This is one of the newest Technics turntables at Ski Fi Audio in New Jersey. Impressive budget turntable with cartridge and upgradable and under $1000!
Possibly Looking for a Turntable/Cartridge Under $1000
I'm getting back into audio and trying to decide if I want to include a turntable and cartridge too. While I have collection of about 300+ LPs and EPs, for the most part I'm a digital guy at heart. All of my vinyl is over 30 years old. Once I heard the dynamics of CDs I never went back to vinyl and only did tapes in the car.
Of course vinyl overall fell out of favor for a while, but has since made a come back. I never understood the attraction to vinyl given the dynamics and headroom available with digital music. However, in getting back into audio I had a thought, that maybe I didn't see the appeal of vinyl because I've never had anything thing more than an entry level turntable.
My current system for 2-channel is Martin Logan SL3s, a Hegel P20 preamp, and currently I'm using an amp based on the Purifi EVAL1 Stereo 1ET400A module, though the amp could change later if I can swing a Hegel H30a.
I know my budget of $1000 is not high end level, but it's a little better than entry level. Given my setup, would a turntable/cartridge in the $1000 ballpark give me anything more in terms of sonic refinement and dynamics over an entry level turntable?
Thanks in advance.
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@jasonbourne71 Your a hard individual to convince, I'm sure my being Teatotal us well recorded on the Gon. FTR, When purchasing a set set of speakers from a widower, selling the deceased spouses Audio Equipment, I was informed about the unacceptable Dealer offers made for the Vinyl collection. I offered almost identical advice and Grandchildren were drafted in to help. At a later date, I was thanked and informed, certain Albums were at a value almost as good as a Dealer offer for the entire collection. I have intentionally and randomly pulled Albums (no more than 5% of collection) where for certain EANs find £15 + as the value. One Album is discovered as close to £1K. I have not realised these values but do see a Valuable Album collection worth much more than the £00.50p per Album dealer offers. CD as a Medium is quite different, I am able to acquire between 5 per £1 - 2 per £1. I stand by the OP seriously considering selling and getting increased funds for a Digital Source.
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The magic of CDs was not headroom, it is NO NOISE, FOR LIFE! That was a dream come true. That’s why so many of us got into CD’s big time. Me: over 4,000 of them. Happily I didn’t get rid of my LP’s, many people gave me their LPs when they stopped playing them. I had excellent cartridges before CD, however I never properly cleaned my old LPs, and my alignment skills were basic, trusting inaccurate dials. When I got back into LPs, I played only new or very clean used ones, and then I learned how to clean my dirty ones, what a difference. I bought some inexpensive tools and improved my alignment skills. Not perfection, just to have the confidence that alignments and calibrations were done with tools of measured accuracy and simple but revealing methods. Then I inherited 5,000 LPs, primarily Jazz, mostly played once, maybe twice. That’s the key to enjoyment, minimum noise, hands on, .... It’s the cartridge/stylus shape/cantilever material that makes the biggest audible difference, we diddle with better tonearms to improve the alignment. It’s the lack of arm height adjustment and lack of azimuth adjustment that defines a ’starter’ turntable for me, but you only go there AFTER you get hooked! Your budget is too low to get a great adjustable tonearm, but it is enough to get a darn good sounding setup.
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