Suggestions for a budget turntable?

Stompbox

Not sure if this is the right place to post this but couldn't find any alternative (I just realised what I did there, for shame). So I recently uncovered some of my folks old LP's and eager to give a few of them a spin. Do we have any vinyl heads here who could provide some guidance to a hapless beginner? Are there many outlets around town that stock vinyl? I've been to RAGE and Tower before but I'm sure there must be some other spots.

lordgoat

TBH best advice is to save and get a good one with a set of really good set of speakers. I have an all in one that i got on adverts and i love it. It was blind luck that I got this one and only for it's got a huge built in speaker i'd have traded up ages ago.

But I wouldn't go for one of the smaller ones you can get in argos or tower. I'd save and get one in a month or two time, you've waited to play the records surely a month or two more won't matter?

smokedeels

I've got a NAD turntable, actually most of my separates are NAD and I find their equipment great quality for the price.

Temaz

I have a cheap one from Argos and it's ok at best. Looking into something of a higher quality and price.

Neo#

Any recommendations for a good turntable? I was looking into getting one myself.

SilverScreen

Look around and try to get a good second-hand one for a good price if possible. A lot of the budget models you'll get today aren't great quality especially the USB turntables. I got a Toshiba turntable, Toshiba amp and a set of good Wharfedale speakers off my uncle a few years back and it does the job very well.

You could try places like charity shops or even auctions as well.

catch--22

Keep an eye on advert.ie Plenty of them pop up every now and again!

nlgbbbblth

Go for a Thorens - easy enough to find on ebay. I use a TD-150 MK II which dates from 1973. Great turntable.

Most of the tracks on my You Tube channel are ripped using it so that might give you an idea of quality.

e.g.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pHIRtwW_OWk

USB ones are very mediocre. Avoid them.

Hiawog

Have a look here.

http://www.cloneyaudio.com/turntables.shtml

I have a rega plannar but I did buy the Project Essential for a friend at Christmas and it's just as good. You may need the phono pre-amp depending on your own amplifier and you can avail of a USB connection and all the possibilities that brings.

Talk to Cloneys and they'll set you straight.

TwoCanDan

Hiawog makes a good point^^^.
I started looking into buying a new record player about a month ago and it was daunting to say the least.

The specialist forums were very little help as the threads quickly became slanging matches between fans of the different brands. Almost everywhere I looked said to avoid things that look too cheap to be good though...They invariably are...

I'm replacing an old (1970's) Sanyo all-in-one thing, and the terminology was all new to me too. I dropped in to Cloney's in Blackrock and the owner (Noel) himself patiently talked me through the options.
You basically need 3 components:
-Record deck (turntable & cartridge)
-Amplifier
-Speakers

The customer service was excellent, but expect to pay a fair amount, mainly because they don't seem to sell tat. He didn't give me the hard-sell and wrote down the options and price ranges so I could compare with the internet (worked out much the same). I'm only getting around to actually buying this week, and he has also sourced me a set of second-hand speakers (new Bowers & Wilkins speakers could set you back over 300euro).

Total outlay for me will be around 750euro.
Pricey, but I've been building up to this for ages, so I don't mind paying a good bit (having looked around, you could spend thousands).

I should point out that I have no ties to Cloney's whatsoever, just letting you know what my experience of shopping around was like. If you want an idea of some of the prices I was quoted, or have any other queries, feel free to pm me.

Good luck!

rcaz

TwoCanDan wrote: »

having looked around, you could spend hundreds of thousands

FYP

€750 is a damn good deal for a proper stereo, if they're as good as people have said. You know some guys (read: anoraks that don't really listen to music anymore) get to the stage of buying speaker cable for €1000/metre?

Enjoy it! While I'm not an 'audiophile' at all, there's nothing like dropping the needle on a decent stereo... For maximum enjoyment, I'd recommend this;



and this;



:pac::pac::pac:

Android 666

Get a Technics 1210. They are the turntable of choice for most DJs and for good reason. Good build quality and brilliant sound. And there is always people selling them on adverts.ie so they can be got for a fairly reasonable price. I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending you buy second hand with them. One look at them will tell you if they have been well treated or not.

rcaz

Android 666 wrote: »

Get a Technics 1210. They are the turntable of choice for most DJs and for good reason. Good build quality and brilliant sound. And there is always people selling them on adverts.ie so they can be got for a fairly reasonable price. I wouldn't have any hesitation in recommending you buy second hand with them. One look at them will tell you if they have been well treated or not.

A good DJ turntable isn't the same as a good listening turntable though.

rustyregan

For what it's worth, I ordered an ion turntable from maplin.co.uk - at the time it was significantly cheaper than buying from maplins in Dublin City Centre. It was about €80 I think including p&p, whereas the same in town was €150.

It's a usb turntable, although I've never used the usb and always put the analog out signal into an amp ("acoustic solutions" brand) which I paid about €100 for from Argos. Quite good and handy for amplifying just about anything really. Even use it as a guitar, keyboard etc amp sometimes - nice clean sound and quiet.

I use large philips speakers, stole them off my sister I think. It was a long time ago.

Android 666

El Pr0n wrote: »

A good DJ turntable isn't the same as a good listening turntable though.

What? The reason there so highly regarded is because of the sound quality from them...

rcaz

Android 666 wrote: »

What? The reason there so highly regarded is because of the sound quality from them...

No, it's because they're adapted to a club environment and built like tanks. If you're a working DJ you want a turntable that won't ever break, will go from 0 to 33.33333/45rpm almost instantaneously (direct drive), has absolutely minimal acoustic feedback and resonance, and plays at as precise and constant a speed as possible. The power supply has to be integrated so there'll be a tradeoff between the power supply and associated noise bleeding into the signal.

At home, you don't have to worry about the time it takes to speed up, feedback and resonance rejection isn't as important because you can make sure the place you keep your turntable is perfect (instead of moving it to a different club every night) and there wouldn't be anywhere near as wide a range of vibrations in a house compared to a club with a full sound system. If there's a tiny bit of wow and flutter, it's not the end of the world (while it would completely ruin the end of a great buildup or breakbeat for a dancing crowd), and I can buy an external power supply so I don't have to worry about any noise from that bleeding into the signal.

So I can take the time to set a Linn Sondek up perfectly at home and it will sound amazing, but if I tried to play it in a club it would be absolutely rubbish. Similarly, if you take an SL-1200 and play it at home on a really good listening system, you'll notice it isn't delivering the goods. But it can do a lot of other things you don't need it to do at home.

rcaz

Er, I should probably add, a Tech 12 would be a good listening turntable, but not a great one.

Android 666

Tbf, if you have a Linn Sondek you're hardly worried about buying a budget turntable. There are plenty of turntables built like tanks out there but the reason it's the industry standard is the quality of sound it delivers. If you're looking for a good quality turntable at a reasonable price I'd still recommend trying to pick up the 1210 second hand.

TwoCanDan

@El Pr0n:

Sorry to pick your brains, but any chance you could give an opinion on what it looks like I'm getting...
Project Debut III SE turntable and Rotel RA-04 SE Amplifier...


I'm only asking because you just seem like such an expert is all...

*TwoCan Dan flutters eyelashes at El Pr0n hoping flattery will increase the chances of a reply*

Android 666

TwoCanDan wrote: »

@El Pr0n:

Sorry to pick your brains, but any chance you could give an opinion on what it looks like I'm getting...
Project Debut III SE turntable and Rotel RA-04 SE Amplifier...


I'm only asking because you just seem like such an expert is all...

*TwoCan Dan flutters eyelashes at El Pr0n hoping flattery will increase the chances of a reply*

The one I found on google was belt drive. Don't go near belt drive turntables - waste of money. Get Direct Drive

SilverScreen

Android 666 wrote: »

The one I found on google was belt drive. Don't go near belt drive turntables - waste of money. Get Direct Drive

Actually a belt-drive can help isolate the vibrations caused by the motor, which can effect the sound quality to a degree. This can be a problem with direct drive turntables.

Android 666

Zero1986 wrote: »

Actually a belt-drive can help isolate the vibrations caused by the motor, which can effect the sound quality to a degree. This can be a problem with direct drive turntables.

A belt is more likely to stretch over time causing problems. I'd be happier myself going with a direct drive.

rcaz

Android 666 wrote: »

Tbf, if you have a Linn Sondek you're hardly worried about buying a budget turntable. There are plenty of turntables built like tanks out there but the reason it's the industry standard is the quality of sound it delivers. If you're looking for a good quality turntable at a reasonable price I'd still recommend trying to pick up the 1210 second hand.

Yeah alright, I took the example of a Sondek as the complete extreme. But a 1210 is extreme of durability and reliability, which isn't necessarily the measure we're looking for here. the Project Debut stuff might be far better in the situation the OP is in.

Android 666 wrote: »

The one I found on google was belt drive. Don't go near belt drive turntables - waste of money. Get Direct Drive

Android 666 wrote: »

A belt is more likely to stretch over time causing problems. I'd be happier myself going with a direct drive.

Sondeks are belt-drive. If you get two belts and use one for 33 1/3 and one for 45, they'll last way way longer. And how much is a belt, a few quid every decade, at the very shortest? Zero1986 is bang on about direct drive.

TwoCanDan wrote: »

@El Pr0n:

Sorry to pick your brains, but any chance you could give an opinion on what it looks like I'm getting...
Project Debut III SE turntable and Rotel RA-04 SE Amplifier...


I'm only asking because you just seem like such an expert is all...

*TwoCan Dan flutters eyelashes at El Pr0n hoping flattery will increase the chances of a reply*

I don't really know that much about all this stuff, I just know about Linn gear because my Dad used to work with the Irish distributor, and I know about the Technics stuff because I'd been reading a lot about Kool Herc and Grandmaster Flash and the start of turntablism about a month ago, and I was getting really interested in the technical side of things.

I do think that gear looks really nice though, they're not wasting any time trying to make it look fancy, just no-nonsense music machines. A lot like the Rega stuff, which I've heard is very good entry level gear, but a bit pricier. And it's an Irish company? I'll definitely be checking them out when I can't have shots of my Dad's Sondek anymore :pac:

Clanket

I use to be a mad turntablist with one of these bad boys