I have been using turntables for 46 years and have been a dealer for more of them than I can readily remember. I don't have the faintest idea on how to advise you. Not because I don't know anything about them but because the others are right, there are no simple answers. The sound is important but the way it functions and looks are important too. We have a much more personal interaction with a table than we do with a CD player or amp. I would try to examine as many good ones as you could and see how they FEEL to you. They are more akin to a musical instrument than anything else except a speaker. There is a lot to be said for your original idea of starting with a cheaper table. There are many good ones available on Audiogon that you could buy , use for a while and then sell at little or no loss. This would give you time to sort out what you are really looking for in turntable performance.
Turntable on a $5k budget?
I'd like to give vinyl a try. I thought about starting with an inexpensive table but I think I may as well just buy once and be happy for a long time instead of upgrading later. I don't see why it wouldn't work out for me, I am willing to learn the proper setup just need a little guidance towards a good quality table and tonearm. I prefer a smooth, fatigue free sound over hyper resolution and detail.
I've listened to an SME 20/2 table with IV.Vi tonearm and I thought that was perfect for my taste but it is out of my budget. Should I be looking at suspended tables for that type of sound or is that not the deciding factor of how the table will sound overall?
The $5k is not the ceiling, I can extend my budget another $1500 for a tonearm on top of the table if the table is really that good.
I've read some reviews of the suspended tables such as Oracle, Sota and a few of non suspended such as Nottingham, Michell, Basis. Will any of the mentioned tables get me close to what I am looking for?
I am planning on using the phono stage of my McIntosh C500 preamp, it has both MM/MC phono stage. The rest of the system is McIntosh 501 monoblocks and Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento speakers.
Thanks in advance.
I've listened to an SME 20/2 table with IV.Vi tonearm and I thought that was perfect for my taste but it is out of my budget. Should I be looking at suspended tables for that type of sound or is that not the deciding factor of how the table will sound overall?
The $5k is not the ceiling, I can extend my budget another $1500 for a tonearm on top of the table if the table is really that good.
I've read some reviews of the suspended tables such as Oracle, Sota and a few of non suspended such as Nottingham, Michell, Basis. Will any of the mentioned tables get me close to what I am looking for?
I am planning on using the phono stage of my McIntosh C500 preamp, it has both MM/MC phono stage. The rest of the system is McIntosh 501 monoblocks and Sonus Faber Guarneri Memento speakers.
Thanks in advance.