Turntable advice


Hey there, I was wondering if anyone has any advice on a turntable and cart. I was looking at the rega p6 but the lack of vta and azimuth adjustment turned me off, I mainly listen to hip hop/ soul/ funk/ jazz and blues for the cart reference. Im looking to spend around 2-3500 with the cart price included if possible but could stretch a bit if need be. Mainly my concerns are ease of cartridge adjustment and alignment  or a clear path for adjustment if something has a known quirk. I still haven’t decided on a phono or amp either if anyone has any advice there. Budget for those is around 1500 give or take for both. 
 

i appreciate any advice in advance ! 

waroftheants

Buy a Rega P6 with a factory installed Rega cartridge. It’ll take about 15-20 minutes to unbox, level, set the tracking force, set the anti-skate adjustment and start playing records. No worries about azimuth, zenith, vertical tracking angle; etc. I currently have a Rega P10 and a Linn LP12 with upgrades. The Rega turntables are as close to plug-n-play as it gets and they sound great.  The cost will be well under your $3500 budget.  You'll have enough money left over to buy a good record cleaning machine which is must for enjoying vinyl.  You can buy a VPI 16.5 or even better an ultrasonic record cleaner.

Anyone who recommends VPI to anyone has a sick sense of humor. Their unipivot  tonearms have to be the worst on the market. 

@waroftheants , look closely at the MoFi UltraDeck +. It has everything you are looking for in a tidy package. You would have to spend three times as much to do better. 

jasonbourne52's avatar

jasonbourne52

2,083 posts

 

Pioneer PLX1000 ($700) and a Hana SL mc cartridge ($750). This combination is competitive with other four-figure setups.

 

And you know this how?

 

 

Well within your budget, I’d have a look at the music hall mmf-7.3 with the ortofon 2m Bronze. However, this turntable is now up around $1899 (in Gloss black), $1999 (in walnut). I think this turntable provides a lot for your money. Pair it with a Tavish Design classic or vintage tubed phono preamp. I’m giving this opinion/advise based on my own experience/ownership. It is a great sounding combination.