advertisement


Returning to vinyl - which turntable?

M

Masher

New Member
I've decided that after years of CD's and ipods (which are extremely practical) I'm returning to vinyl in my office. I'm not able to go crazy purchasing a turntable but a £200-£400 budget looks achievable. I've been looking at ebay and forums and have seen offerings from Michell, Notts analogue, Manticore, Rega and Linn in this price range (clearly the more basic of the Michell and NA range). Any advice out there on making the right choice? I'll be mating the turntable to a Marantz amp and Tannoy speakers both of which are likely to also get upgraded in due course.
Ta,
Mike
 
If you fancy older stuff don't discount Thorens. A TD150 is a bloody nice thing and a 160 super possibly better. I recenbtly sold a 160 super/3009 on here for £300, it was a lovely deck and sounded absolutely great. I would stack it up against an LP12 any day, it might come second but it would not be disgraced.
 
A well set-up Technics SL1200. Remove the power supply from the innards if you feel like a quantum upgrade. Unlike just about all of the other decks mentioned above, the Technics can keep the disc spinning at one speed during music.

If you end up liking it, then an external power supply can be had quite cheaply, and it can show you the benefit of expensive arms and cartridges. There's even a bearing upgrade, although I can't say whether that's an improvement on the perfectly good Technics bearing.

Don't be put off by the brand name, Panasonic threw big money at their turntable design while European brands were pissing around trying to overcome an oscillating load with elastic bands. For 200 quid it takes a lot of beating.
 
Congratulations tp Sonddek for getting to Post 3 before getting in with "the LP12 has no speed stability". That aside, the SL1210 is a nice deck and easily available in budget.

Oh, and if anyone can get any sort of LP12, decent or otherwise, with an arm, for £200-400 please let me know where and I'll sell it on here for a profit.
 
How much of your budget is in the cartridge?

You should be able to get a Thorens 160 in decent nick for less than £150 if you are patient & most will come with a cart like the Shure 75 so all you have to do is get a new stylus - I use a TD160 Mk1 as well as a Connoisseur BD2 (which I actually prefer & these go dirt cheap, I've seen mint NOS go for less than £75)

I'd suggest a listen of the Needledrop thread - a few Thorens, BD2,
Linn, NA, Technics etc etc examples
 
deserter said:
If you can pick up a half decent LP12 at that price level you are doing very well and should go for it.
Click to expand...

Then spend a fortune on a new subchassis and power supply in an effort to get it to hold a note and a beat like the Technics? You need to decide if the speed stability of the Technics matters to you. Do a side by side comparison between a Sondek and the 'DJ deck' with the same cartridge, and see which is more musical for you. Some will prefer the lurching sound of the Sondek and find the Technics boring and 'digital', and others will prefer the ruthless pitch and timing of the Technics and the way it makes sense of music. But a Technics in good working condition really is 200 quid, whereas a 400 quid Sondek is likely to need some t.l.c. (i.e. money).
 
I heard a nice old LP12 at a dealers today and speed did not seem an issue. Lets face it, such a heavy platter is hardly likely to flutter.
 
deserter said:
I heard a nice old LP12 at a dealers today and speed did not seem an issue. Lets face it, such a heavy platter is hardly likely to flutter.
Click to expand...

Don't get me wrong - I like Sondeks, but the SL1200 outperforms it in audible wow, not flutter. Of all distortions, wow is the distortion most destructive to music because it changes the tune and the rhythm.
 
Eyebroughty said:
This what Mike should be looking for?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000LAKVNK/?tag=pinkfishmedia-21
Click to expand...

In my opinion, yes. It is a much better deck than many people realise. If you can find a used one without a buggered arm, that helps, but a new replacement arm typically costs 60 quid. Mike, if you do go for an SL1200, i.m.o. it's well worth extracting the power supply and putting it in an external box. The parts to do this typically cost 15 quid at Maplins. But it's still a great deck in stock form.
 
This site contains affiliate links for which pink fish media may be compensated.
Older Thorens, like the TD125 or a Sondek. Why because they make music. No thanks the sanitised accuracy ;)

I have listened to many fully room equalised home cinema installations that remind me why I won't chase accuracy with my turntable
 
Rega P3, Linn Axis, just to throw a few more suggestions in there - those so far all look good. If you were thinking of going for a DJ style DD TT, the Audio Technica AT-LP120 is erm... well an SL1200 spec deck for rather less money.
 
sonddek said:
Do a side by side comparison between a Sondek and the 'DJ deck' with the same cartridge, and see which is more musical for you. Some will prefer the lurching sound of the Sondek and find the Technics boring and 'digital', and others will prefer the ruthless pitch and timing of the Technics and the way it makes sense of music. But a Technics in good working condition really is 200 quid, whereas a 400 quid Sondek is likely to need some t.l.c. (i.e. money).
Click to expand...

In the early nineties I had a few friends with 1210's, I was listening to a lot of dance music and buying lots of 12"'s. I really wanted a pair of 1210's, I admired them, and I borrowed some a few times. But the thing was that my house, techno and drum and bass records just sounded so damn good on my LP12, even if it didn't have an external psu, had a cheap arm and cart, and I had to take the damn plinth off when I wanted to play 45's. Originally I bought my LP12 because Coltrane sounded so good, but for drum and bass, it was just huge. Dillinja's 'Heavenly Bass' really was heavenly, and although my deck was pre-Cirkus, it had more than one note.
 
I'm not able to go crazy purchasing a turntable but a £200-£400 budget looks achievable.
Click to expand...

Do a side by side comparison between a Sondek and the 'DJ deck' with the same cartridge, and see which is more musical for you. Some will prefer the lurching sound of the Sondek and find the Technics boring and 'digital', and others will prefer the ruthless pitch and timing of the Technics and the way it makes sense of music. But a Technics in good working condition really is 200 quid, whereas a 400 quid Sondek is likely to need some t.l.c. (i.e. money).
Click to expand...

Take the LP12/SL1200 debate somewhere else please. You're not doing the thread starter any favours..
Click to expand...

Thoughtcrime does not entail death: thoughtcrime is death. ;-)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top