First turntable - any suggestions?

[DavidEdwinAston]

Hold on guys! I do hope that vinylstas aren't so full of themselves, that they can't put up with a bit of Mickey taking?
(I type this as a longstanding owner of a LP12).

 

[Timmeon]

Turntable experts, how terrible of an idea would it be to offer the seller $150 to cover shipping + a little extra in return for a turntable rescue project? Would that be a fair price? I'd need to source a few replacement parts and rewire the tonearm, sand, and oil the plinth, and refinish the surface.

Thoughts?

Edit: this is in reference to the packing disaster that is my Pro-Ject Classic ebay purchase in the thread prior.

 

[JeremyFife]

Turntable experts, how terrible of an idea would it be to offer the seller $150 to cover shipping + a little extra in return for a turntable rescue project? Would that be a fair price? I'd need to source a few replacement parts and rewire the tonearm, sand, and oil the plinth, and refinish the surface.

Thoughts?

Edit: this is in reference to the packing disaster that became of my Pro-Ject Classic ebay buy in the thread prior.

Buy the TT that you know to be unplayably damaged?
If I was the seller I'd bite your hand off for that offer ...
I don't have the skills to fix up the kind of damage (seen and unseen) that you described. If you do, and you can measure your results - speed stability and tonearm repair - and you enjoy that sort of project then why not.

Seems like a risk though and perhaps there are more interesting fix-up options than a Pro-ject Classic? I'm not enough of a DIY-er to really know. I'd be concerned that there was damage I'd overlooked

 

[Timmeon]

Buy the TT that you know to be unplayably damaged?
If I was the seller I'd bite your hand off for that offer ...
I don't have the skills to fix up the kind of damage (seen and unseen) that you described. If you do, and you can measure your results - speed stability and tonearm repair - and you enjoy that sort of project then why not.

Seems like a risk though and perhaps there are more interesting fix-up options than a Pro-ject Classic? I'm not enough of a DIY-er to really know. I'd be concerned that there was damage I'd overlooked

Yeah fair enough. But if I fail I'm only out $150 + some parts and, of course, time. And maybe I learn something. Going on the assumption that the tonearm damage is cosmetic beyond re-wiring.

I'm ready to pack it up and send it out, but I'm awfully tempted to rescue this thing. A turntable rat-rod.

 

[JeremyFife]

Yeah fair enough. But if I fail I'm only out $150 + some parts and, of course, time. And maybe I learn something. Going on the assumption that the tonearm damage is cosmetic beyond re-wiring.

I'm ready to pack it up and send it out, but I'm awfully tempted to rescue this thing. A turntable rat-rod.

I do like the idea of rescuing it ... I couldn't do it though. Good luck whatever path you choose

 

[Sukram]

German Technology: Dual

 

[mike70]

Japanese Technology: Technics

 

[Timmeon]

German Technology: Dual

Very compelling. Tell me less.

 

[spiral scratch]

Yeah fair enough. But if I fail I'm only out $150 + some parts and, of course, time. And maybe I learn something. Going on the assumption that the tonearm damage is cosmetic beyond re-wiring.

I'm ready to pack it up and send it out, but I'm awfully tempted to rescue this thing. A turntable rat-rod.

Give it a careful inspection. Is the arm damaged/bent? Are arm bearings damaged? Try spinning the platter on the bearing and listen for noise. What is the condition of the plinth, and platter. I believe that's a suspended deck so suspension needs to be checked as well. Make sure everything is working OK. Not sure of the difficulty in rewiring that arm. You could check around on audiokarma, diyaudio, etc., buy some litz wire or wire from a busted mouse and your in business. I don't see a problem haggling with the seller if you want to try a repair. The worst that can happen is they just ask to have it returned. I assume you're too far away to have your hand bitten.

 

[Timmeon]

Give it a careful inspection. Is the arm damaged/bent? Are arm bearings damaged? Try spinning the platter on the bearing and listen for noise. What is the condition of the plinth, and platter. I believe that's a suspended deck so suspension needs to be checked as well. Make sure everything is working OK. Not sure of the difficulty in rewiring that arm. You could check around on audiokarma, diyaudio, etc., buy some litz wire or wire from a busted mouse and your in business. I don't see a problem haggling with the seller if you want to try a repair. The worst that can happen is they just ask to have it returned. I assume you're too far away to have your hand bitten.

Appreciate it. I don't think it would have been difficult to repair and Pro-Ject seems to have solid parts availability. Considering the platter was bouncing around like a wrecking ball for the entire trip across the country, I'm kind of surprised the damage wasn't worse. I might just pass on the LP life for a simpler existence, for now. I already shipped it back.

 

[spiral scratch]

Appreciate it. I don't think it would have been difficult to repair and Pro-Ject seems to have solid parts availability. Considering the platter was bouncing around like a wrecking ball for the entire trip across the country, I'm kind of surprised the damage wasn't worse. I might just pass on the LP life for a simpler existence, for now. I already shipped it back.

Maybe for the best. Replacement parts can end up costing a lot too. There's loads of used turntables out there if you decide to look into it again. I found one with a busted tone arm wire in the trash. Worked great once the belt was replaced and the wire was repaired.

 

[Angsty]

Well, that was a disaster. The seller basically tossed the whole thing in a box with a few pieces of bubble wrap and shipped it across the country, with the platter loose in the cover causing all kinds of havoc. The wiring to the tonearm was severed it was so bad. Thankfully they accepted the return with a full refund. Sadly this could have been a really nice deal if only they had taken even minimal effort in packaging! What a total waste.

Argh, back to the drawing board.

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. I recently purchased a used turntable shipped from Japan. It which was packed in the original packaging which was then packed in a heavy-duty outer box filled with spray foam. I was deeply impressed. Shipping cost was about $200 but still a bargain in total.

This is to say that not all shipped, used turntable purchases have to go awry. If you can’t do a local pickup, choose a seller with a well-established history of turntable shipping. I would not purchase a turntable shipped by some “Joe Schmo” who happened to advertise a low price.

An example of a reputable seller would be Unisound Japan. Although that was not the seller I chose, they were a close second.

 

[Timmeon]

Calling on the experts, again! Any opinions on the Rega Planar 25? Looks like an interesting design with a tonearm praised for reliability, though seemingly less adjustability.

Rega Planar 25​

Seems like a good deal at $415...

 

[spiral scratch]

Calling on the experts, again! Any opinions on the Rega Planar 25? Looks like an interesting design with a tonearm praised for reliability, though seemingly less adjustability.

Rega Planar 25​

Seems like a good deal at $415...

Looks fine. Regas are good design and pretty much get what you pay for. There's nothing much that goes wrong with them. That's a planar 3 with a RB 600 arm. I believe the motor speed can be adjusted on those. It's meant to be a very quiet motor. Should sound really nice. The DL-301 are meant to sound really good too if you're set up for MC. Seems like an reasonable price for something that would run close to a grand without the cartridge.

If you buy it, I'd suggest getting the stylus checked for wear at a shop. They generally don't charge to check it, but you might be on the hook getting it reinstalled. That's also worth checking the cartridge/arm set up too.

Sorry, the motor speed is not adjusted, but the vibration can be trimmed. The earlier models had a reputation to run a bit fast, my planar 2 does, but if needed you can remedy this with a bit of tape on the subplatter. There's a speed controller available too which may be around used.

 

[JeremyFife]

Calling on the experts, again! Any opinions on the Rega Planar 25? Looks like an interesting design with a tonearm praised for reliability, though seemingly less adjustability.

Rega Planar 25​

Seems like a good deal at $415...

Sounds like a pretty good deal (usual caveats on buying used)
Some more info:

Rega P25 2-Speed Belt-Drive Turntable Manual | Vinyl Engine

www.vinylengine.com

 

[Tom67]

The elite of young hipsters believe that in this moment the turntable is a supercool accessory precisely because of its inconvenience: complex to use, impractical in finding the favorite music and in being able to transfer it from one support to another, etc. We all know that surrounding yourself with outdated gadgets is part of the hipster philosophy and listening to vinyl is one of the foundations of this movement of a select few.
Then there are the wannabe hipsters, (many more) who actually, wouldn't want to deal with the inconvenience of using a real record player, they would just like to listen to music -with crackle- (so cool nowadays) and thus impress their friends.
That said, I think if Tidal opened a "Vinyl prime" subscription (files recorded by an actual turntable) it would be very successful.

You ask "what's the value in your comment to the topic owner?"
Well, if you feel the need to buy your first turntable in 2023, first of all you should ask yourself questions and give yourself answers

Should those with classic restored cars and antiques in their homes be similarly shamed? I think you’re confusing simple hobby, with some sort of Luddite movement that attempts to force their ways on others.

 

[recycle]

Should those with classic restored cars and antiques in their homes be similarly shamed? I think you’re confusing simple hobby, with some sort of Luddite movement that attempts to force their ways on others.

The right word for these people is “poser”.
Yes, there are many of them even among collectors of classic cars and antiques. Probably the difference lies between expressing love in what you do or simply being narcissistic

 

[Angsty]

The right word for these people is “poser”.
Yes, there are many of them even among collectors of classic cars and antiques. Probably the difference lies between expressing love in what you do or simply being narcissistic

This year, I purchased my fifth turntable since 2006, and I actively use two of them. My fifth turntable will probably be my last as it accomplishes all of my performance and aesthetic expectations. The other three will be resold.

I enjoy playing vinyl, although I also have digital sources. There are some people who simply cannot understand that enjoyment can come from things that are not state-of-the-art.

 

[Timmeon]

This year, I purchased my fifth turntable since 2006, and I actively use two of them. My fifth turntable will probably be my last as it accomplishes all of my performance and aesthetic expectations. The other three will be resold.

Care to name any makes and models, likes and dislikes?

 

[Angsty]

Care to name any makes and models, likes and dislikes?

My favorite table is the newest, a Luxman PD-151 Mk2. It’s pricey when new; I got mine used at a tremendous discount. Vintage Luxman tables last a long time and hold their value well.

My second favorite is the VPI Traveler. It is all lean and no fat. It’s discontinued, but was made with precision here in the US. A fantastic bargain can be found in used models under $1K. I prefer the V1 aesthetically to the V2, although both versions sound virtually identical to me. I use a V1 in my office system.

My best “entry-level” table was the Pioneer PLX-1000. I recommend it for a sub-$1000 choice when purchased new. Direct driven, precise speed control, good isolation, a detachable headshell, VTA adjustment and an included dust cover make this table a great buy. Its main weakness is that the tonearm is not as good as is found in more expensive models, like the Traveler or a Technics SL-1200GR.

I dislike tables lacking VTA (height) adjustment, those with poor isolation and crummy tonearms. Speed control is not generally an audible problem with many new turntables, but more precise speed control matters with piano music. Vintage tables can have problems with speed control and damaged tonearm bearings, so beware.

Also, be alert that many tables from 30-40 years ago have low mass tonearms that can be a bit harder to match to current MC cartridges.