AnalogSteph
Major Contributor
Buying a record player is not a trivial matter. We are, after all, talking a technology that peaked in the 1970s and '80s, largely relies on mechanical engineering and manufacturing quality that was well-understood even then (and has not gotten cheaper to anything near the same degree that electronics have) and has rarely atracted substantial R&D budgets since. IMHO, few players in an actually affordable price range are even as good as a decent midrange deck from 35-40 years ago, and the intricate high-tech wonders of the 1980s (high-end Denons, Sony Biotracers, higher-end linear trackers etc.) are generally without peers.
Try even finding a quartz-locked direct drive these days... Technics has gotten back into the game (and they're not super cheap) but other than that things are pretty dire. Instead, we are getting low-tech belt drive wonders like those from Pro-Ject (have they finally fixed the motor noise problem in the Debut or do you still have to go the DIY route?) where even changing speed can be an ordeal, and even the common "Super OEM" a.k.a. Hanpin OEM'd players (a lot of the direct drive Technics clone DJ stuff) have drawn some criticism for sloppy tonearm bearings and their rumble specs aren't exactly too awe-inspiring (you wouldn't think it would be so hard to get a turntable bearing right - rumble >55 dB DIN B weighted, really? it is rare to find a player from the 1980s that isn't rated around 70 dB at least). I guess several Dual CSxxx are solid enough for what they are (midrange belt drive jobs), though not that cheap and only moderately high-tech.
The Rega Planar 2 seems to be solid enough but do keep in mind it's one of those low-tech jobs where you even have to move the drive belt between the 33 and 45 rpm positions on the motor pulley after removing the platter.
Now buying a used player is not easy either - they're far from as cheap as they used to be, they are decades old so may be in need of some maintenance (both trivial and non-trivial), and unless the seller is a pro at packaging them you better be able to pick it up in person, as shipping one without the proper precautions will end in tears. It certainly can't hurt to hit the local classifieds and see what you can find. I would prefer having a pitch adjustment and strobe available if it's not a quartz-locked affair (performing a speed adjustment can be a bit fiddly but is generally possible with a RPM app or a strobe disc that you can find online and print out).
And that's just the player, without sorting out the rest of the system. If you just need a basic integrated amplifier with standard 47kOhm / 220 pF MM phonopre that's still fairly easy to come by, any more extravagant wishes make it harder. As for speakers, I would look up what e.g. a pair of Elac DBR62s would cost (they're about 500€ the pair over here), that should leave 200-ish pounds for a fairly decent basic integrated amp even new (or not too old)... Yamaha A-S301 or something. Other speakers I might look at... KEF Q150, Wharfedale Diamond 4.2, Dali Oberon 3.
Note: For live playback, vibration isolation for the record player becomes important. If yours doesn't have a subchassis (I think some Dual models still do), it's not too tragic, setting the player on a slab of concrete or similar with halved tennis balls underneath should generally sort that out. The dust cover also is best left open or removed.
Try even finding a quartz-locked direct drive these days... Technics has gotten back into the game (and they're not super cheap) but other than that things are pretty dire. Instead, we are getting low-tech belt drive wonders like those from Pro-Ject (have they finally fixed the motor noise problem in the Debut or do you still have to go the DIY route?) where even changing speed can be an ordeal, and even the common "Super OEM" a.k.a. Hanpin OEM'd players (a lot of the direct drive Technics clone DJ stuff) have drawn some criticism for sloppy tonearm bearings and their rumble specs aren't exactly too awe-inspiring (you wouldn't think it would be so hard to get a turntable bearing right - rumble >55 dB DIN B weighted, really? it is rare to find a player from the 1980s that isn't rated around 70 dB at least). I guess several Dual CSxxx are solid enough for what they are (midrange belt drive jobs), though not that cheap and only moderately high-tech.
The Rega Planar 2 seems to be solid enough but do keep in mind it's one of those low-tech jobs where you even have to move the drive belt between the 33 and 45 rpm positions on the motor pulley after removing the platter.
Now buying a used player is not easy either - they're far from as cheap as they used to be, they are decades old so may be in need of some maintenance (both trivial and non-trivial), and unless the seller is a pro at packaging them you better be able to pick it up in person, as shipping one without the proper precautions will end in tears. It certainly can't hurt to hit the local classifieds and see what you can find. I would prefer having a pitch adjustment and strobe available if it's not a quartz-locked affair (performing a speed adjustment can be a bit fiddly but is generally possible with a RPM app or a strobe disc that you can find online and print out).
And that's just the player, without sorting out the rest of the system. If you just need a basic integrated amplifier with standard 47kOhm / 220 pF MM phonopre that's still fairly easy to come by, any more extravagant wishes make it harder. As for speakers, I would look up what e.g. a pair of Elac DBR62s would cost (they're about 500€ the pair over here), that should leave 200-ish pounds for a fairly decent basic integrated amp even new (or not too old)... Yamaha A-S301 or something. Other speakers I might look at... KEF Q150, Wharfedale Diamond 4.2, Dali Oberon 3.
Note: For live playback, vibration isolation for the record player becomes important. If yours doesn't have a subchassis (I think some Dual models still do), it's not too tragic, setting the player on a slab of concrete or similar with halved tennis balls underneath should generally sort that out. The dust cover also is best left open or removed.
