Ironsave Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 So..... I am looking to get back into some vinyl..... What is the best bang for buck, new or vintage turntable under $200? All opinions and any input appreciated.... Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JBryan Posted February 26, 2010 Share Posted February 26, 2010 $200 for a decent TT setup, eh? Its not impossible but it'll take some time and you're gonna have to be lucky. You do live in Chicago - that'll make it a bit easier. My suggestion is to scour every thrift shop in town, look through C'list every hour or so and hit every estate and yard sale when the season starts. If fortune smiles, you'll run across a decent Thorens, Denon, AR or maybe even a Marantz table and arm but don't spend more than $50 'cause you'll need the extra $ for a new(er) cartridge, belts and maybe a repair or two. Be sure to ask the seller about any peripherals as they may produce a box with record cleaners, static guns, etc. maybe even a replacement stylus or cartridge and if its a nicer TT, don't forget to ask about records - I've picked up some nice collections just for asking. A cartridge that has been mounted on an arm and just sitting around for the last 30 years will most likely be useless and can damage a record so look for specials on the net or you may find something in your price range on Audiogon but make sure the seller has plenty of good feedback. Unless you have a preamp that takes moving coil carts or have a step up handy, you'll want to restrict your search to moving magnet carts - a nice used Shure V or new M97 would be excellent but may be out of your budget. If you have a step up, look for Denons, Dynavectors and Grados. If you willing to spend a little extra, you can find a decent starter TT on A'gon like Rega or Music Hall that will do the trick and wont cost too much - especially used. Happy hunting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jamesV Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 All opinions and any input appreciated.... Sent a pm James Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
modoc48 Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Ironsave do not know how to post a link, sorry what about this one on the bay item # 300354718161 ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Just stay away from Saturday Audio Exchange in Chicago. These guys have tuned into (or maybe they've always been?) con artists! But like others have said, $200 is cutting it pretty slim. Don't forget, with a good turntable set up you require three components ~ the turntable, the tonearm and the pickup cartridge. Divide that by three and thats what you've got going into each part, which isn't much. Or do you have additional budget for the tonearm and pickup? On the other hand, if you're an experienced analog turntable vinyl sort of person (lots of past experience, just getting back in) you'll probably be able to know a good deal when you spot one. But then again, I guess if that were the case you probably wouldn't have asked. If you're willing to spend a little more you could get something like this. http://cgi.ebay.com/THORENS-160-TURNTABLE-GRADO-ZF3-CARTRIDGE-TESTED_W0QQitemZ330406455025QQcmdZViewItemQQptZVintage_Electronics_R2?hash=item4cedc266f1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiser SET say Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Or AudioGon http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1271949885&/Thorens-TD-165 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artarama Posted February 27, 2010 Share Posted February 27, 2010 Or AudioGonhttp://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1271949885&/Thorens-TD-165 I would jump on that one for the price and judging at the looks of it, it hasen't seen a lot of use. I have had one of these since new and it is a real work horse. Very simple, reliable and sounds great with a good cartridge. I currently have a Grado Prestige Red, nothing fancy but still $140 for just the cartridge. The quality of sound your going to get out of your system is only as good as the input. "Garbage in, garbage out" and all of it is only as good as the original recording, that seems to be my biggest disapointment a lot of times. Why make a record with bad sonics?? Where is the ear of the recording engineer?? You have to get a decent turntable and cartridge to hear what vinyl is really all about. The TD-165 is pretty close to the entry level of that IMO but gets the job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fwphoto Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Or AudioGonhttp://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1271949885&/Thorens-TD-165 That does look like a pretty good deal, especially considering the OP's limit of $200. I have the TD-160 & think it's a great "entry-level" to the big time. ;-) I fitted my TD-160 with a Goldring ELECTRA & it sounds wonderful. The AGON ad doesn't say what cartridge is in it so you might have to (want to?) replace it to take full advantage the TT. Lots of inexpensive "mods" for this TT, as well. Frank W. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artto Posted February 28, 2010 Share Posted February 28, 2010 Or AudioGonhttp://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1271949885&/Thorens-TD-165 Yeh, I'd jump on this if I were you. $175 + PayPal fees. I'd even pay a more for s&h + insurance than $20 he wants to make sure its packed properly. It even has a cartridge in it, (is that a Grace?) so all you might have to do buy a new stylus for it if its still available. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ironsave Posted February 28, 2010 Author Share Posted February 28, 2010 First off; thanks for all of the responses........ I (once again) opened a can of worms; as I did not know what I was getting into! JamesV; I greatly appreciate your PM as well!!!! Looks like my original budget is not too feasible; unless someone generously decided to help the situation..... Thanks again to all; will update once I get a turntable...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kaiser SET say Posted March 2, 2010 Share Posted March 2, 2010 Another two to consider Ironsave[] http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1272321906&/Rega-P2 http://www.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?anlgtabl&1270073197&/Music-Hall-MMF-5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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