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First investment into a turntable

Hello friends,

As I slowly make my way into collecting some vintage audio components, its time to target a turntable. I have never owned a turntable worth mentioning, but I've collected hundreds of albums. Its time to give the vinyl the sonic justice it deserves. I know now more than ever that every component ever made can be reviewed subjectively. So let me profile my desires, so that you may be able to help me find 1 or maybe 2 turntables that can sit at the top of my growing system.
Currently, I own a Sansui G-6000 receiver. I would love to find a TT in the $200-300 range that would complement the receiver and produce beautiful sound. I am partial to vintage, but would mildly consider modern.
Thank you all in advance for your responses. This is an incredible resource of wonderful people.
Thank you,
Marty
martygto
helomech
1,510 posts
 
It's not hard to find a decent vintage direct drive Yamaha or Pioneer PL series for $300. You probably won't find a PL530 for that price, but you can get a PL510 in great condition and it will absolutely trounce the entry-level Pro-Jects and U turn.

Find a nice vintage Pioneer, pair it with a Shure M97xe or AT120eb cartridge and you'll get very respectable sound for your budget. 


martygto OP
8 posts
 
Thank you all. Precious advice. I will increase my budget and hunt for your recommendations.
terry9
2,214 posts
 
Set-up is very important and very under-rated. A well-set-up budget TT can outperform a poorly set-up unit at 10x the price. So you might want to buy from a local, maybe a dealer, who can do proper set-up.

One more word: there are lots of people who think they can set-up a TT who really can't.
helomech
1,510 posts
 
Set-up is very important and very under-rated. A well-set-up budget TT can outperform a poorly set-up unit at 10x the price. So you might want to buy from a local, maybe a dealer, who can do proper set-up.

One more word: there are lots of people who think they can set-up a TT who really can't.
+1
drmemory62
37 posts
 
Some more advice, once you've got that TT set up don't neglect to consider further investment in accessories to clean that vinyl you've been accumulating as well as a good carbon fiber record brush.

Anti-static treatments are also a must, I use a Milty anti-static gun, you can pick one up for less than 100$.  There are other solutions but the Milty is reliable and one of the least expensive.

Finally, get a tonearm stylus brush or something like an Onzow to clean your needle.  It's disconcerting at first how much gunk can get picked up from even the cleanest seeming vinyl.

Onzow is a glob of soft sticky plastic that does a pretty good job of cleaning the stylus without putting too much pressure on the stylus.  
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