Help with buying a record player

[RoughSteez]

So recently I have came upon a ton of vinyl in my attic from my parent's old collection and have become interested in investing in a quality record player. Problem is I don't know too much about buying a record player and after looking online I'm still quite confused. I know quite a few of you have record players so I wanted some insight on a few things.

What should I be looking for when I buy one? Any store recommendation in the LA area? What brand's are quality? Is it ok to buy used?

I'm looking to spend between $100-200, maybe a little more if it's worth it. Don't mind whether it looks vintage or new. Just something quality that will spin most record types. Any information/opinions is much appreciated.

[corbo]

DON'T GET this:

Numark PT01 Portable DJ Turntable by Numark

waste of my fraking money. maybe i got a faulty one, but my 180 gram vinyls sound out of tune.

[TallGuyCM]

DON'T GET this:

Numark PT01 Portable DJ Turntable by Numark

waste of my fraking money. maybe i got a faulty one, but my 180 gram vinyls sound out of tune.

Yeah I got a shitty one at Target where they sound out of tune as well. Like it's not spinning fast enough.

[faxman75]

I had a Philco that happened to have the vintage look but it sounded good and it had a cassette deck and a cd player.

It was kinda like this.



There are far more knowledgable folks here than I when it comes to these things though.

[hawkingvsreeve]

Well you need to figure out if you want direct drive or belt driven. I prefer direct, but some people think it sucks. Same with belt driven, it is mainly just personal preference. You will probably want to replace the cartridge on it as well. And you will need a receiver/amp that has a phono input on it. I think buying used tables is ok as long as you are going with a brand that holds up well.

[Still-ill]

Spend an extra 100 bucks and get this, it's a far better value. Pro-ject Debut III

[djandrews25]

Get a used technics 1200. It will last you 20 years with minimal upkeep.

[TomAz]

DON'T GET this:

Numark PT01 Portable DJ Turntable by Numark

waste of my fraking money. maybe i got a faulty one, but my 180 gram vinyls sound out of tune.

do turntables not come with the little speed control fine tune dial thing anymore? edit Variable Pitch Control

on my old Technics there was a strobe that flashed against preset marks on the platter and you could fine tune the speed and you knew you had it write when the marks on the platter appeared to be still.

I have a feeling this isn't making sense.

[MarkO]

Get a used technics 1200. It will last you 20 years with minimal upkeep.

Isn't that more a DJ table ?

[cansei de ser sexme]

Spend an extra 100 bucks and get this, it's a far better value. Pro-ject Debut III

I have this and love it.

[RoughSteez]

Well you need to figure out if you want direct drive or belt driven. I prefer direct, but some people think it sucks. Same with belt driven, it is mainly just personal preference.

Other than the different mechanics I'm not sure I fully understand the difference. Why do you prefer direct?

I looked up the Pro-ject Debut III and i'm pretty impressed with the reviews it received on multiple websites. I like the simplicity of the design too.

How often do you need to change a belt and stylus if I'm using it pretty frequently?

Also any shops you can recommend in the LA area for good deals or am I better off looking online?

Thanks for all the good info.

[menikmati]

Yes, go with the Pro-Ject Debut III. Don't go with the Technics 1200's, those are for DJing. Music Hall's and Rega's are good too, but they tend to be a little more expensive than what you're looking for probably.

[A-Ron]

I'm a Pro-Ject Debut III believer as well, think this topic came up a year ago and someone recommended it then. I have my Dad's old Marantz player as well from the 70s that has held up well over the years, but needs something repaired. The model I have goes for a good price on Ebay and I've been meaning to get it fixed and sold.

[gaypalmsprings]

[Pat24]

I have the other cheaper version of this. Pretty good. It has speakers built in. It's about $100ish

[hawkingvsreeve]

The Technics 1200 isnt solely for DJing. It is just the industry standard. It is still a great table and is built like a tank.


I guess I prefer direct because I dont want to have to change any belts or anything. I dunno. I had 1200s when I DJed and never had any problems with them and they were direct drive. I now use my Dad's old Technics table from the mid 80s and it runs like it's new. I guess I just dont have a convincing reason to switch to belts.

[gaypalmsprings]

Don't forget the quality of the stylus. The turntable just turns. The stylus picks up the music. Don't assume a quality stylus on any particular turntable.

[menikmati]

Well if you're gonna DJ, then yeah you need direct drives....but a lot of "audiophiles" will talk shit about direct drive systems.....supposedly to their ears there is too much of a humm and wobble, or something...

[gaypalmsprings]

[knytt]

Are you looking to convert the vinyl to mp3 at all? Because I had the exact same situation as you about a year ago and got a ION turntable that also converts to mp3 - I don't know if they're regarded as good turntables among the more audiophile crowd, but I've been happy with it.

http://www.ionaudio.com/profilepro

[JustSteve]

i'm still rockin' this tecnics sl-5 that the parents had when i was a kid, gotta be at least 25 years old and still holds up!

[MarkO]

One other thing to remember; you might also need a pre-amp if your receiver doesn't have a phono in or the table doesn't have a built in amp.

[RoughSteez]

After a bit of researching I've decided to go with the Pro-ject Debut III.

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction. Stoked to listen to some weird vinyl i've never even heard of.

[hawkingvsreeve]

Now you need to buy a cartridge.

[cansei de ser sexme]

If you go for the Project Debut III USB it comes with a built in pre-amp I believe.

[TomAz]

i'm still rockin' this tecnics sl-5 that the parents had when i was a kid, gotta be at least 25 years old and still holds up!

that's very similar to the SL-BL3 I had.

[wmgaretjax]

so. i would recommend going one step up from the debut III if you are looking at a long term hobby. mainly because the tone arm on the next pro-ject class on the ladder will be able to handle a much more competent cartridge if you decide to whip out the big guns further down the road. just my 2 cents.

for an a solid first cartridge upgrade i'd recommend the denon dl160. it'll treat your wax nice and gives a great sound... even if the re-tipping of the stylus is a bit of a pain.

[tessalasset]

I have a Sony PS-LX300 which is pretty great.



And that's so funny, corbo. That was the first player I ever got, too. Had it for about a day before I was looking for a replacement. Shitty shitty.

[jgafs]

www.audiospecialist.com

It's on Ventura Blvd. in Studio City...

[RoughSteez]

so. i would recommend going one step up from the debut III if you are looking at a long term hobby. mainly because the tone arm on the next pro-ject class on the ladder will be able to handle a much more competent cartridge if you decide to whip out the big guns further down the road. just my 2 cents.

for an a solid first cartridge upgrade i'd recommend the denon dl160. it'll treat your wax nice and gives a great sound... even if the re-tipping of the stylus is a bit of a pain.

So are you recommending this one? http://www.project-audio.com/main.ph...tables&lang=en

or the next level up? http://www.project-audio.com/main.ph...tables&lang=en

I'm definitely looking to buy a table that will last for a long time. And I definitely don't mind the up keep as long as it's not a total nuisance and I'm rewarded with stellar quality. The thing I really like about the Debut III is how low a price point is for how highly it is recommended.

How often do I need to change out a cartridge or is it just personal preference?