble accentuated if I am correct.