Advice on Vinyls and Turntables Please

Smajra

Hi All. My teenage son wanted a record player for Christmas. I know next to nothing about them so did some basic research about what ones to avoid but I was working off a tight budget and was also reluctant to splash out on something he may lose interest in after a while. I ended up buying a 1byone Belt Driven Turntable. I also bought 3 brand new vinyls (modern artists). The problem is it's skipping on all 3 vinyls. As this is a budget turntable there's no option to adjust the tonearm weight or anti skate. I had the turntable replaced and the replacement does the same thing. My question is, can anyone help me decide if I need a refund on the turntable or if the fault lies with the vinyls? How can I tell which is causing the problem? Also, if I return the turntable, any advice on a reliable budget beginners one? It was very disappointing to give my son a faulty Christmas present!

topper75

I hate those damn things - for the reasons outlined in your post.
I want to smash them when I see them in shops.

Bring the vinyls to somebody you know with a half decent player and rule them out to be 100% sure, though I doubt they were the issue if they arrived mint in cellophane. Poor pressings happen but they are rare and lightning doesn't strike 3 times in the same place.

Vinyl is great but I would say there is a minimum spend of €200 to €250 on a turntable sadly. It is money well spent though in the long run. You NEED to have that tonearm weight control and anti-skate.

You should be able to get the money back as the cheap players are 'not fit for purpose'.

Smajra

Thanks for your response. I finally found someone with a turntable last week and tried the vinyls and sure enough there was no skipping. In fairness to the seller I was instantly refunded when I requested it. I'm now stuck with the reality of needing to splash out more if we want a decent one which is not great in January!