What's the best buy for 2nd hand at 200 USD?


Hello there experienced hifi-dinosaurs. I am a student with limited funds and a love of vinyl, and I'm looking to replace my old sony turntable. In case it matters, I own a marantz receiver, i think it's a NR1403, and Boston BA25 bookshelf speakers. I want to try and make my collection of 70s records sound good without paying too much for a lack of knowledge. Any advice would be very much appreciated.
savoytruffle
There's at least one Thorens on ebay right now in your price range that could work for you. If you're not opposed to direct drive, there are some really cheap Denon TTs on ebay. I had one for years that was a workhorse and sounded good (on my college system anyway). Spend the extra money on a new cartridge.

Also concur with the Dual recommendation. My friend had one for years that I liked.
Try a Sony PS-X7. There is one listed on Ebay and you could make an offer. I just sold mine for $200 and the cover was not cracked. This is a surprisingly good TT. You can read some reviews on Vinyl Engine, AudioKarma, etc.
If you can swing another $39, this table is really nice. I just setup one for a friend of mine. I was indeed impressed.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002S1CJ2Q/ref=s9_simh_gw_p23_d0_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1PY0NAQABFX21PWFDNCY&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1389517282&pf_rd_i=507846

It is more or less a Technics SL1200 series table. I mounted an Ortofon "Red" cartridge on it. Wow!
Late 70's Sony direct drives are still decent values and under rated performers. Look for PS-X6, PS-X7, PS-X60, or PS-X70 or variants there of on the auction site.
Unfortunately, your NR1403 does not have phono inputs. That means you'll need a phono stage (or a different receiver) in addition to a turntable/tonearm/cartridge. Some entry level tables have a phono stage built in, which should help with the budget. I've no experience with those so can't recommend anything.

I owned Dual 1217 and 1229 turntables in my college days (back in the 17th C.) and concur with that recommendation, but they don't have phono stages. Unless you get lucky, a Dual may be a budget-buster unless you can find another $100 or two for a phono stage.