Recommend good turntable for listening

[christiannokes]

Does anybody here listen to vinyl on a turntable? I have a Sony PSJ11 but the needle broke and I am considering just buying a better player now. Any recommendations for one that is relatively good for a low price. Preferably less than 200 dollars?

[Byll]

Please forgive me for not answering your question precisely as you have asked it. For $200, including cartridge, you will really not get a 'better' player. May I humbly suggest the Project Debut series... I have their least expensive model - with cartridge: $300, street. Used ones are sometimes available at approximately the price you have stated. This will be a worthwhile upgrade that will serve you well, for years.

Best.
Byll

[christiannokes]

Excellent. Thanks for the suggestion. I just looked up some reviews and that sounds like a good entry level audiophile player which seems appropriate for my level of interest. Do you own the Pro-Ject debut III? Did you get the black color? All of the other colors cost an extra 100+ dollars- geeze!

[Byll]

I will admit that I was extremely fortunate in the purchase of my Debut III. I had an old Bang & Olufsen 8000 Series table, plus two cartridges, that I had bought, very used. I was never fond of it. The Project dealer had a buyer for that particular model, and traded me a Ferrari red Project Debut III table, plus the Project electronic speed control and phone pre, even up. Under normal circumstances, I would have been very happy with the black unit. I have seen them, and they are handsome. The base looks like a dark mirror. Very nice... Trust me, the colors are not worth the extra money.

A personal aside: I have a friend, who is actually one of the finest McIntosh techs in the United States. He has looked carefully at - and has worked with - the entire Project series of tables, and considers the one I own - and that you are considering - to be the most cost-effective of the bunch. He is not fond of the next higher unit's carbon fiber arm upgrade.

My own experience with my Debut III is totally positive. It is a fine unit. One of its very nice 'extra' features is the cartridge. The stock cartridge is a lower model in the Ortofon line. However, the stylus is upgradeable in the future, which automatically gives one a higher model cartridge in that series.

Rega, and a few other turntable manufacturers, build turntables in the Project price range. I personally feel that the Project has an edge in ergonomics, build, and quality control.

Best to you in your choice.
Byll

[bigbuck418]

Hey there. New handle, old poster (I lost my old email & password)

Anyway, I've been sweating the same choice and was looking at the Music Hall 2.2 LE.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000KO ... del range.

[Brett Siler]

Technics SL-1700. It's very similar to the infamous SL-1200 (has the same direct drive motor), but it has an auto return feature. Its quiet, and the speed never fluctuates. Get a nice cartridge and stylus and set it up correctly and you'll have a great sounding turntable for cheap. I bought mine off ebay for like $50. They seem to go for $100 or less pretty regularly.

The only bummer about it is that it doesn't have a marker for the little knobs that set the motor speed for 33 or 45 rpm. I just put on an album that I had both on LP and mp3 and played them at the same time and just matched up the speed by ear, then marked it off with a Sharpie. Not a big deal for how reliable inexpensive and great it sounds.