ohbythebay
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Alright audiophiles - Vinyl is back with a vengeance. Old cuts, new remasters and even new artists on vinyl. So you are contemplating your first turntable or, first table in many years. There are many factors driving that decision such as budget, style, how much you plan to use it, legacy or new and quality. These factors are all equally important because after all, you have to live with it.
The first is budget and that can be a double edged sword. A person on a tight budget actually may have an easier time of it than say someone who says "money is not a concern". Why? well, first of all, not all things pricey are created equal. Just because it has a stiff price tag doesn't mean its for you. Second, why should you spend a lot of money on a table you may not use much or have no clue on how to get the most out of it. You don't buy a 6 speed Ferrari if its your first car...even if you can afford it.
So what about legacy tables? There are some pretty incredible legacy tables out there (trust me, I have tried at least 20 in the past 2 years and that is a drop in the bucket). They can also be a headache for those who don't want to tinker as many of them have aged just like a 20 or 30 year old car. They may seem pristine but they are not new.
So lets talk about new tables. The sky is the limit and sometimes beyond. I cant possibly speak to them all but I can give some suggestions of the top tables (in my opinion) based on price range.
$200 to $300
The Audio Technica ATLP120 USB & The Music Hall USB
Both tables attempt to clone the famous Technics SL1200 MKII however; of the two, the AT takes the prize. Though a manual table, it is full featured with manual adjustable speed control or quartz lock. It has 3 speeds (45, 33 and 78) though you would have to change the cartridge to play 78's. It comes complete with a dustcover, 45 adapter and built in pre-amp or normal phono mode. The built in pre is not that great but for $209 who is going to complain ? It also comes complete with an AT95E MM cart which for a $49 cartridge sounds pretty incredible. 5 Stars for this table for the budget buyer.
$400 - $1000
Music Hall 2.2, Music Hall 5.1, Project Debut , Pro-ject Debut III, Pro-ject Debut III Carbon, Pro-Ject Expression, Rega RP1, Rega RP3
Wow. With a field like this, how do you choose? This is a very wide mid-fi field with some trying very hard to be considered HI-FI. And for all intents, several are. Advice in this category ? Research research, research. Every one is a fine table and each and every one has some form of issue. Vibration, noisy motor, speed issues. Maybe minor yet, for the money, I have seen legacy tables work better.
TO BE CONTINUED......
The first is budget and that can be a double edged sword. A person on a tight budget actually may have an easier time of it than say someone who says "money is not a concern". Why? well, first of all, not all things pricey are created equal. Just because it has a stiff price tag doesn't mean its for you. Second, why should you spend a lot of money on a table you may not use much or have no clue on how to get the most out of it. You don't buy a 6 speed Ferrari if its your first car...even if you can afford it.
So what about legacy tables? There are some pretty incredible legacy tables out there (trust me, I have tried at least 20 in the past 2 years and that is a drop in the bucket). They can also be a headache for those who don't want to tinker as many of them have aged just like a 20 or 30 year old car. They may seem pristine but they are not new.
So lets talk about new tables. The sky is the limit and sometimes beyond. I cant possibly speak to them all but I can give some suggestions of the top tables (in my opinion) based on price range.
$200 to $300
The Audio Technica ATLP120 USB & The Music Hall USB
Both tables attempt to clone the famous Technics SL1200 MKII however; of the two, the AT takes the prize. Though a manual table, it is full featured with manual adjustable speed control or quartz lock. It has 3 speeds (45, 33 and 78) though you would have to change the cartridge to play 78's. It comes complete with a dustcover, 45 adapter and built in pre-amp or normal phono mode. The built in pre is not that great but for $209 who is going to complain ? It also comes complete with an AT95E MM cart which for a $49 cartridge sounds pretty incredible. 5 Stars for this table for the budget buyer.
$400 - $1000
Music Hall 2.2, Music Hall 5.1, Project Debut , Pro-ject Debut III, Pro-ject Debut III Carbon, Pro-Ject Expression, Rega RP1, Rega RP3
Wow. With a field like this, how do you choose? This is a very wide mid-fi field with some trying very hard to be considered HI-FI. And for all intents, several are. Advice in this category ? Research research, research. Every one is a fine table and each and every one has some form of issue. Vibration, noisy motor, speed issues. Maybe minor yet, for the money, I have seen legacy tables work better.
TO BE CONTINUED......
