$500 budget - Blu-ray Forum

Drew664 · 03-30-2009, 12:00 PM

I've been speaking with a friend who collects vinyl and a bout of nostalgia decided to hit me like a freight train. I used to listen to my dad's records all the time as a kid and I'd like to recreate some of those sounds by purchasing a turn table of my own. Only problem is, I don't know the industry well enough to make a smart purchase. So I'm going to ask the community for some help on this one.

I've already found out that I'll need a phono stage to get decent sound and detail out of a turn table. I know little to nothing about them, but I've been through most of the threads here to get an idea of what an entry level system would consist of. However some lingo still is new to me, and it's difficult to factor how much of an audible difference it would make without actually hearing it in person.

I'd like to know all of the pieces I'll need to start listening to vinyl. Cords, turn table, phono stage, etc. I don't need/want a turn table that connects to my computer as I won't be doing any DJing, and it would be simply to listen to the records. My budget is capped at $500.

Thank you for your time and help.

Johnny Vinyl · 03-30-2009, 12:20 PM

Hi Drew,

First off, congratulations on your decision to get into the world of vinyl. There really is nothing quite like it and there are many members here who are well-qualified to give you direction.

Your $500 budget may be a bit tight, but if you dig and search (along with our help) you may be able to put something together. This is what you'll need:

1. A turntable with included stylus. Most entry-level TT's come already equipped with one, so that is one less concern for you.
2. A Phono Stage (a.k.a. Phono Pre-amp) to connect to your A/V receiver.
3. Audio cable (red/white) to connect the Phono Stage to said Receiver (if one is not supplied).
4. Record brush to clear off any loose particles on your vinyl prior to playing.
5. Stylus Cleaner and/or Stylus Brush (I use both).

That should get you started.

Have a look at some sites like:

AcousticSounds
MusicDirect
Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor
Elusive Disc

John

TeresofBlood · 03-30-2009, 12:21 PM

You will need a turntable and a phono stage. If you have a stereo, you can hook the phono stage to the stereo input and play the records through those speakers.

I've been using my Music Hall MMF-2.2 turntable for about a week now and I love it. It give me really pure sound. That cost's $449. There might be better tables for your budget, but I'm unsure. As far as a phono stage, you'll need to spend about $200 on a good one. I bought the Creek OBH-18, which isn't the best, but it is very good. I've heard a lot of people say great things about the Cambridge 540p, which goes for about $100.

Owning a stereo already that you can hook the table up to, with a preamp is about the only way to keep that budget.

naturephoto1 · 03-30-2009, 02:40 PM

If your receiver has a phono in for records, this would allow to use a moving magnet cartridge, but it would not support the usage of moving coil cartridges. If your receiver does not have a phono in you will need a phono preamp as has already been mentioned.

Rich

richteer · 03-30-2009, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

I've already found out that I'll need a phono stage to get decent sound and detail out of a turn table. I know little to nothing about them, but I've been through most of the threads here to get an idea of what an entry level system would consist of. However some lingo still is new to me, and it's difficult to factor how much of an audible difference it would make without actually hearing it in person.

Your post provided the catalyst needed to prompt me to write a guide to record playing terminology. I hope it's useful!

hc666 · 03-30-2009, 04:52 PM

Picked up the Pro-Ject Debut III/USB Turntable for just over 500.

Can't wait to hook it up. Replacing my terrible Audio Techniques AT-PL50 with it.

kefrank · 03-30-2009, 07:35 PM

Assuming you already have speakers and an amp/receiver that does not have a dedicated phono input, then at a bare minimum you need:
-- Turntable with cartridge installed
-- Phono Pre-amp
-- 1 RCA audio cable from pre-amp to amp/receiver (turntables in this price range should already have RCA + ground interconnects to run to the pre-amp)

On a budget of $500, I'd probably recommend:
Project Debut III Turntable - $349
Music Hall PA1.2 Phono Pre-amp - $150
(with tax and shipping, you'd go slightly over your budget, but no one counts that right?

)

Also highly-recommended (and relatively inexpensive) are:
-- Record Brush (I use the Mobile Fidelity Record Brush found here)
-- Stylus Cleaner (a few options here also)

Drew664 · 03-30-2009, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John72953

Hi Drew,

First off, congratulations on your decision to get into the world of vinyl. There really is nothing quite like it and there are many members here who are well-qualified to give you direction.

Your $500 budget may be a bit tight, but if you dig and search (along with our help) you may be able to put something together. This is what you'll need:

1. A turntable with included stylus. Most entry-level TT's come already equipped with one, so that is one less concern for you.
2. A Phono Stage (a.k.a. Phono Pre-amp) to connect to your A/V receiver.
3. Audio cable (red/white) to connect the Phono Stage to said Receiver (if one is not supplied).
4. Record brush to clear off any loose particles on your vinyl prior to playing.
5. Stylus Cleaner and/or Stylus Brush (I use both).

That should get you started.

Have a look at some sites like:

AcousticSounds
MusicDirect
Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor
Elusive Disc

John

Thank you for the insight and your ability to lay all of the important parts out in an easy to understand manner. Thanks for the links too! Good place to start searching on products. So what cord exactly will I need to connect from the turn table to the phono stage and what does it look like?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeresofBlood

You will need a turntable and a phono stage. If you have a stereo, you can hook the phono stage to the stereo input and play the records through those speakers.

I've been using my Music Hall MMF-2.2 turntable for about a week now and I love it. It give me really pure sound. That cost's $449. There might be better tables for your budget, but I'm unsure. As far as a phono stage, you'll need to spend about $200 on a good one. I bought the Creek OBH-18, which isn't the best, but it is very good. I've heard a lot of people say great things about the Cambridge 540p, which goes for about $100.

Owning a stereo already that you can hook the table up to, with a preamp is about the only way to keep that budget.

I do have an A/V receiver and speakers, with some Swan 6.1s on the way too!

Thanks for the tips on some quality budget phono stages. I'll have to do some reviewing on the benefits of each.

Quote:

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

If your receiver has a phono in for records, this would allow to use a moving magnet cartridge, but it would not support the usage of moving coil cartridges. If your receiver does not have a phono in you will need a phono preamp as has already been mentioned.

Rich

My receiver does not have a phono in. Looks like I'm going to have to get a dedicated phono stage regardless. Do all of the phono stage separates play both MM and MC?

Quote:

Originally Posted by richteer

Your post provided the catalyst needed to prompt me to write a guide to record playing terminology. I hope it's useful!

I just got done reading it, and I'm glad I inspired you. It has already helped me and I'm sure it will help countless others. Pictures like you mentioned will be a huge help too. Even reading through the comments is enlightening already. I guess I never thought about manual tables vs automatic ones. (my dad's is an automatic) I'll go so far as to say you should implement ALL of the suggestions written so far. I especially like the beginner/advanced terminology idea. Please continue to refine that first post as I plan on making it my one stop resource.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kefrank

Assuming you already have speakers and an amp/receiver that does not have a dedicated phono input, then at a bare minimum you need:
-- Turntable with cartridge installed
-- Phono Pre-amp
-- 1 RCA audio cable from pre-amp to amp/receiver (turntables in this price range should already have RCA + ground interconnects to run to the pre-amp)

On a budget of $500, I'd probably recommend:
Project Debut III Turntable - $349
Music Hall PA1.2 Phono Pre-amp - $150
(with tax and shipping, you'd go slightly over your budget, but no one counts that right?

)

Also highly-recommended (and relatively inexpensive) are:
-- Record Brush (I use the Mobile Fidelity Record Brush found here)
-- Stylus Cleaner (a few options here also)

Skimming through the links and suggestions listed in other threads, the Project Debut III comes up quite frequently. This appears to be a manual turn table? I'd think I'd prefer an automatic as I think it is a desirable feature. Also that phono stage appears to be very small! How large are these things? I don't want to dedicate an entire shelf on my A/V rack for a small little phono stage. Are these stackable under the turn table?

Question for anyone:

My recent speaker purchase will put my wallet on lock down for a while. How often do sales come up in the vinyl world? Where do I look to find them?

And to everyone that has responded, THANK YOU. I'm glad you guys can share your knowledge and hobbies with those that want to learn.

kefrank · 03-30-2009, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

Skimming through the links and suggestions listed in other threads, the Project Debut III comes up quite frequently. This appears to be a manual turn table? I'd think I'd prefer an automatic as I think it is a desirable feature.

Fair enough. I'm afraid I don't have any experience with automatic turntables. LPGear sells this one for $329 which has a built-in phono pre-amp. If you're just looking to try out vinyl again and you're not concerned with getting more of the full sonic potential that vinyl offers, this might not be a bad choice. DISCLAIMER: I've never heard this turntable, but LPGear generally sells quality stuff.

Be aware that most vinyl enthusiasts will tell you that automatic mechanisms in the price-range you're looking at are going to degrade the sound quality and affect the long-term durability of the turntable.

Quote:

Also that phono stage appears to be very small! How large are these things? I don't want to dedicate an entire shelf on my A/V rack for a small little phono stage. Are these stackable under the turn table?

Most phono stages are quite small. Depending on your A/V rack, you can probably fit it next to or behind the turntable (or another component in your rack).

Quote:

My recent speaker purchase will put my wallet on lock down for a while. How often do sales come up in the vinyl world? Where do I look to find them?

Are you looking for sales on equipment or albums? In my experience, discounts are more rare in the vinyl realm because of the relatively low volume (think economies of scale here). That's not to say there aren't any. They're just harder to find.

1blufan · 03-30-2009, 11:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

I don't need/want a turn table that connects to my computer as I won't be doing any DJing, and it would be simply to listen to the records. My budget is capped at $500.

Good DJ's use Technique 1200's, they won't touch one's that plug into a computer because there not strong enough. Only benefit for one's that do that is to convert vinyl to an audio file.
If you want just a basic record player and don't care about it being belt driven just get a cheap one. But if you want something sturdy it's going to cost you $300 and up easily.

Johnny Vinyl · 03-31-2009, 01:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1blufan

Good DJ's use Technique 1200's, they won't touch one's that plug into a computer because there not strong enough. Only benefit for one's that do that is to convert vinyl to an audio file.
If you want just a basic record player and don't care about it being belt driven just get a cheap one. But if you want something sturdy it's going to cost you $300 and up easily.

I don't think the OP wants to be a DJ and as such, there are far better TT's around than the Technics 1200. Also, do NOT confuse belt-drive TT's as being somehow inferior to your lights-flashing Technics. In terms of using a TT as a vehicle to connect to your computer, that can be done with ANY TT and doesn't require a USB-type TT exclusively. I've been uploading vinyl into my system for years.

And lastly, I don't even want to address the word STURDY...it's not a word I would ever use when talking about the perfomance of a TT.

John

Drew664 · 03-31-2009, 02:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John72953

I don't think the OP wants to be a DJ and as such, there are far better TT's around than the Technics 1200. Also, do NOT confuse belt-drive TT's as being somehow inferior to your lights-flashing Technics.

You are correct. I do not want to do any DJing. This is simply to listen to a record. Press play and sit down.

This has brought up a good topic though. What's the difference between belt driven and whatever the cheaper turn tables use? Pros/cons of each?

Also, I'm really loving the look of the TECHNICS SL-1200MK2 Turntable.

Anyone know of a table that looks like this but isn't "DJ grade"?

naturephoto1 · 03-31-2009, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

You are correct. I do not want to do any DJing. This is simply to listen to a record. Press play and sit down.

This has brought up a good topic though. What's the difference between belt driven and whatever the cheaper turn tables use? Pros/cons of each?

Also, I'm really loving the look of the TECHNICS SL-1200MK2 Turntable.

Anyone know of a table that looks like this but isn't "DJ grade"?

I certainly would not buy a turntable by its looks alone. I would try to get the best performing and sounding turntable that my money could afford. Don't forget this is a piece of equipment for audio performance and not a beauty contest.

Rich

Suntory_Times · 03-31-2009, 01:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naturephoto1

I certainly would not buy a turntable by its looks alone. I would try to get the best performing and sounding turntable that my money could afford. Don't forget this is a piece of equipment for audio performance and not a beauty contest.

Rich

It's all relative to the persons want. If you want to sacrifice quality for something pretty looking, be my guest. I personally wouldn't, but it's not wrong for someone to have other priorities.

Drew664 · 03-31-2009, 01:12 PM

I realize that Rich, but to me that is a beautiful looking piece of equipment. Is the performance of that turn table really that bad?

And also, from reading through the sticky here on the vinyl section, automatic features apparently degrade the sound quality. I'm afraid that is a feature I want.

How much degregation are we talking about here?

In a perfect world, I'd have an automatic version of the TECHNICS SL-1200MK2 that doesn't sacrifice sound quality for DJ grade reliability. Is there a turn table out there that fits this description?

naturephoto1 · 03-31-2009, 01:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

I realize that Rich, but to me that is a beautiful looking piece of equipment. Is the performance of that turn table really that bad?

And also, from reading through the sticky here on the vinyl section, automatic features apparently degrade the sound quality. I'm afraid that is a feature I want.

How much degregation are we talking about here?

In a perfect world, I'd have an automatic version of the TECHNICS SL-1200MK2 that doesn't sacrifice sound quality for DJ grade reliability. Is there a turn table out there that fits this description?

I would guess that the automatic features take up so much of the cost, particularly at the lower cost points that your audio performance would really suffer for what you are able to buy. Others may disagree about this. But, even if you get a manual turntable and you want some automation to lift the tonearm at the end of the record, you can be on the look out on eBay and Audiogon for a Stylift, Audio Technica Safety Raiser (I have one on my Thorens, but I may move it), or similar gadget. Though these are long discontinued, they do pop up from time to time and they are effective in raising the tonearm at the end of play of a record.

You may want to look into the link below for a discussion on an item that was/or is available in 2008 based on an Audiogon discussion; this is the original source of the product by mandym who makes these- picture a little above the middle of the page:

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/showthread/t-113772.html

It may be worth contacting mandym, he had sent some to a relative, Mario in the US, but I do not know if any are left or if he has made anymore:

marino@laguna.net

It might be worth contacting mandym.

Rich

kefrank · 03-31-2009, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

I realize that Rich, but to me that is a beautiful looking piece of equipment. Is the performance of that turn table really that bad?

The performance of the Technics isn't bad at all. I think it's a misnomer to refer to it as "DJ grade." The 1200MKII was originally designed as an audiophile table, but certain aspects of it, particularly it's heft and durability, have made it a favorite of DJs for 20+ years. Modern belt-drive turntables from quality companies do exceed the 1200MKII in audio quality, but it's not a massive difference at the same price point. This is an age-old debate, however. There are some who swear by the Technics, particularly with certain modifications, and there are many, many others who dismiss it in favor of the simple, elegant belt-drive models from the usual suspects (Rega, Pro-ject, Music Hall, etc).

Quote:

In a perfect world, I'd have an automatic version of the TECHNICS SL-1200MK2 that doesn't sacrifice sound quality for DJ grade reliability. Is there a turn table out there that fits this description?

In short, no. Definitely not at your price point. I don't want to totally impose my views, but I really think you should consider scratching "automatic" off of your list of features. Not only will you be taking a noticeable hit in sound quality, but personally, I think automatic setups are in opposition to the "active" listening that makes vinyl so appealing. In my opinion, vinyl isn't meant to just be played in the background, which is really the only reason I can see to have an automatic setup. That kind of "set-it-and-forget-it" convenience is what CDs are for. Vinyl is for sitting down and really taking in the music. When you're doing that, actively dropping the needle to start and raising it at the end of a side is part of the whole vinyl experience, at least for me. Ok, I'm doing waxing philosophical now.

Johnny Vinyl · 03-31-2009, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kefrank

In short, no. Definitely not at your price point. I don't want to totally impose my views, but I really think you should consider scratching "automatic" off of your list of features. Not only will you be taking a noticeable hit in sound quality, but personally, I think automatic setups are in opposition to the "active" listening that makes vinyl so appealing. In my opinion, vinyl isn't meant to just be played in the background, which is really the only reason I can see to have an automatic setup. That kind of "set-it-and-forget-it" convenience is what CDs are for. Vinyl is for sitting down and really taking in the music. When you're doing that, actively dropping the needle to start and raising it at the end of a side is part of the whole vinyl experience, at least for me. Ok, I'm doing waxing philosophical now.

You may be waxing poetic as the phrase goes, but you are right on the money! Vinyl is surely NOT about convenience. It is a very interactive medium and the OP should know that going in.

John

Drew664 · 04-01-2009, 02:37 AM

Oh man. You guys are going to hate me.

I don't really need a fully automatic feature, just something to return the arm. Much like what Rich suggested. (thank you for that btw) I also don't feel like I'd want to baby sit a vinyl. Meaning I'd like to put on a record, walk away from it, do some dishes, play on the computer, etc. and not have to worry about it scratching the record or ruining the needle. I get the part about it being a very physical medium. And even going the automatic route, it still would be. You don't get that many songs per side and I may only want to listen to a few songs from each side. Maybe it's because I'm from the "now, now, now" generation, but I see more convenience/benefit from the automatic side.

Anyways. I told you guys you are going to hate me. Get ready to really hate me.

Has anyone listened to the Denon DP-300F?

I'll list the features that I really like about it
- Automatic (I really only want a return feature)
- Phono Stage equipped (makes this very accessible)
- Looks (not as good looking as the 1200, but not too bad)

I've read most of the reviews for it and for the most part it is a really solid entry level turn table. The only universal con about that particular model is that the cartridge needs an upgrade right away. This can be done inside my budget because amazon is currently selling it for ~$270. Also you can apparently turn off the phono stage to add a separate one in the future (correct?).

I hope you guys don't think I'm discounting your suggestions. It's just that I like a certain look and feature sets that go against your grain of thinking. If I really am pushing in the completely wrong direction, let me know! Hopefully you don't hate me enough not to leave some feedback. I really enjoy your expertise.

richteer · 04-01-2009, 04:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drew664

I don't really need a fully automatic feature, just something to return the arm. Much like what Rich suggested. (thank you for that btw) I also don't feel like I'd want to baby sit a vinyl. Meaning I'd like to put on a record, walk away from it, do some dishes, play on the computer, etc. and not have to worry about it scratching the record or ruining the needle. I get the part about it being a very physical medium. And even going the automatic route, it still would be. You don't get that many songs per side and I may only want to listen to a few songs from each side. Maybe it's because I'm from the "now, now, now" generation, but I see more convenience/benefit from the automatic side.

I can't believe I'm actually going to write this, but here goes: forget about getting a turntable. Buy yourself a cheap CD player or (better) an iPod and dock and be done with it. From what you describe you want to do and how you want to use your music source, I really don't think a turntable is right for you. That, or suck it up and buy a proper manual turntable! :-)

No disprespect or hate intended, honest! And you did say to let you know if you're pushing in the wrong direction...

03-30-2009, 12:00 PM	#1
Drew664 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Oct 2007 Location:South Dakota Home Theater Gallery:28 Blu-ray collection:68	$500 budget I've been speaking with a friend who collects vinyl and a bout of nostalgia decided to hit me like a freight train. I used to listen to my dad's records all the time as a kid and I'd like to recreate some of those sounds by purchasing a turn table of my own. Only problem is, I don't know the industry well enough to make a smart purchase. So I'm going to ask the community for some help on this one. I've already found out that I'll need a phono stage to get decent sound and detail out of a turn table. I know little to nothing about them, but I've been through most of the threads here to get an idea of what an entry level system would consist of. However some lingo still is new to me, and it's difficult to factor how much of an audible difference it would make without actually hearing it in person. I'd like to know all of the pieces I'll need to start listening to vinyl. Cords, turn table, phono stage, etc. I don't need/want a turn table that connects to my computer as I won't be doing any DJing, and it would be simply to listen to the records. My budget is capped at $500. Thank you for your time and help.

03-30-2009, 02:40 PM	#4
naturephoto1 Blu-ray Ninja Top ranked HT gallery Member since:Oct 2008 Location:Breinigsville, PA Home Theater Gallery:260 4K collection:21 Blu-ray collection:263	If your receiver has a phono in for records, this would allow to use a moving magnet cartridge, but it would not support the usage of moving coil cartridges. If your receiver does not have a phono in you will need a phono preamp as has already been mentioned. Rich Last edited by naturephoto1; 03-30-2009 at 04:54 PM.

03-30-2009, 07:35 PM	#7
kefrank Special Member Member since:Jul 2008 Blu-ray collection:60	Assuming you already have speakers and an amp/receiver that does not have a dedicated phono input, then at a bare minimum you need: -- Turntable with cartridge installed -- Phono Pre-amp -- 1 RCA audio cable from pre-amp to amp/receiver (turntables in this price range should already have RCA + ground interconnects to run to the pre-amp) On a budget of $500, I'd probably recommend: Project Debut III Turntable - $349 Music Hall PA1.2 Phono Pre-amp - $150 (with tax and shipping, you'd go slightly over your budget, but no one counts that right? ) Also highly-recommended (and relatively inexpensive) are: -- Record Brush (I use the Mobile Fidelity Record Brush found here) -- Stylus Cleaner (a few options here also) Last edited by kefrank; 03-30-2009 at 07:38 PM.

04-01-2009, 02:37 AM	#19
Drew664 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Oct 2007 Location:South Dakota Home Theater Gallery:28 Blu-ray collection:68	Oh man. You guys are going to hate me. I don't really need a fully automatic feature, just something to return the arm. Much like what Rich suggested. (thank you for that btw) I also don't feel like I'd want to baby sit a vinyl. Meaning I'd like to put on a record, walk away from it, do some dishes, play on the computer, etc. and not have to worry about it scratching the record or ruining the needle. I get the part about it being a very physical medium. And even going the automatic route, it still would be. You don't get that many songs per side and I may only want to listen to a few songs from each side. Maybe it's because I'm from the "now, now, now" generation, but I see more convenience/benefit from the automatic side. Anyways. I told you guys you are going to hate me. Get ready to really hate me. Has anyone listened to the Denon DP-300F? I'll list the features that I really like about it - Automatic (I really only want a return feature) - Phono Stage equipped (makes this very accessible) - Looks (not as good looking as the 1200, but not too bad) I've read most of the reviews for it and for the most part it is a really solid entry level turn table. The only universal con about that particular model is that the cartridge needs an upgrade right away. This can be done inside my budget because amazon is currently selling it for ~$270. Also you can apparently turn off the phono stage to add a separate one in the future (correct?). I hope you guys don't think I'm discounting your suggestions. It's just that I like a certain look and feature sets that go against your grain of thinking. If I really am pushing in the completely wrong direction, let me know! Hopefully you don't hate me enough not to leave some feedback. I really enjoy your expertise. Last edited by Drew664; 04-01-2009 at 02:46 AM.

Similar Threads
thread	Forum	Thread Starter	Replies	Last Post
New Sub(s) - $500 Budget - Help me Decide	Subwoofers	igotcabada	41	03-18-2010 09:06 PM
New HT System *budget $500	Home Theater General Discussion	luciano24	12	03-11-2010 09:43 PM
3 Channel for 500 budget	Speakers	ShockWave	5	09-23-2009 10:45 PM
Receiver w/ budget of $500 - $1K	Receivers	MrRoy	18	05-25-2009 12:33 PM
HELP..$2,500 Budget...What Shall i buy?	Display Theory and Discussion	ScarredLungs	12	09-13-2008 02:36 AM

03-30-2009, 12:20 PM	#2
Johnny Vinyl Moderator Top ranked HT gallery Top contributor Member since:Jul 2007 Location:At the crossroad of Analogue Dr & 2CH Ave Home Theater Gallery:19 Blu-ray collection:205 DVD collection:7 Blu-ray reviews:3 Trading Score:8	Hi Drew, First off, congratulations on your decision to get into the world of vinyl. There really is nothing quite like it and there are many members here who are well-qualified to give you direction. Your $500 budget may be a bit tight, but if you dig and search (along with our help) you may be able to put something together. This is what you'll need: 1. A turntable with included stylus. Most entry-level TT's come already equipped with one, so that is one less concern for you. 2. A Phono Stage (a.k.a. Phono Pre-amp) to connect to your A/V receiver. 3. Audio cable (red/white) to connect the Phono Stage to said Receiver (if one is not supplied). 4. Record brush to clear off any loose particles on your vinyl prior to playing. 5. Stylus Cleaner and/or Stylus Brush (I use both). That should get you started. Have a look at some sites like: AcousticSounds MusicDirect Jerry Raskin's Needle Doctor Elusive Disc John

03-30-2009, 12:21 PM	#3
TeresofBlood Active Member Member since:Aug 2008 Location:Brockton, MA Blu-ray collection:485 Blu-ray reviews: 11	You will need a turntable and a phono stage. If you have a stereo, you can hook the phono stage to the stereo input and play the records through those speakers. I've been using my Music Hall MMF-2.2 turntable for about a week now and I love it. It give me really pure sound. That cost's $449. There might be better tables for your budget, but I'm unsure. As far as a phono stage, you'll need to spend about $200 on a good one. I bought the Creek OBH-18, which isn't the best, but it is very good. I've heard a lot of people say great things about the Cambridge 540p, which goes for about $100. Owning a stereo already that you can hook the table up to, with a preamp is about the only way to keep that budget.

03-30-2009, 04:52 PM	#6
hc666 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Nov 2007 Home Theater Gallery:7 Blu-ray collection:100 Blu-ray reviews: 26	Picked up the Pro-Ject Debut III/USB Turntable for just over 500. Can't wait to hook it up. Replacing my terrible Audio Techniques AT-PL50 with it.

03-31-2009, 01:12 PM	#15
Drew664 Blu-ray Guru Top contributor Member since:Oct 2007 Location:South Dakota Home Theater Gallery:28 Blu-ray collection:68	I realize that Rich, but to me that is a beautiful looking piece of equipment. Is the performance of that turn table really that bad? And also, from reading through the sticky here on the vinyl section, automatic features apparently degrade the sound quality. I'm afraid that is a feature I want. How much degregation are we talking about here? In a perfect world, I'd have an automatic version of the TECHNICS SL-1200MK2 that doesn't sacrifice sound quality for DJ grade reliability. Is there a turn table out there that fits this description?

Best iTunes Music Deals