If you want to keep the budget down, there are some excellent choices without spending anywhere near $1000 for cartridge and phono pre.
Serious bang for the buck are the following:
DB Systems Phono Pre $165 U.S. (direct order from manufacturer). A review on the MC version of the phono pre is here:
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/weaver10.htm
Both of the DB Systems phono preamps come without a subsonic filter but you can add a basic subsonic in simply by asking David Hadaway at the time of order for an extra $5 or $10 and I would definitely recommend doing that.
I have both the MM (in a system for my son) and MC versions and they are very good phono preamps for very little money. Not a well known name so resale down the line may not be great. If you're thinking resale, I'd look at the Cambridge 640 or the Project Phonobox SE, although I doubt either one will be better than the DB Systems (one user that I know of prefers the DB to the Lehman Black Cube with upgraded power supply.) I have a basic original Project Phono Box that I am selling for about $60, but frankly, the DB MM stage mops the floor with it.
You can mail order an Audio Technica 120E from Garage-a-Records for $59 or a Shure M97XE if you look on the web for about $69 U.S. Both excellent cartridges-the AT is livelier, more exciting, the Shure is smoother, more laid back. The new AT 440MLA is supposed to be a truly outstanding cartridge around $100 U.S. if you shop carefully.
At the most, in these cases you are looking at $265 U.S. plus a bit of duty and taxes if you are in Canada (as I am) and maybe another $40 or so to have the cartridge professionally installed and aligned. Any of the above cartridges are going to better the Linn K9, which was an AT sourced cheapie with a huge markup courtesy of Linn.
If it's just an experiment to see how much you'll be spinning vinyl that would be a good place to start.
I set up my son with a $5 garage sale Pioneer PL-12D, the AT 120E and the DB MM stage and it is a very adequate performer. Not as refined as my Gyrodec/FT-3/Denon 103R combo, but surprisingly very good and engaging for very little money.
Serious bang for the buck are the following:
DB Systems Phono Pre $165 U.S. (direct order from manufacturer). A review on the MC version of the phono pre is here:
http://www.soundstage.com/revequip/weaver10.htm
Both of the DB Systems phono preamps come without a subsonic filter but you can add a basic subsonic in simply by asking David Hadaway at the time of order for an extra $5 or $10 and I would definitely recommend doing that.
I have both the MM (in a system for my son) and MC versions and they are very good phono preamps for very little money. Not a well known name so resale down the line may not be great. If you're thinking resale, I'd look at the Cambridge 640 or the Project Phonobox SE, although I doubt either one will be better than the DB Systems (one user that I know of prefers the DB to the Lehman Black Cube with upgraded power supply.) I have a basic original Project Phono Box that I am selling for about $60, but frankly, the DB MM stage mops the floor with it.
You can mail order an Audio Technica 120E from Garage-a-Records for $59 or a Shure M97XE if you look on the web for about $69 U.S. Both excellent cartridges-the AT is livelier, more exciting, the Shure is smoother, more laid back. The new AT 440MLA is supposed to be a truly outstanding cartridge around $100 U.S. if you shop carefully.
At the most, in these cases you are looking at $265 U.S. plus a bit of duty and taxes if you are in Canada (as I am) and maybe another $40 or so to have the cartridge professionally installed and aligned. Any of the above cartridges are going to better the Linn K9, which was an AT sourced cheapie with a huge markup courtesy of Linn.
If it's just an experiment to see how much you'll be spinning vinyl that would be a good place to start.
I set up my son with a $5 garage sale Pioneer PL-12D, the AT 120E and the DB MM stage and it is a very adequate performer. Not as refined as my Gyrodec/FT-3/Denon 103R combo, but surprisingly very good and engaging for very little money.