Turntables

April 19, 2004 1:33 PM

I'm looking to buy a new turntable, and frankly, I'm a little confused by the technical talk. I'm not a DJ or an audiophile, I'm just looking for something that sounds good, is reliable, durable and doesn't break my budget (which is around $300). Any sugegstions?
posted by kittyloop to Shopping (20 answers total)

You cannot go wrong w/ the ~300 dollar Music Hall MMF 2.1 - I love mine. Very simple (you have to manually switch speeds from 45 to 33) but it comes w/ a decent cartridge out of the box and so far has been very reliable.

Audio Advisor sells them.
posted by drobot at 1:37 PM on April 19, 2004

the top of the line, as far as durability and respectability go, is tecnics. i have a technics SL-1200MK5, and it's worked quite well. its suggested price on the website is likely higher than you'll find in a shop -- i would expect a price around $450. that's still a fair bit higher than you asked for.
posted by moz at 1:39 PM on April 19, 2004

My friend and I both have the Numark TT 1600 MKII and have been completely happy with it.
posted by packphour at 1:53 PM on April 19, 2004

p.s. the Numark TT 1600MKII sells for about $99.
posted by packphour at 1:54 PM on April 19, 2004

I would argue that technics is far from the top of the line as far as durability and respectability. My first turntable was a technics and it was a POS. Plus the model moz linked to is 600 bucks.
posted by drobot at 1:58 PM on April 19, 2004

drobot: Clearly, you're not a DJ. The Technics 1200 is the industry standard, and with good reason.

If you can afford the 1200, buy it. It's designed to last for over ten years of continuous play, at reference/archival quality.
posted by Jairus at 2:07 PM on April 19, 2004

(..and you can pick up a 1200 on eBay for about $300, actually. If you have a chance to get one of these, don't even look at another turntable.)
posted by Jairus at 2:11 PM on April 19, 2004

A Rega is what you really want.
posted by the fire you left me at 2:25 PM on April 19, 2004

a 1200 is popular with djs - that means it has features djs want (picks up speed well, doesn't mind being dragged, travels well). it doesn't mean it's best value for money if you want to listen to music - a belt drive gives better isolation from the motor, for example, but would be useless for a dj. also they're the trendy item du jour - technics would be fools not to cash on all the wanna-be djs with more money than sense.

anyways, rega used to be the best value for money, but that was years ago, and in the uk.

if you're lucky you might pick up an old sondek or pink triangle second hand. i have a linn axis, and personally couldn't hear any advantage over a rega 3 (after i'd paid), so it's no sondek.

ortofon are still apparently making good cartridges (well, one fell apart in my hands recently, but they replaced it...).

(on preview - ah, i see rega are still around then :o)
posted by andrew cooke at 2:28 PM on April 19, 2004

I am not a DJ - and as Andrew Cooke just said - the technics isn't necessarily the best choice for non-DJs. Kittyloop said "I'm not a DJ." That said, it was years ago that I owned a Technics and while my experience w/ it wasn't the best, yours might be different. My votes for the Rega or what I have (the Music Hall.) I would caution against buying a used turntable unless you can try it out first.
posted by drobot at 2:36 PM on April 19, 2004

I'm mostly suggesting the 1200 because it's a workhorse. You won't need to replace it for fifteen, twenty years if you take care of it. It's used in clubs, sure, but also in homes, museums, etc. I just don't see the point of spending money on equipment, if it's not going to last.
posted by Jairus at 3:15 PM on April 19, 2004

I'm not a DJ but I still love my Technics 1200. Sounds incredible. Direct Drive so there are no belts to wear out. And it is super durable, it has moved with me several times and still works perfectly. Oh did I mention that I got it for free? I know you're jealous.
posted by trbrts at 3:17 PM on April 19, 2004

Go to a pawn shop. A lot of them have them cheap. At least in my area. 25 to 50 dollars.
posted by geekhorde at 3:23 PM on April 19, 2004

What geekhorde said. I bought a brand-new technics direct drive turntable from a pawnshop in Baltimore for about $100. I do have doubts as to the history of this turntable...
posted by funkbrain at 5:03 PM on April 19, 2004

I second the Music Hall MMF 2.1. This is what I would get if I had the money. I have two Pioneer direct drives. None of them will play back at a constant speed. I think the phase locked loop circuit is f'ed up. They play fine at anything other than 33 1/3 rpm. There's really no reason to get a direct drive unless you're a DJ. With a direct drive, the vibrations of the motor go directly to the platter. With a belt drive there's some slack and some rubber to dampen the vibrations.
posted by estey at 7:10 PM on April 19, 2004

technics 1200s (I own one, sadly) do not have auto-shutoff. So if you doze with the record on the inner loop you will put a night (or maybe more) wear on your needle.

Also, they like to be set up with a heavy tone arm. They are, in my mind, NOT audiophile in any way. You play your guitar through a Fender at the concert hall and you play CDs of guitar music through your Marantz receiver at home. Different tools for different jobs. No offense to the 1200, bringer of the beats.
posted by n9 at 7:17 PM on April 19, 2004

I am using a Stanton STR8-20, and a $30 Audiotechnica cartridge. I play 180 gram orchestra vinyl on it, using a Yamaha CR-640 Reciever and 4 ok speakers. It sounds very good to me, and it costed me less than $130 for the record package. One word of advice if you just want audiophile audio: Make sure to get a better needle than the stock one, especially on DJ players. The needles used on those are designed to scratch your records, and although can be used to just play back music, are not suited for it. Buy an audio playback needle and your highs will sound more realistic.
posted by Keyser Soze at 7:23 PM on April 19, 2004

(Belt drive is on the Stanton STR8-20 turntable, as mentioned previously is another part that can wear out with time but removes much of the vibrations coming from the motor.... or any motor for that instance. Don't think belts go out every year, it takes years.)
posted by Keyser Soze at 7:29 PM on April 19, 2004

i recently got a Stanton STR8-150 and absolutely love it. my favorite part is the digital in with as perfect as the record is itself recording levels straight into the soundcard without a preamp or mixer. mostly have used it to pitch-adjust pieces of old records for mini-mixes and the like . . . the table also starts and stops almost instantly and barely drags when spinning a record backward with a lot of force - for ~$500. and keyser soze is right, needles are important. the first time i looked at them i was shocked at how much the really good ones cost . . . keep focused somewhere in the $30-$70 range and you should be fine.
posted by nyoki at 11:19 PM on April 19, 2004

I walked into an audio store in Portland and the guys at the front desk could not recommend the Audiotechnica cartridge enough if your spending less than $80. I asked them what they use at home, and they told me the Audio Technica cartridge. Its the red label. (BTW they said you can't find it at many places for less than $40 but as ive found it seems worth it.)
posted by Keyser Soze at 11:30 PM on April 19, 2004