turntable choice

I flip turntables as a hobby and have sold numerous turntables to people in your situation.  Quality vintage decks can definitely be had in your price point, but honestly, if you don’t know what you are looking for, you can end up with a turntable that needs work that you may not have originally bargained for.  People may heckle your $400 price point, but if that is where you are budget wise, don’t be ashamed to stick to it.  Vinyl is a slippery slope.  If you really get into it, this will not be your last turntable.  The turntable you purchase may be the steppingstone to something higher end, or help you determine vinyl isn’t for you (that would be most unfortunate).  Bang for the buck, the Debut Carbon is hard to beat.  The U-Turn was mentioned in an earlier post.  The U-Turn sounds shockingly good for its simplicity, but I think overall, The Pro-Ject will take you further on your vinyl journey.  The 2M Red on the Debut Carbon is a good Swiss Army knife cartridge that will will be a good start on your vinyl journey.  The one thing I would recommend changing on the table off the start is to get rid of the silly felt may and get a good rubber cork mat from Sleeve City.  Other mats are fine too.  An earlier post recommended getting a carbon brush etc.  That is very wise council.  I consider a good record brush and a stylus cleaner non negotiables.  There are numerous good brushes out there.  As far as a stylus cleaner, use a Zerodust style cleaner.  Skip the stylus brush.  A turntable amplifies the information it is given.  You could have the most expensive turntable in the world, but dirty records sound like dirty records.  Keeping everything meticulously clean will give the best opportunity to let your music shine without distracting ticks and pops.  Whatever you go with, enjoy the music and keep it spinning.

The MMF 2.3le is comparable to the Debut Carbon.  The tonearm on the MMF 2.3le has VTA adjustment which the Debut Carbon does not.  While the adjustment is a bit rudimentary, it allows for more options if you change your mat or cartridge.  I have never used their Spirit cartridge, but I can’t imagine it isn’t on par or better than the 2M Red.  The suggestion of a record cleaner is a good one.  I did not suggest it earlier because I didn’t want to take you too far into the weeds.  Hopefully your vinyl collection has been well cared for and is not too dirty.  On another note, the interconnects that come with Pro-Ject and Music Hall turntables are OK at best, even the ones they supply with their high end tables.  Blue Jeans Cables make great cables for the money.  They have different quality levels and will build to order.  Beyond what they make, to get a noticeable quality increase, the price goes north quickly.  While this buying process may seem a little overwhelming at times with all of the options etc., remember to have fun with it.  This is buying hifi, not getting a tattoo.   There is no reason you can’t change your mind to other products in the future.  Keep it spinning!