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I've decided to become a vinyl addict. I'm as excited about playig with the 'parts' of a TT as much as the music itself.Here's my dilema..I have no idea which table would be best to start with and be happy with for years to come. Here are some of my ideas..I'd like to spend under $1000.
Rega P3
Goldring GR1.2 or GR2
Pro-ject 1 expression, or debut III
Thorens TD-170 or 190
Music hall MMF-5 or 7 (I can get a demo or used 7 for under 1000)I know Rega's are legendary, but what's up with the freaky colors on their website? They look like phones for teenage girls!
The Pro-jects and Goldrings are very good tables for the money..
Music halls seem nice, but I've hear concerns over build quality etc. It seems as though a less expensive pro-ject or goldring would better a music hall?
Anyway, I don't have any records...I need to build my collection.
Equipment I have:
Rotel RCD-1072 cd player
Rotel 1066 pre amp processor
Sherborn amp
Gallo Reference III speakers
Sony 9000ES SACD playerAs always, thanks for the time you take to reply...VERY appreciated.
Follow Ups:
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If you are starting out with no LP's and you plan to buy thrift store stuff, you should definitely allocate a chunk of change for a record cleaning machine or you will be disappointed. The VPI 16.5 record cleaner at ~$450 will be well worth the money. You could economize and buy a cheaper unit (I think Nitty Gritty sells a manual one for ~$250 or so). Having a $1000 table & cartridge combo with either no money left for new LP's or a whole lot of dirty LPs to gunk up your system will be frustrating.Personally, I think that finding great LP's in funky places adds a whole lot to the experience...
best turntable I've ever owned.... period. I've owned various Rega's including a P5; SOTAs; Music Hall's; etc. and the Michell is by far the best sounding I've found.
Not only will you get great sound but I guarantee you can listen to more music. To me TTs are like beer. After a couple of albums, they all sound the same. With the quick start/stop and speed change, You'll be pulling-out records so fast that you won't have time to put them away. The next thing you know, it's 2:00 AM and there are LPs and 45s all over the place. Fun,fun fun.The deck is solid and bullet-proof. No tweaking needed but an upgraded power-supply can't hurt. Plus you can F around to your hearts content with arms and cartridges if you must.
d
List was $1300. Make a deal.
if you're not adverse to buying used you can get a better table than anything new. Possibilities include:VPI HW-19 II, III or IV
Linn Sondek LP-12
Thorens TD-125If you are willing to build a DIY plinth
Lenco
Thorens TD-124
Garrard 401Separate tonearms include:
Rega RB-whatever, can be improved with mods from Origin Live, Incognito wiring, etc.
SME 3009/II Improved - the classic arm with the older TTs like Lenco, Thorens, and Garrard
Linn Ittok - good match with Linn LP-12
I picked up a Linn LP12/Valhalla and Ittok a few years ago as a local purchase for significantly less than $1000.
VPI HW-19/II or III plus Rega arms generally go in the same range.
NT
IBSmiester
Open Your Ears....
I suggest you add the Pro-Ject 2 Xperience to your list ($995).
I wouldn't worry too much about the choice as chances are if you become serious about Vinyl/analog you'll end up upgrading reletively soon anyway.I'd recommend keeping a close eye on Audiogon as excellent deals
show up on Rega's MMF 7's and 5's Scout HW 19 jr's etc. and you can easily end up with a considerably better table at the price you were looking at for a new more modest table, TT's are not like cars where parts availability and cost are a big factor, turntables are pretty simple and generally quite robust in nature, in 40 yr's of analog I've yet to have a motor puke on me, and I've owned a great many TT's
I've never had a platter bearing go bad either.
Going used keeps you from taking the reletively serious initial depreciation hit as well.
The serious sellers on Audiogon absolutely don't want bad feedback
so they are very upfront about the tables they sell know how to pack and ship them and will go out of their way to make certain you're happy, mail order dealer of new gear are not always as accomodating once the sale is made.
You will find a competent Phono stage or Phono section is considerably more imprtant than the TT you choose anyway and odds are
once you gain some experience you'll end up developing different taste based needs anyway.
Regards FredJ
and I have no problem with the build quality, it has worked perfectly. MMFs are made in the same factory, presumably by the same people, as Pro-Ject, the 7 has the Pro-ject 9 arm, and I think the same motor as used on similar (higher end) Pro-Ject tables. The split plinth and isolated motor make it very quiet and vibration and shock resistant. I can jump up and down on the floor of a mobile home 6 feet in front of it and it doesn't skip, and I'm a heavyweight. It's not futuristic looking, but it works very well, I feel no need to upgrade. The Goldrings and lesser Pro-Jects are not up to the 7's performance or design. If you really want to play records and enjoy them, I'd go for the MMF-7. If you want to play with a turntable, swap out arms, etc, and tweak a lot, maybe not.
Pro-Ject 2.1
VPI HW19Jr/Rega 300B
Well Tempered Record Player
Wow! Nice to see you have a lot to compare the MH too. I've had some concerns about getting replacement parts from them, and customer service (from what I've heard). I've also heard if you e-mail them many times Roy Hall will talk to you. It seems that they're great until the point you might need a part. Still, idividual experiences with customer service can be drastically different so it's hard to rely on advice in that arena.
They have a very good working relationship with Roy Hall, (I was told he actually packed mine after it was the demo at the last Vegas CES show) so I'm not worried in that regard.
I have had dealings with Echo as well. Are you still in the Portland area? If so, I could use some critique of my system and room if you would be interested in getting together sometime to do a bit of listening.
Colby
and to think I used to consider 85F hot! Sure can grow tomatoes down here though, watermelon too.I took a look at yout TT in the gallery, that is one serious looking DIY project, and a very nice piece of craftsmanship. Looks like you did everything but wind the motor and cartridge yourself.
I'm probably not the guy to critique your rig anyway, I don't listen to stuff other than my own very often. I only have one friend who doesn't think I spend way more than I should on audio stuff, and I have a very modest system by standards around here.
As far as rooms go, my approach is pretty simple:
In a fairly large room, say 20x15 or larger, put the speakers on the long wall, give them plenty of room away from the walls, and put your chair up against the opposite wall with something to absorb reflections directly behind your head.
In a small room, listen nearfield.
Both these methods make for a minimum of fuss, but then I'm a bachelor and don't have anybody telling me where I can put the speakers or couch.
Kurt at Echo can be a very good resource, but he's gotten so busy that he often doesn't have time to answer questions anymore. Best to go in early on a week day if you can swing it. I love the Echo Audio "high pressure" sales tactic: "Take it home and try it. If you don't like it, bring it back."
I really love the looks of this table. I've heard some great things about it that's for sure. Glad to hear you like it..I'm certainly leaning towards this one because I can get a good deal on it. There are no good deals on Rega P3's that's for sure.
A VPI.
You can get a used 19 Jr. with a decent tonearm for around $650 and this leaves a nice chunk for an excellent cartridge.You should check out audiogon.
Oh yeah those VPI's are amazing. I'd love the Scout with the JMW-9 tonearm. That's about 1500 though. ouch. I need to buy some vinyl as well as a phono pre amp. I'll have to check out the 19 jr. That's in my range...used.
. . . and they are remarkably simple devices--it's hard for anyuthing to go wrong--and VPI will treat you like you're the original customer if you need something later.
There's no doubt in my mind that the Rega P3 is the way to go for under $1000. It makes music incredibly involving. The colors are fun and not essential. Someone mentioned Moth tables, but they're sourced by Rega. They only make sense if you live in the U.K. If you're in North America, stick with the Rega, which has a N.A. distributor.
you can get the moth tables through britaudio.com, he is in PA.
you could also look at the moth tables.
"I know Rega's are legendary, but what's up with the freaky colors on their website? They look like phones for teenage girls!"The colors are $100.00 more than black.
I recently got a black one with a Grado Reference Platinum.
I'm very happy with it and together they were right at $1000.Building a collection is not a problem. I picked up 31 albums
yesterday for less than 29 dollars. All from different Goodwills
and Half-Price books. Some nice stuff also.
Of the ones you listed, I'd go for the P3 (Yes, it comes in basic black as well) or a Music Hall 5 or 7 if you can stretch it. I've owned 2 MMF-5s and had zero problems. QC was just fine. I'm currently using a P3. I'd avoid the lower priced Thorens, although a used TD-125 or 160 would be a viable alternative. The Goldring and Pro-Ject tables are nice as well.
If you want to get into vinyl, reserve some cash for LP cleaning. A vacuum Record Cleaning Machine is a wise investment.
Good luck. You're gonna need it . . .;8=)
Henry
You better act fast, there was a post earlier in the week with a link to a news article that stated these turntable-thingies were disappearing from existence ;-)
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