Hey all,

After years of relying solely on my laptop,speakers and ipod, I'm finally going to replace my broken record player. Any recommendations or advice for a vinyl newbie? I like those little compact all-in one thingys (with built in speakers) but some of the reviews say the sound is awful....I don't mind the seperates either but they're so many brands, which one's should I avoid?

Thanks

What's your budget?

I stick with a Technics SL12000, the club DJ standard issue turntable, if only because they are ubiquitous, well built and easily serviceable if they ever need maintenance. They cost about $400 new, but you can easily find used ones on craigslist and ebay. Also, since they are the standard DJ deck, there is always a market if you later decide to sell your TT.

Now, the audiophiles will tell that you should get a belt drive turntable, rather than a direct drive turntable such as the SL12000. There is some merit to this, but the difference between the two types (at least within a price range that I suspect you may be willing pay) is so minor that I don't consider this a real issue. Denon, Audio Technica, Stanton and others make affordable belt drive options.

What matters the most is getting a good stylus cartridge. I'd recommend the Shure M97xE for home use. It costs about $60.

The price ranges on turntables and cartridges vary widely, however, so TD3's question is a good one.
[Edited 3/31/10 7:34am]

I can't make recommendations as I am really not well versed on this sort of thing. But I will say I recently saw a turntable with a USB port so that you could digitize your vinyl collection. I thought that was GREAT! (Maybe that's even standard on turntables these days? I dunno. ) Anyway... maybe shop around for a quality turntable with that feature -- that way you can still access archival stuff, but later exploit the benefits of portability, manually cleaning up the sound, etc. that a digital format gives.
[Edited 3/31/10 7:44am]

Stax said:

Thanks for replying, I used to have some Technics separates before I went to college, but it became so much hassle to take my whole system to and from college at the start and end of each term that I just abandoned it at home, eventually my parents gave it away. So I just need to get a record player (and I guess an amp and speakers) and then later on get the other bits when I can afford it. I'm just a little stuck between choosing, I love the versatility of building your own system but then the little compact ones are very cute and practical.

It depends on how picky you are about sound. I couldn't do the all-in-one thing because I have never heard one that sounded good enough for me, and I don't consider myself a hyper audiophile.

There is TONS of good used equipment out there. Just do a little research first and you can find some great deals.

I stick with a Technics SL12000, the club DJ standard issue turntable, if only because they are ubiquitous, well built and easily serviceable if they ever need maintenance. They cost about $400 new, but you can easily find used ones on craigslist and ebay. Also, since they are the standard DJ deck, there is always a market if you later decide to sell your TT.

Now, the audiophiles will tell that you should get a belt drive turntable, rather than a direct drive turntable such as the SL12000. There is some merit to this, but the difference between the two types (at least within a price range that I suspect you may be willing pay) is so minor that I don't consider this a real issue. Denon, Audio Technica, Stanton and others make affordable belt drive options.

What matters the most is getting a good stylus cartridge. I'd recommend the Shure M97xE for home use. It costs about $60.

The price ranges on turntables and cartridges vary widely, however, so TD3's question is a good one.
[Edited 3/31/10 7:34am]

Stax said:

To be honest, I won't be using it that often to justify spending loads on it, not yet anyway, I tend to be really fussy with headphones and spend between £100-200 but only because I get at least an hour or two usage of them a day.

A friend told me about Richer Sounds http://www.richersounds.com/ who are supposed to be really good if you tell them how much you want to spend, so will go down there and then look up what they recommend.

I'm a newbie to the vinyl world too, and I wanna buy a record player too, but one with the USB plug so I can convert the songs for my iPOd, and I wanted to know : Has anyone ever tried it? Whats the qualitu of the MP3 file?

One good thing about the recently released vinyles is that many of them have voucher with a code to download the MP3 version of the album (for example the 180grm re-issue of Marvin gayes "I Want You") or even a CD included (Goldfrapps latest album)...

FrenchGuy said:

]


This is what I have Audio Technica AT-LP20-USB , I bought $420.00 US retail.

High-torque direct drive motor, dual magnet phono cartridge, stroboscopic platter indicator, reverse playback, and multiple playback speeds (33, 45, and 78), the turntable also boasts a USB connection for recording directly to your computer. My experience has been the MP3 quality is as good as if you ripped from a Cd. Though depending on the condition of the record, I have some 45's/albums that have a lil' pop but nothing that's overbearing or annoying.

FrenchGuy said:

]


This is what I have Audio Technica AT-LP20-USB , I bought $420.00 US retail.

High-torque direct drive motor, dual magnet phono cartridge, stroboscopic platter indicator, reverse playback, and multiple playback speeds (33, 45, and 78), the turntable also boasts a USB connection for recording directly to your computer. My experience has been the MP3 quality is as good as if you ripped from a Cd. Though depending on the condition of the record, I have some 45's/albums that have a lil' pop but nothing that's overbearing or annoying.

TD3 said:

Thanx, bro!

My sig is ambiguous..... Trina You are welcome bro!

FrenchGuy said:

]


This is what I have Audio Technica AT-LP20-USB , I bought $420.00 US retail.

High-torque direct drive motor, dual magnet phono cartridge, stroboscopic platter indicator, reverse playback, and multiple playback speeds (33, 45, and 78), the turntable also boasts a USB connection for recording directly to your computer. My experience has been the MP3 quality is as good as if you ripped from a Cd. Though depending on the condition of the record, I have some 45's/albums that have a lil' pop but nothing that's overbearing or annoying.