Merman posted some comments about turntables in the other thread which I thought I should comment on. Hopefully other members who own turntables will join in the conversation too. Anyway, said quote is:
Originally Posted by merman
Turntable is a really cool thing... I'm no sound expert but I really like the sound of a vinyl better than the sound of a CD (and honestly I've listened to a vinyl with headphones on a decent turntable like 2 times in my life and not even to the full thing, but I could tell I liked it better).
...
As a bit of an off-topic question, those who own turntables here, which brands would you recommend to a standard user? I know I want to buy one in some time, and I don't really need a super-duper hi-tech setup.
|
(Note: I don't claim to be an expert in this area. I just got into this whole vinyl business 2 years ago. I hope this information will be useful to you.)
I personally own a TT from
Pro-Ject and also their Phono Box II. I think the model I own has been discontinued by Pro-Ject but I think it should be similar to the Xpression series. I got both the TT and the phono box for about $250 total... 2nd or 3rd hand of course. Which is a really good deal. Anyway, I think Pro-Ject is quite a value-for-money brand. Their current TTs come with Ortofon cartridges and these have quite a good reputation in the industry.
Another brand that seems to be quite popular is
Rega. They have a wide range of TTs for every budget, but I heard the Rega P3 is a good place to start. I'm not a fan of their cartridges though because the last one I bought didn't last more than a year... I'm not sure if it's a manufacturing defect or something but I certainly do not want to get their cartridges anymore.
Another thing you need to get after a turntable is a phono stage. I've asked around and it seems that the
Lehmann Black Cube provides the best value for money. I've tested it before and I'm happy with the sound. It probably will be my next TT-related purchase.
Assuming you have amps and speakers, after buying these 2 items (and the related cables) all you need is some records and you're all set.
In future you might want to upgrade your cartridge, tonearms etc etc... Every single part of a TT is customisable and it sure is tempting to upgrade in search of better sound quality. But the TT world is a world where rich old men play, and many times the high price tags don't necessarily translate to quality. I'm happy with my current set up. I think it's good enough for a casual user. Listening to vinyls is such an engaging, hands-on experience and I'm glad this format is gaining popularity among people in my generation. I guess in this digital age where most music could be obtained for "free", pressing them on vinyls with pretty sleeves seems to be the only reason why people would want to buy them.