boomac Posted December 16, 2003 Share Posted December 16, 2003 Anybody have an opinion on Pro-Ject Turntables? I'm looking at a Pro-Ject 1.2 Table. It appears to be easy to use quality built and priced within my current budget. The turntable comes with a Sumiko Oyster cartridge. Its available at my local audio store and I have always felt comfortable with their recommendations and service. I can purchase for under $300. I could cough up a few more dollars for a MMF-5 but I'm not convinced it would be worth it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tubinhard Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 Email Kelly, he knows everything about those things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted December 17, 2003 Author Share Posted December 17, 2003 My first post was edited because I received some additional information I wanted to include in the call for help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazman Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 ---------------- On 12/16/2003 11:56:49 PM boomac wrote: Anybody have an opinion on Pro-Ject Turntables? I'm looking at a Pro-Ject 1.2 Table. It appears to be easy to use quality built and priced within my current budget. The turntable comes with a Sumiko Oyster cartridge. Its available at my local audio store and I have always felt comfortable with their recommendations and service. I can purchase for under $300. I could cough up a few more dollars for a MMF-5 but I'm not convinced it would be worth it. ---------------- Boomac, I have owned a Project 1.2 with the standard Oyster cartridge, have heard an MMF-5 but not lived with one. There are several questions you will need to answer for yourself. How serious is my vinyl interest? Curiosity only, or do you already have a substantial investment in software(LPs)? If it's merely curiosity, do not spend more than the $300. The Project 1.2 is a plug n play solution leaving the dealers showroom. It will be setup before you leave the dealer, go home plug it in and play LP's. You will get credible playback quality. The MMF-5 is a definite step up in build quality and playback resolution due to the higher quality parts, such as the arm, motor, plinth, platter and cartridge. Like the Project 1.2, it has the cartridge already mounted and should be plug n play, when it leaves the dealer. Overall, when comparing the two, if you intend to listen to a lot of vinyl, I would recommend spending the extra dollars for the MMF-5,(about $200). It's a higher quality unit which beside offering higher quality palyback, should also yield some resale value if you decide to move up to a higher quality turntable. If vinyl is expected to be a less important component of your listening experience, the Project will do the job. If however, you decide to increase vinyl as a component of your listening experience, most of your initial investment will probably not be as recoverable as with the MMF-5. Because of your stated desire for the ease of mind local dealer service provides, I will not go into used turntable options. If you want to read some information on used options prior to your decision to purchase, go to the site below. http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Hills/4133/tt1.html I hope the information I've provided is useful. Klipsch out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 Jazman gave you some good advice. The new vs USED is an important point. For inexpensive plug-in and play NEW for no worry, the low cost Pro-Ject and MMF line is hard to beat. It's no worries vinyl (except for a propoer place to put it!) I used to recommend those Pro-Ject 1.2 tables for someone having to have NEW (not comfortable with used) with cartridge installed for under $300. If that is your criteria and you dont want to mess with audiogon, ebay, or other used options than that is the cheapest new turntable with a cartridge that sounds very nice. It's simple with belt drive and with an ok tonearm. The MMF-5 is a much better table but creeps into some quality USED table pricing options. In the MMF line, the MMF-7 USED is the best bargain probably as that is their first table where the motor is separate from the plinth. Is the 1.2 or MMf 2.1 the best $300 table? Perhaps NEW and set up, but if willing to go used there are some better built tables just not with a new cartridge installed (the little Sumiko Oyster is not bad). A simple Rega Planar/P3 with RB-300 arm is better and about the same money used (+ $50 or so). The $300 range is actually a tough area as you can find used bargains here but increasing the money to the $500 area brings more options. A good Thorens can be found if careful but the tonearms are sometimes circumspect. Still, a WELL MADE TAble. Right now, there is an AR ES-1 belt drive table with the Rega RB-300 with CARDAS Incognito wiring and almost new Shure V15 on Audiogon. HE is asking $750 but at $700 this is a nice table and arm combo if in good shape. You dont see the AR ES-1 that much used but they were good tables. You can get a base for the Rega that makes the VTA adjustable too. The Rega arm is not bad for MC cartridges if you ever go that route. Another used table that can sound very nice is the VPI HW-19 MkIII for sale with a Sumiko MMT arm and Dynavector 23RS cartridge. The guy lives in PA and lists his phone number. Would rather have pickup but you can talk to him. TAlking and shooting the sh!t will yield PRICE DROP in my view ($725?). This is a well made table and the MkIII platter is a beast. AD: VPI HW-19 MKIII w/ Sumiko MMT & Dynavector cart They are all sorts of choices and compromises. Hell, there is a Linn LP-12 Valhalla with Ittok LV-II for 1k that's intriguing. kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksdad Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 well believe it or not the mmf line and project line are manufactured by the same company in the cheq republic, i recently bought the perspectve and am extremly satisfied. all reviews i have read on the tt in question are all very favorable, especially for entry level. of course it depends on what you want from your tt rig, i love mine because it not only sounds amayzing, i can now listen to music that was virtually lost to me, and at a fraction of the price, good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
boomac Posted December 17, 2003 Author Share Posted December 17, 2003 Many thanks for all the great information and advice. It gives me quite a bit to think about but atleast I should be able to make an educated decision. I have relatives, from Pa, heading west next week so I may give the guy on Audiogon a call tonight. I'll keep the thread current as I think there may be others in a similar position. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 The other benefit of the VPI is that there are upgrades easily ( not cheaply) available. I have the HW19 jr which i am debating in my mind if I should spend the dough o upgrade to the mark 3. At 750 the VPI that Kelly pointed you to is a pretty good buy. When you consider the cost of the parts to make a 19 jr into a Mark 3 is $690.00 josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile homeless Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 You would be better off to BUY that VPI HW-19 MKIII and sell your Jr. for 600. It would be like getting a free upgrade more or less. I would NEVER pay the price for the real upgrades for VPI. BEsides, the new Scout is probably an even better buy when you think about it. STill, if I had a Jr and I wanted an upgrade, I would buy that Mk III and sell my Jr. for almost the same amount. That is lower than most Mk III sell for which is why I listed it. On the other hand, I lived around a VPI HW-19 Jr. for three years and they arent that bad. But the Mk III platter and the arm board are a big upgrade. The Linn LP-12 has more life to it.... but the VPI Jr. sounded at least "good" all the time. The Linn could sometimes sound terribly wrong or at least pedestrian. But when good, it sounded more real and involving than the VPI. But I consider that Mk III a great deal. You could sell if again for the same amount. The tonearm is the weakest part...but still ok. That Incognito Rega is DAMN GOOD. And can handle MC cartridges. That AR ES-1 is a good deal too. That Incognito Rega is more than the table! kh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
space_cowboy Posted December 17, 2003 Share Posted December 17, 2003 My 2.0 is somewhat similar to the 1.2, and I've been pleased with it. One of the selling points was the factory installed cartridge. IMHO, it's a good start, especially if you have a good local dealer. Sometimes I feel silly posting in this room do to my newbieness, but try to help or offer opinions when able. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshnich Posted December 21, 2003 Share Posted December 21, 2003 ---------------- On 12/17/2003 1:28:24 PM mobile homeless wrote: You would be better off to BUY that VPI HW-19 MKIII and sell your Jr. for 600. It would be like getting a free upgrade more or less. I would NEVER pay the price for the real upgrades for VPI. BEsides, the new Scout is probably an even better buy when you think about it. STill, if I had a Jr and I wanted an upgrade, I would buy that Mk III and sell my Jr. for almost the same amount. That is lower than most Mk III sell for which is why I listed it. On the other hand, I lived around a VPI HW-19 Jr. for three years and they arent that bad. But the Mk III platter and the arm board are a big upgrade. The Linn LP-12 has more life to it.... but the VPI Jr. sounded at least "good" all the time. The Linn could sometimes sound terribly wrong or at least pedestrian. But when good, it sounded more real and involving than the VPI. But I consider that Mk III a great deal. You could sell if again for the same amount. The tonearm is the weakest part...but still ok. That Incognito Rega is DAMN GOOD. And can handle MC cartridges. That AR ES-1 is a good deal too. That Incognito Rega is more than the table! kh ---------------- I was thinking the exact same thing, so I bought the Mk lll, I will install my Audioquest arm and sell my 19 jr with the Sumiko arm. All in all I am getting the upgrades for less than a hundred bucks. Josh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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