Thanks for the responses. The LP6 looks amazing, but yes, I'm on a budget, which sort of depends on how much stuff I can sell off. That Sota Moonbeam is very tempting, but I also located a Rega Planar 3 with RB300 tonearm and either a blue point No.2 or Benz micro silver cartridge for $500. Which would be a better deal? There's so much disagreement on these things that it's awfully confusing. Seems the Rega has a much better arm and comes with a cartridge, so that's appealing, but I also read that ones older than 5 years ago have certain issues and I haven't read one write-up smashing the Sota moonbeam. Which is less fussy? Anyone mind telling me the pros and cons? Regarding the amp, is there a good one made just for vinyl? I really don't expect to be adding a tape player or anything like that, and I can only assume such features bring up the price and size of an integrated amp. My music tastes are pretty eclectic (a leaning for jazz but also a passion for metal and many other genres), so something well rounded is ideal. Thanks again!
What is a good spartan turntable set up?
I am starting from scratch now and just want to play my records! I'm interested in an entry level but good quality set up. I prefer something bookshelf size. It seems most amps accommodate CD/tape/etc, and small standalone phono preamps that have been catching my eye can't connect directly to speakers. I would very much appreciate recommendations for the most spartan way of connecting a turntable to speakers. Also, recommendations for turntable and speakers would be greatly appreciated as well. Once I figure it out, I will be purchasing from the audiogon listings, so let me know if you have something that would work for me. Thank you in advance!