Entry level turntable for my son

I also checked out the u-turn tables mentioned above. The price is right, but is the tonearm any good?

Thanks to all of oyu who prosted about the U-Turn - I just looked at it and find myself hooked.

Can anyone tell me what kind of material the sub-platter is made from ??? - thanks

I had been casually looking around for an affordable, but well designed second table and the Utirn has most ALL of what I had been looking for...

• Drive belt around the outer rim of the platter - quieter operation
• Motor as far away from the platter as possible - should not cause cartridge hum as with certain cart’s

• The center of gravity of the counter weight is lower than the arm tube - something you find on high quality arms
• acryilic platter option
• great colour choices
• simple operation
• has an acrylic cover that can easily be removed for playing
• Starting at $179 - WOW - what a BARGAIN!!!

This TT reminds me of the Rega II of 30+ years ago

1. Afforable
2. basic operation
3. quality

U-Turn has incorporated the latest desing practices which would appear to make them a clear leader in affordable TT’s

Thanks - Steve

Great points Steve. What are your thoughts on the phono preamp they offer? Do you think it would be better to use an outboard phono pre amp or have them build it in?

For a 16 year old I'm going to give slightly different recs than for others. 
I think the idea of a used Technics is a great fit for the need. Super durable, easy to run, easy to move, and reliable. If you want to spend a little more and get him something brand new, the PLX 1000 is another solid option for pure reliability and ease of use. 

I started with UTurn a couple years ago, and I loved it dearly. Honestly can't bring myself to sell it still since it was a gift. If your son is very into modern style, this one might really appeal to him. My only complaint with it was moving the belt from 33 to 45 can be a little finicky. Nothing major, but as I got more 45s it became more apparent. They also seem to have had a bad batch of bearings hit the market in the past year. They customer service is exceptional, but you'd prefer to never need to use it. And if your son does get the upgrade bug, you hit the ceiling on the UTurn a little faster. But my GF has had hers for almost 3 years, and uses it regularly without any issues. I don't think she'd trade it for anything because she loves the look and it works exactly as she expects.  

The new Fluance models (RT84/85) look highly compelling at this price point as well. One I would seriously consider if I was in the market at that range. 

Now if your son likes to fix things, vintage can be a great bargain, and a great way to learn vinyl. I'm not saying to get him something that needs fixing. But vintage will probably need a fix sooner than later. You'll obviously get the best bang for the buck here. 

Depending on your son’s intentions, I’d recommend a vintage Technics direct drive turntable if he wants to listen to music. If he wants to be a rap-“DJ”, then he doesn’t need a turntable, but need a serato box and a rap controller or two. The SL-1200mk2 is probably overkill for a 16 year old, unless he’s unusually responsible and outgrown throwing temper tantrums, get a $20 garage sale junker.