TOTALLY CONFUSED about analog

Waxcylinder,

Make it easy on yourself. Find a used Rega for around $600, add a Grado cartridge for $100. Great learner table and quite respectable.

Buy something simple like the Music Hall MMF-5 or MMF-7 to get started. If you can't it set it up and get it sounding decent in 20 minutes, then you need to forget audio. They only cost $500.00 and $1,000.00 new with a nice sounding Goldring cartridge, and the setup is easy and quick.

Buy some vinyl and play with the MMF a few months. You will start learning more about LP grading, turntable setup, cleaning LPs and styli, pressing quality, and on and on. IOW, there is no magic bullet. It's not like buying a CD player. There is some work involved.

HI KEN

PLEASE CHECK OUT ALL THE MUSIC HALL TURNTABLES ON OUR SHOWCASE ON AUDIOGON OR AT http://www.musichallaudio.com/

THEY ARE ALL WONDERFUL TURNTABLES WITH A CARTRIGE INCLUDED .. ALL SET UP READY TO GO -- THERE ARE 3 MODELS -- THE 2.1 -- THE 5 AND THE 7

CHECK THEM OUT ---ALSO CHECK OUT THE GREAT REVIEWS ON THE MMF-7 IN STEREOPHILE MAG .. ABOUT 2 MONTHS AGO

ANY QUESTIONS DROP ME A LINE

GOOD LISTENING
STEPHEN

confused,
celtic's advice will serve you well. a pre-owned rega may be
worth a look (recently on audioshopper for 300.00)
Also may browse for a Thoerns table in the classifieds. Recommend the TD-160 at 200 to 300. either way, cartridge
selection (to start)is grado, grado, grado. demand 40% off
of retail, and use an alignment tool to install. a 2 degree
error will destroy the stylus and vinyl promptly, and disappoint you sonically. it's worth paying to have it mounted and tested by a pro. your friend that says no sweat, he can do it for free, can't. enjoy!

ken

listen to a rega p3 used or new with either a grado or a dynavector 10x4 cart. new, that will cost right at $1000 (with the dynavector) and will serve you very, very well. that was my first turntable set up and even though my turntable rig today costs nine times that, the rega still sounds incredible. my mother has a music hall and *i* prefer the stability and rigidity of the rega. the music hall sounds almost as good and costs way less, but i found it harder to set up and didn't like the feel of it, but that may not mean anything to you. for sure, check them both out (music hall 2.1 and rega p3) you can't go wrong either way. they're both fantastic turntables suited to all sorts of music, although it is my opinion that the p3/dynavector is *the* budget turntable choice, though others no doubt disagree.

let your ears be your guide and good luck!