Recommendation for turntables (for headphones , HE1000 V2)

[akane]

I know these types of questions have probably been asked a lot but I am looking for some advice specific for my setup. Happy to hear suggestions on any front!!!

Context: Gifted and handed down a bunch of vinyls, mostly classical (which is great because I listen to a lot of classical). I know nothing about turntables and vinyl, like literally nothing beyond the meanings of vinyl, analog, etc. I understand some turntables can have amps built in(?) but I assume I don't need that because I already have a dac/amp plugged into my PC which I usually use. (small side note, I am confused if modern turntables can play vinyls of multiple sizes, like will compatibility be an issue if it's an automatic one?)

Current setup: HIFIMAN He-1000 V2, DAC/Amp Sony TA- ZH1ES.
This amp I know is not that popular in the states but it is very powerful and drives my headphones well. Amp is quite neutral in my opinion but some experts on this forum and elsewhere have kind of added they add a slight warm "Sony sound".

What I'm looking for: Any suggestions for turntables. I have no idea what range of budget I should be in, so any price range is fine, just don't want to break the bank. Wouldn't want the turntable to be a bottleneck in any way for the setup in general, so definitely willing to pay a chunk of money. Also any other items I should buy (do I need more cables? I assume just plug and play into my amp?) that would help my setup be better, I will definitely look into it.

Really grateful for any help!! Have a good one!!

 

[Brian Hall]

I was in the same situation. I inherited a collection of around 400 records and just added a turntable to listen to some of them out of nostalgia.

Check out Fluance's turntables. Good quality and inexpensive. I paid around $250 for the turntable and replaced the default cartridge with an Ortofon Blue premounted on a headshell for about $275. You will need a phono preamp unless the turntable you choose has one built in. I went with a Fosi Box X4 and it works great and has the advantage of bass and treble knobs. It was around $85 I think.

Some of the old records sound pretty good and some sound bad. I even bought a few new ones to compare. The new ones sounded good (almost as good as some CDs) with that setup. But it isn't for me and I won't be buying any more and won't bother "upgrading" the turntable or phono preamp.

Don't go too cheap (Crosley suitcase style) or too expensive until you decide if the disadvantages of messing with records is worth it to you. Also, you will need something to clean the records with. I went with the Spin-Clean record washer kit for $75. Simple and it works ok.

 

[akane]

I was in the same situation. I inherited a collection of around 400 records and just added a turntable to listen to some of them out of nostalgia.

Check out Fluance's turntables. Good quality and inexpensive. I paid around $250 for the turntable and replaced the default cartridge with an Ortofon Blue premounted on a headshell for about $275. You will need a phono preamp unless the turntable you choose has one built in. I went with a Fosi Box X4 and it works great and has the advantage of bass and treble knobs. It was around $85 I think.

Some of the old records sound pretty good and some sound bad. I even bought a few new ones to compare. The new ones sounded good (almost as good as some CDs) with that setup. But it isn't for me and I won't be buying any more and won't bother "upgrading" the turntable or phono preamp.

Don't go too cheap (Crosley suitcase style) or too expensive until you decide if the disadvantages of messing with records is worth it to you. Also, you will need something to clean the records with. I went with the Spin-Clean record washer kit for $75. Simple and it works ok.

Ah! Thanks! Will look into it

 

[MaxwellsEq]

There are some mechanical basics that turntables need to get right. This means that there's a sort of threshold below which you probably don't want to go. I think you need to set aside something in the $200+ range as a starter.

 

[FrantzM]

Hi

Welcome to ASR! A few things. I believe your Sony TA- ZH1ES is a headphone amp. It doesn't have a phono stage. To play records you will need a turntable with an arm , a phono cartridge and a phono stage. Most turntable do not come with a phono stage.
For Phono Stage you could check those reviewed here, I personally like the Parks Audio Waxwings. I have no direct experience with it, no longer into Vinyl although I have a sizable collection of more than 1000... and a pair of TT...
For TT, if you feel adventurous, you could get a classic Denon direct drive TT, for exemple the DP-57, these are old 1980, 1990's and run basically forever and these were/are extremely good. You can snatch one in excellent condition for under $500 on eBay, for example this one. For cartridge I would also recommend Denon, the DL-110 a high output moving coil (MC) cartridge. The Waxwings phono stage can accommodate most any cartridge's on the market, past or present.

Your questions were quite specific: Recommendations for a TT for your system. I would be remiss however, if I didn't mention the following:
Well designed electronics sound the same. Your amp is likely to sound when level are matched, as any other well designed electronics, some of these substantially less expensive.. Some combinations would be less than $300, total (amp + DAC) for the same or better performance.
It is likely that your current headphones would sound better if equalized. If you use your PC as source, you could try to EQ via PEACE/APO a free software. This would guide into equliazing your headphones :

oratory1990's list of EQ Presets [update 18.7.2023]​

, if you get into a TT, you may have to use a different solution, those here would help if you ask for it.

Peace.

 

[Waxx]

I would recommend Technics, The SL100C or SL1500C are among the better turntables arround, and cost arround 1000€ and are rock solid. If it needs to be cheap, the Audio Technica AT-LP240 is probally best for it's price class and some above, just don't use the USB interface, use the analog out to a real phono stage.

A cheap very good one (measured here, see database) is the Cambridge Alva Duo. But even the very cheap ART Djpre 2 is quiet good (also tested here).

For a cell, start with the very classic AT-VM95e. That is by far the best prive/value and also quiet cheap to buy. I used quiet a lot of different cells in my life, and outside the out of production Shure (44-7 and V15MKIII) cells, AT are the best now and reasonable priced. At the moment i use myself an AT-VM95EN, a variation of the VM95e, and it does the job as good as many way more expnsive ones. The best cell i know is the AT-VM540ML, and it's not that expensive compared to some "audiophile" ones. But you don't need that necesairy, the VM95 series is for most more than enough, even the basic VM95e. If you don't want audio technica, Ortofon is not that bad neighter, but way more expensive, and i think not on the level of Audio Technica (and before Shure).

If you want to know my setup, i use or a mint Technics SL1500MKI from 1976 with the AT-VM95EN or a almost mint Technics SL1200MKII from 2009 with an original (out of production) Stanton 500MKIII, both with an older Cambridge CP2 preamp (precestor of the Alva Duo) or with the phono stage of a Marantz PM5004 integrated amp. The turntables switch position from time to time in my setups...

You could buy second hand Technics also, but then you need to know how to inspect them before buy to select a good one. Not all are in good state like mine and you need to watch out seriously on the second hand market. But some treasures can be found if you're patient and knowledgable.

 

[DVDdoug]

A "traditional" turntable doesn't come with a cartridge or phono preamp. Receivers used to have a phono preamp built-in, but the cartridge was always separate. These days, not all receivers & AVRs have phono preamps.)

You might want some kind of equalization or tone control. I find a lot of older records to be "dull sounding" (rolled-off highs), although there were exceptions. And the "rumor" was that classical recordings were made with more care and had better quality, but I don't listen to much classical. (I haven't heard any "modern" records.)

I like direct drive because there are no belts or drive wheels to wear out. I have a ~40 year old Technics direct drive (not the high-end one) and I never had any trouble with it. (To be fair, over the last few decades it's only be used to occasionally digitize a record... It hasn't been in constant use for 40 years.)

IMO - The sweet spot is somewhere between $200 and $500 USD. You don't want to get something too cheap because, unlike digital, there is a correlation between cost and sound quality. On the other hand, you could spend a few thousand dollars and it's still not going to sound as good as a cheap CD player or other digital source.

Assuming you don't go "too cheap" the weak link is the records themselves. There is always surface noise that can be heard during quiet parts and between tracks. And there will be occasional clicks & pops. The phono preamp will also generate SOME internal noise. Records have frequency response variations (like the common rolled-off highs problem), but to some extent that can be tweaked with EQ. Your phono cartridge will also affect frequency response, and the capacitance of the cables & preamp input has an effect on the cartridge's response. And... I just learned from this post a couple of days ago that temperature can affect frequency response!

If I was in the market for a turntable, I'd consider the Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB. It's direct drive, it comes ready-to-play with a cartridge and preamp, and it has USB in case you want to digitize some records.

Personally, I only digitize recordings that are not available digitally. I have software for removing clicks & pops but it's not always perfect and you rarely get sound as good as a digital original (even if the original studio recording was analog tape).

Amp is quite neutral in my opinion but some experts on this forum and elsewhere have kind of added they add a slight warm "Sony sound".

Most solid state amplifiers are "neutral" with no sound of their own, and terminology like "warm" is not common here on Audio Science Review unless the person explains exactly what they mean and/or if they have some kind of correlating measurement. ("Warm" has a couple of different meanings.)

On the other hand, different headphones & speakers always sound different.

 

[JeffS7444]

If there are any 78 RPM shellac discs involved, there are other factors to consider, so I'll mostly consider 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records here.

Awhile back, someone checked one of these Mykesonic automatic record players and impression I got from the review was one of real engineering:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CD3TMG8M
Audiophiles might be aghast at the thought of a record player, but if it's reasonably gentle on your records, and makes listening fun, why the heck not?

I've owned many a pricey, audiophile-approved turntable setup, and currently own an Audio Technica AT120. The A-T is an easy recommendation, but like most traditional turntables, it's not too amenable to being carried around the house and plunked down next to the sofa or lounge chair on a whim. Don't be fooled by the seemingly impressive heft: It's mostly made of plastic, with much of the mass being due to the use of a pair of thick steel plates, at least one of which seems to have no purpose except to add heft (I tossed that bit into the recycle bin).

Rega turntables are often recommended for those with audiophile aspirations. They look nice, and they're well marketed. In the UK, they might be a decent deal. But in the USA, they're kind of expensive for what amounts to a slab of laminated chip board.