Better than the Project Carbon TT for $ 500.00


I sold my Rega P3-24 and Ortofon. I have remaining about 18 favorite LPs, and don't expect to buy more. I was recommended the Project Carbon T/T with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge to occasionally play the few LPs I have left and are in decent condition The Project Carbon is currently on sale by few internet dealer for $399.00

I am curious that for $100-$150 more what would you recommend for a table/cartridge package or separate table and cartridge that would be a step up from the Project Carbon. Really would prefer to stay at $500.00, but am open to suggestion. Please no black bases and plinths!!

BTW, I realize there may not be a step-up from the Project for so little money. Thanks
sunnyjim

Showing 2 responses by wolf_garcia

My heap of LPs all (or most) have cat scratches on the spines from a house my band lived in for 7 years in the 70s, they were used with a KLH model 20 with a Pickering cartridge (with that little brush…remember those?), and abused by crazed hippy chicks and drunk revelers often (as were we). I had an OK Dual table later that died in the mid 90s and the LPs were stored after that, until about 6 or 7 years ago…now I clean anything I want to listen to with a Spin Clean, separating my LPs into 2 categories: cleaned and not cleaned. Also, all the LPs I've cleaned (including new ones) get a Mofi anti static sleeve. Surprisingly, the KLH didn't hurt these things, and stuff like my original Tull "Stand Up" still sound great.
This is an interesting thread which reminds me of something that got me thinking about "archiving" LPs (an ad for phono stage with a USB plug is to blame)…I have a bunch of LPs from recent stuff to decades ago (I'm old) and they seem to be self archived. Not a single one has erased itself, become de-laminated (some of my CDs are doing that), or lost their original sound in any meaningful way. Who knew?