You can also check out the Technics SL-100C, brand new in the US market, save a couple hundred bucks. No phono stage, but don't really want a built-in one anyway. Cheap cartridge but the stylus is upgradeable to something decent. It intrigues me and looks like good value, but I'm satisfied with my belt drive tables.
Direct Drive
I am firmly in the digital camp, but I’ve dabbled in vinyl. Back in the day I was fascinated by Technics Direct Drive tt, but couldn’t afford them. I was stuck with my entry level Gerrard. I have been sans turntable for about 5 years now but the new gear bug is biting. I am interested in the Technics 1500 which comes with an Ortofon Red and included pre amp. I have owned Rega P5 which I hated for its speed instability and a Clearaudio Concept which was boring as hell.
Direct Drive was an anathema to audiophiles in the nineties but every time I heard one it knocked my socks off. What do the analogers here think of Direct Drive? I listen to Classical Music exclusively
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Do tangential playback arms sound any better? |
Yes, tangential tonearms sound better. But they are a higher end thing, and you probably won't hear the benefits until you're spending a fair bit. How handy are you? It's not hard to make a DIY belt drive table that will be far better than anything you can buy for the same price. I had a pretty hefty budget for a TT and used the money to DIY - and the result is quite phenomenal. And the journey was a treat not to be missed. DIY forever! |
I haven't heard it yet but Stereophile raved about the Pioneer PLX-1000. Add an Ortofon 2m Blue (the Red has terrible inner groove distortion) and you've got change from $1000. Although you'll need a phono stage as well. The Yaqin MS-12b (~$300) can sound really good with a bit of tube rolling. So yeah, about $1500 all up. This is probably as cheap as you can go and still get a half-decent result. Incidentally I sometimes record my vinyl using Audacity and play it back digitally using Audirvana Origin to Dac to Power Amp. Sounds phenomenal |
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