Looking For The Right Lp Record Player |
|
Looking For The Right Lp Record Player |
|
|
|
|
Sep 11 2014, 02:47 AM |
Do you need the turntable, amp and speakers to all come in at $200.00 total?
If it's just a turntable - your best bet is to find a second hand Technics or Marantz (that works) and then get a new cartridge (needle) for it. That should all be within the $100 to $200 range. If you want new, Audio Technica makes a budget unit that won't ruin your records. The AT-LP60 for under $100. another decent one is the Pioneer PL-990 which is around $130 The amp (receiver) is just as important. Something from the 70s or 80s or early 90s if it's working will sound better than most new stuff other than the really high-end, audiophile gear. Akai, Marantz, Pioneer, Technics, etc. are what you want to look for. A decent cartridge is a must. Grado or Shure will be fine. They're easy to find on line for whatever record player you get. -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 11 2014, 09:48 AM |
If you can find them used/2nd hand the Rega Planar 3 (I had one years ago) is a very good turntable and used should just be in budget. Ken's suggestion of a Technics SL-1200 is also a very good turntable. A couple of others are the old Thorens TD180, the Rega Planar 2 and the Nad Rega 2 clone (sorry can't remember what the modle no was).
If you want a new turntable then you might be able to get one of the Pro-ject turntables just in budget. Otherwise it's probably ones like Marantz or an Audio Techica LP60. Of all of these I'd personally go for a used Rega 3 if it was in good condition. Some things to watch for if buying 2nd hand - condition of the bearings, motor and belt. If it includes the cartrdige also check the condtion of the stylus. Do things like turn the deck on to check that it turns ok and that there aren't any scrapping noises and that the motor doesn't sound knackered. Listen to the motor - if it hums then the turntable has groudning issues. Make sure that the record arm moves freely and tracks from the centre to the inside ok. If you can play a record that you know - is it at the right speed and devoid of any obvious speeding up/slowing down. Does the turntable look in good condition... Just a quick comment on amps - you need to get one with phono inputs. Record cartridges put out a low/very low signal depending on design and so they need a preamp/headamp stage in addition to that of the other line inputs. 70s/80s amps used to have a phono as standard but many new ones don't as many amp manufacturers now think no one wants them. All of Ken's suggestions are great for a budet amp and I'll add one other - NAD. -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 11 2014, 03:49 PM |
Just a quick comment on amps - you need to get one with phono inputs. Record cartridges put out a low/very low signal depending on design and so they need a preamp/headamp stage in addition to that of the other line inputs. 70s/80s amps used to have a phono as standard but many new ones don't as many amp manufacturers now think no one wants them. All of Ken's suggestions are great for a budget amp and I'll add one other - NAD. Great points Tony ... especially about the PHONO inputs! I made the mistake several years ago (when my receiver from 1978 - bought new then ceased to function) of getting a modern surround amp with multiple CD/MP3/HDMI/USB/RCA/etc. inputs but I couldn't use my record player with it until I bought an RIAA phono pre-amp (which was cheap but a PITA). *The Rega's are really hard to find here in the states. This post has been edited by klasaine: Sep 11 2014, 04:04 PM -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 18 2014, 12:33 AM |
I'll assume you paid around a 100 bucks for the turntable.
Finding an amp and speakers for a $100 will be tough. Second hand may be your best bet. Start hitting the garage sales and thrift stores or, ask around to see who's getting rid of something - ? Check Craig's List. Maybe post a FB or Twitter msg. -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 18 2014, 09:43 AM |
Gratz on your new turntable .
Ken's right $100 will b a very tight budget so your best bet will be a used amp. Turn it on and try it out, make sure you don't hear odd noises from any input or when you turn the volume up/down. -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 19 2014, 11:19 AM |
What a lovely dad ! Well as money's no object and he wants you to have something that looks lovely:
http://www.michell-engineering.co.uk/turntables/gyrodec/ Just joking (kind of) - I use the Michell Orbe as my turntable. It's the Gyrodec's bigger brother and my wife refers to ours as Darth Vader and so presumably not at all beautiful to her . The music systems/all-in-one do make things easier at least in the short term and off the top of my head I know that both Sony and Teac (LP1000) make them and I'm ure that there are other makes as well. There will also be a lot of used music systems for sale. Apart from ease of use and convenience an 'all-in-one' also provides a coherent and functional design and that can be important for many people. (I have a sister in law who uses an 'all-in-one' because she can put it in a corner, hidden from view and work it with a remote control.) If you want to go this route then I'd suggest that you focus on the better known Japanese consumer brands like Sony, Teac, Pioneer, JVC, Technics and so on. Personally I think you have to way up the convenience of an all-in-one solution against quality. You would almost certainly get better build and audio quality if you buy a separate turntable and amp etc. You may also want to think about what you would have left if an 'all-in- one' went wrong and needed to be repaired or replaced or even just upgraded. I don't know if you live near to one but any good hi-fi shop will be happy to let you come in and talk about and listen to one or more turntables in your budget. (You may need to book a demo rather than just walk in off the street though.) It's worth doing as it may help clarify for you which route - convenience or hi fi - better meets your needs. A good starting point if you want to investigate a specialist hi fi turntable would be ones from companies like Projekt. It's ultimately though a personal choice as to which you preference - convenience or audio quality. -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 20 2014, 05:28 AM |
Is this what you're looking at? ... http://www.target.com/p/crosley-cr66-roche...USw5hoC6cbw_wcB
This will ruin your records and sound pretty bad while it's doing it. Don't do it. This one is seems pretty decent and is still a relatively 'compact' system. http://www.teac.com/product/lp-p1000/images/ It's about $350.00 (amazon sells them). This post has been edited by klasaine: Sep 21 2014, 02:33 PM -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 23 2014, 09:56 AM |
Alright guys so I finally decided to get the Electrohome Wellington 4 in 1 turntable. It's not the best out there but out of the cheap retro style ones (also all-in-one) it seems to be one of the best ones and it's pretty and affordable! Haha all the other beautiful ones were mostly Crosley, and way too many Crosley reviews were just terrible...But I'm happy with the decision and so is Dad which is obviously very important to me. It should be on its way home now since he had to buy it online. Thanks a lot for all your help, I was very aware of all the things you guys mentioned as I browsed for a turntable, and it helped a lot since I knew nothing about them before. Here's the link so you can see it if you haven't already. http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00574HPX4?p...p;robot_redir=1
I'll post an update when I finally try it. -------------------- BRUUUUUTAL GRIM DEATH NINJA OF THE FROZEN NORTH!!!!
|
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 23 2014, 11:10 AM |
Hope it brings you hours of enjoyment Grace .
Now the real fun starts as you can go and buy lots of vinyl records to play on it -------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Sep 23 2014, 12:15 PM |
Absolutely Neil. And before you know it your credit card is maxed out and you've no space in the house as it's all taken up by records but you're happy
-------------------- Get your music professionally mastered by anl AES registered Mastering Engineer. Contact me for Audio Mastering Services and Advice and visit our website www.miromastering.com
Be friends on facebook with us here. We use professional, mastering grade hardware in our mastering studo. Our hardware includes: Cranesong Avocet II Monitor Controller, Dangerous Music Liasion Insert Hardware Router, ATC SCM Pro Monitors, Lavry Black DA11, Prism Orpheus ADC/DAC, Gyratec Gyraf XIV Parallel Passive Mastering EQ, Great River MAQ 2NV Mastering EQ, Kush Clariphonic Parallel EQ Shelf, Maselec MLA-2 Mastering Compressor, API 2500 Mastering Compressor, Eventide Eclipse Reverb/Echo. |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Oct 7 2014, 08:25 PM |
Thanks guys! So I recently came back from Puerto Rico and finally got to try the player yesterday. I love it! It looks beautiful and it sounds great. So far I only have one LP which is 8:18 from TDWP and it sounds good, but I can tell that music without so much distortion on their instruments will sound a lot better, but it does remind me a bit of the real vinyl record players from back in the day which is awesome and the cd's and mp3's sound surprisingly great! I can't wait to buy more vinyl and enjoy this thing to the max! Thanks again for all the help and advice! You caught the Vinyl bug, huh? Seems like every generation has a throwback subculture. 80's had a 50's throwback with white t's and plaid shirts, 90's had a 60's throw back. Now the 80's are in style, at least in my neck of the wood. Pump that hair! lol. Enjoy the new turntable! -------------------- The more I practice, the more I wish I had time to practice!
My Band Forum: http://passionfly.site/chat |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Nov 6 2014, 12:58 AM |
If there's no 'phono' input you will need a pre-amp. I'd need to see the back to be sure but I don't think so. There's nothing on the remote that mention 'phono'.
-------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Nov 6 2014, 07:29 AM |
I found a pic online of the back of two of the units - a few phono inputs on the left.
( bigger version of the pic ) I dont have a setting on the remote to select 'phono' as such but there is an option to select 'EXT' Im wondering if the turntable would go into the inputs on the left and then be selected via the EXT option? **** EDIT ***** just read an amazon review on this turntable and the dude said "dont put this into your existing Phono outputs as this unit has pre-amps so it will hum if you do, plug it into the Aux socket" Im sure ( from memory ) there is an Aux input on the front so I can just go into that. This post has been edited by bleez: Nov 6 2014, 01:54 PM -------------------- You say 'minor pentatonic ' like it's a bad thing |
|
|
||
|
|
|
Nov 6 2014, 03:49 PM |
Yeah, the 'phono' in is where a turntable will go. *Make sure your turntable doesn't already have a pre-amp in it. Some of the new ones do (because modern home surround systems don't have the 'phono' in anymore but vinyl is popular again).
Not sure if EXT. on the remote will select the phono but it's a logical possibility. I'm sure you can access it from the front of the unit. -------------------- - Ken Lasaine
https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/foolin-the-clouds https://soundcloud.com/klasaine2/surfin-at-the-country-hop Soundcloud assorted ... https://soundcloud.com/klasaine3 New record ... http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/kenlasaine Solo Guitar ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...5iIdO2tpgtj25Ke Stuff I'm on ... https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXZh...b-dhb-4B0KgRY-d |
|
|
||