Turntables

Try this on US Audio Mart or another one from Canada @luvrockin 
I see your point, but saving on Turntable is a bad idea if the difference is not that big. I'm sure you can find some decent MM/MI cartridges for $200-300.  

Do you have no where you can go and listen to a good vinyl set up just to see if it would even be worth your while?

With all the suggestions, I thank you all. I have looked into every one of them and decided to pull the trigger and have an invoice awaiting payment on a "mint" VPI Scout Aries with dust cover. No cartridge included. The deal is going to set me over budget a bit but I landed the table for $1200, which I think is pretty fair. Now onto the cartridge 

I do agree that if you’re going to get into this hobby you have to make sure you can adjust and set up your own turntable or else changes are almost impossible without spending money at a dealer every time. Takes the fun away for sure. Plus once you know how to set up a turntable you really begin to understand what makes it work and what you can do to change the sound. 

 That’s a solid choice but you will need to learn to set it up. I own a VPI Prime and it can be finicky the first few times you try to set it up but once you understand the idiosyncrasies you’ll be fine. 

 I agree with others best to go for a decent cart and spend the money on a good pre. 

Ortofon should be a good starting point for you

It’s interesting, one of my overseas trading partners asked me to put together a phono system to integrate with Naim gear for him. I tried to wave him off but he’s stuck on it. Budget was 2K. So I went to work.

Right now, in my listening room, I have a Rega Planar 25 with P9 feet, Groovetracer jewel sub platter, weight, Delrin platter and Exact 2 with under 20 hours on it. Cost $1250, Rega Fono 2, another $250 and Chord RCA to DIN cable, $70 more. It really sounds great. I love Technics tables as well, but the received wisdom is that they do not slot in well to a Naim system.

I've got my JC Penny turntable hooked up to the custom phono stage I built and it sounds amazing!  It has been a while since I played an LP or even had an LP set-up, probably over 25 years.  But me likes it now!

Happy Listening.  

So my fantastic seller pulled the rug out on me. Long story but guess it is what it is. Bought and paid for a Rega P6 in mint condition, with Exact 2 cartridge, weights, yada, yada,yada. Picking up Saturday. Hope it was a good move. 

LuvRockin......no acrylic for me....changed to the Classic and very happy.

Hi Luvrockin, merry Christmas by the way,
don't rule out belt drives,when I got back into vinyl after 25 yrs, pulled old dual 1229Q out of storage(idler drive) I was quite happy until hungry for more. When asked my local Hi Fi guy about direction
he suggestedthe Project experience 2 Acrylic belt drive  with ortofon red mmcart $1000 set up and ready for play. Inexpensive cart, quality graphite tone arm, worthy of cart upgrade when you're ready. Later picked up Project speed box 2 (no need to touch belt for speed change),
$120.
You mentioned usb table,I also thought about this, instead went with ADL gt 40 dac and adc phono headphone pre $500 it is only mm but a great little unit with the ability to digitize your vinyl use head phones off computer with pretty decent dac and own volume control.
The Project table was a good starting point and the follow up changes where easy to implement without breaking the bank, it kept me hungry enough to want  more rather than running away. 
Since then I've upgraded phono and cart.
The ADL GT40 is made by Furatec a pretty good outfit.
Cheers,enjoy the journey, patience will be rewarded.

PS.all my figures are Canadian $$$ 

I'm kinda looking myself and found the same about the Technics it's an expensive table for that money I could get my pre divorce VPI set up  (new)which was divine.

Merry Christmas to all! Thank everyone for their input. I looked into every suggestion. So were feasible and some were not. Disappointed the VPI Scout Aries fell through but it would’ve ended up putting me well over budget. From what I’ve read, the Rega P6 is a pretty solid table. I’m happy to say, my original starting point budget was up to $1500. I made my purchases. I needed up with the Rega Planar 6 with New Exact 2 cartrldge and some extras for $1100 along with a New Rega MM mk3 phono stage for $340. I’m thrilled I’m in at $1440 which is just under budget. Any suggestions on cables?

the P6 is a solid table

Congrats!  When I had a Rega it sounded pretty good with Audioquest Columbias from phono pre to preamp.   

[Edit: Oops. Somehow missed the post where you bought already. Oh well. Hope this doesn't turn out as painfully prophetic as it appears.... ]

The guy next to me at the bar one night heard me say something and so started telling me about his stereo. Not much made sense until I figured out he was talking imaginary stereo. Components picked out because he saw somewhere they were good. That’s what you got so far here. Bunch of opinions about what is good.

Problem is, only you know what is good. Nobody else matters. Especially on a budget. That means doing the work to track down a place you can go and touch and feel and most of all listen.

You are not buying just a turntable. A really good - and by good I mean musically enjoying to listen to, much more than any CD - setup can be done on your budget. But not by picking from other peoples lists. What lies down this path is expense, frustration, ruin. I can pretty much guarantee it.

What you do instead, if you are smart-

Go slow. Learn about cartridge output, phono stage gain, what you want in terms of sound, what the different components deliver in terms of sound. Be realistic. You’re not getting ultimate resolution, your whole budget won’t buy that in even a cartridge. What it will buy though, if you are careful and thoughtful about it, is a beautifully balanced system that performs far better than you ever thought possible for even a couple times what you have to spend. It can be done. Its not easy. But it is worth it.

There really is no easy way around it. You go and listen to as many different setups as you can. Including stuff way out of your price range. Including stuff so old and/or cheap you’re sure its a waste of time. Along the way you pay careful attention to details. What phono stage was that one? What cartridge? You develop a feel for "house sound" what makes a Benz a Benz. Whether you are more sensitive to the table, or the phono stage, or how important it looks, feels, handles. Records are a lot more hands on than a CD. These things matter.

One result of all this listening, learning and handling could well be you discover this just ain’t your thing. Without spending a dime. Just time. Learning stuff you can always use later if you want anyway. As opposed to what most guys do, throwing money at the problem, learning almost nothing except its a money pit.

It ain’t a pit. Its a peak. Ever wonder how Hillary climbed Everest?

One step at a time.

I agree the Technics cost as much as my divine pre divorce VPI system. It does not belong with inexpensive tables in any way at all.

@mechans  are you familiar with Direct Drive turntables ? I hope you understand why Coreless Direct Drive motor is better than any belt drive or idler drive or whatever. So why do you compare a VPI and Technics ?

One VPI Direct Drive cost $30k another one cost $15k 
Technics Direct Drive cost $1700 for GR and about $4000 for G

Technics SP-10R without plinth and tonearm is $10k
Technics SL-1000R with plinth and tonearm is $18k  

https://www.technics.com/download/brochures/us/SL1000R_SP10R_US_Print.pdf

Please recall any other NEW Direct Drive with a motor equal to Technics SL1200GR ($1700 new) or coreless G/GAE or SP10R for what they are asking for ? Technics is definitely the best priced NEW High-End Direct Drive turntable today. And Matsushita is the most experienced company in that field today. 

Here is all info about G
http://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200g.html

And everything about SL1200GR (black version is SL1210GR):
http://www.technics.com/us/products/grand-class/direct-drive-turntable-system-sl-1200gr.html

If you prefer belt or idler drive for some reason then it's another story. 

I don't even know of any modern turntable with the same build quality as Technics, only vintage Direct Drives are better in my opinion, but then we have to remember SP-10 mkII and EPA-100 tonearm.  

   

@luvrockin -

So, do the best you can with your budget.  Simple as all that and it can be done.

My getting back into vinyl was frustrating.  I wanted to cover all the TT bases, without wanting to spend tons of cash and knowing that I was only willing to get so deep into the minutiae that seems to go with current day vinyl playback at the higher end.  

I started playing records 55 years ago (62 y.o. now), never did the jump to cassette tapes, and was a later converter to CDs, so I thought I knew something about the whole TT process.  After 5 minutes back in, I was genuinely confused as to when it became all so complicated.  

Your budget is at the low end of what you will need to spend to get vinyl playback at a sound quality level that you are accustomed to with other sources and will not wreck your records.

It's like buying a cheap guitar to see if you will like playing guitar ... you will learn and get the idea of what is involved, but the guitar may not sound good enough and the whole experience may not be satisfying enough to want to drop big money on a top Martin or Taylor guitar.

I got back in by first buying used vintage TTs (70s & 80s).  It is so hit or miss, I would advise against it.  The TTs may work fine at first, but they will need maintenance, and if you don't have a qualified repair person nearby, you are S**t Out Of Luck.  I had a Denon DP 31 that was fine, until its motor died.  Then there was a SONY PS X-7 whose speed controls went out of whack.  This was getting expensive, so why not just buy new? 

I went with a new Stanton ST 150.  This is a DD motor, Technics 1200 look alike, that is part of a family of TTs commonly referred to as OEM TTs.  The Pioneer 1000 arguably shares this lineage.  These TTs are more than ok for the money, but they can have issues ... notably hum (even if you bypass the built in TT preamp), and tonearm looseness (needed for DJ scratching).  

Well the hum got to me and after studying most TTs in my NEW, UPDATED price range ($1500 new without cartridge, old price range was $600 without cartridge) and only wanting a minimum of stress with set-up and maintenance, I went the following route.  

I also wanted TT playback in both of my systems, so this would be a times 2 scenario.

BTW, this is just the route I went with and I am not saying to go this route.  At the end of the day, all I wanted was relatively fuss free TT playback and maintenance that also sounded as good, if not better, than my CDs sounded.  I invested in better than average CD players, so I always had good CD sound.  

System #1

Pro-ject Classic (25th Anniversary) @ $1100 with cartridge 

https://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Classic-Turntable-1

I liked the looks of this TT.  It was being paired with a Prima Luna PL5 tube power amp and a Musical Fidelity CD PRE 24 preamp/ cd player.  This pairing has been in place for 13 years.  I needed a preamp.  I had the Schiit Mani.  It was ok, but just ok.  I had much better luck with the:

Parasound Zphono @  $250

https://www.audioadvisor.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PAZPHOUSB

After I was settled in with this for about a year, I also changed out speakers from Opera Platea to Zu Audio Dirty Weekend Omen.

Very pleased with all sources on this system.  Even my wife says it is the best it has ever sounded.  Go figure.

System #2

Technics SL-1200 GR @ $1700; Audio Technica VM 540 cartridge @ $250.  

I wanted something in my system that would not need maintenance until I had long since departed from this good earth.  This is a special TT.  Can not find flaws with it.  I have it paired with a Rega Brio amp and Omega Compact Alnico monitors.  This is my single driver speaker system that I always seem to have around and sees a lot of use.  

I am using an Audio Technica VM 540 cartridge with the Technics.

https://www.valueelectronics.com/Technics_SL-1200GAE.php 

https://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-VM540ML-Phono-Cartridge?quantity=1

This whole journey started about 5 years ago.  With the two turntables I purchased new, the merry go round stopped and I have not done any tweaking for a long while.  I have also not felt the need to.


Rich 

I went with a new Stanton ST 150. This is a DD motor, Technics 1200 look alike, that is part of a family of TTs commonly referred to as OEM TTs. The Pioneer 1000 arguably shares this lineage. These TTs are more than ok for the money, but they can have issues ... notably hum (even if you bypass the built in TT preamp), and tonearm looseness (needed for DJ scratching).

This is very bad advice, when you’re looking for cheap and bad quality plastic clones (of Technics) for teenagers don’t forget that the old SL1200 mkII avaiable for under $500 on used market and can be upgraded pretty easy step by step.

Tonearm loseness does not need for scratching, an iconic dj turntable for professionals is still an old SL1200 mkII, mk3D or mk5 and all of them can be found in very good condition for $300-700. So why anyone has to look for cheap plastic toys like Stanton or Pioneer turntables if the original Technics Sl1200 mkII available used for $300-700 ?

@luvrockin 
Here's a more affordable option that's close to the 1200G/GR. Until those came out, many in your shoes bought used 1200 or 1210(gray color) and did some relatively affordable mods to greatly improve the sound. These can be done in steps according to your budget. 
Two excellent sources to explore this idea are the "Techiepedia" section of the theartofsound forum in UK and KAB USA, which is probably the top 1200 modder/provider. You could spend a day reading on what people have done with their 1200s to get them out-performing many table far more expensive and not as well built.
The 1200 was not designed to be a DJ table, but because of it's durability and reliability it's popularity with DJs SOARED! There are millions out there. When they were discontinued, prices went up. Now that the 1200G/GR is out, some of the demand is down, and that can help you. Caution, you don't want to buy one used as a DJ table, ask many questions. I see them often for ~$300 on craigslist at local shops, etc., but these are more likely to have been abused. The ones on audio sites or ebay are more likely to state details about history of use and ownership. Those will sell at a premium ~$400-600. Add cart and phono stage, and then use what's left for upgrades like the KAB fluid damper, Isonode feet and/or tonearm rewiring. Upgrade as time/budget allows. Even some of these tweaks pop up used occasionally. Cheers,
Spencer 

Personally I think it cost a lot more to to achieve same digital sound quality with viynl. So buying used is about the only way to go. If it was me I would put good amount of my budget in a phono stage and cartridge. It's really not hard to set up a table if you have the right protractor( down load for free) and don't mind spending a little time learning.In $500 range for phono, maybe black cube, Sim Audio or PS Audio GCPH. Stay away from low output moving coil cartridge, nothing more agrivating not having enough gain you will never be satisfied. I guess I would worry more about cartridge and phono stage than table. Music Hall and Rega were recommended are nice choices, but there are others take your time.

I used a Technics SL-1600 MKII for 35 years until I purchased a Technics SL-1200G.  Now the 1600 is part of a second system.  The 1200G build quality is excellent, and SQ is everything I could want.

Several folks have recommended the Technics SL-1200GR.  While I've never owned or heard one, if its anything like the 1200G you cannot go wrong.

I think you should look into...
Thorens TD203 turntable
Ortofon 2m Blue cartridge
Schiit Audio Mani phono preamp

or...
Rega Planar1 Plus (with built-in phono preamp) to test the waters
https://www.whathifi.com/rega/planar-1-plus/review

Pro-ject Carbon DC Esprit / upgrade to Ortofon 2M Blue
https://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Debut-Carbon-Esprit-DC-Black

Lounge Audio Phono Pre
https://www.loungeaudio.com/lcr-mr-iii

My good friend has this setup, and for 1K all-in, this thing plays music!

@jmolsberg

I was able to get that same setup, turntable, Lounge w/silver, Ortofon Blue and Audio Sensibilities AE Impact cable for under $800 used by shopping around. It did sound good but I ended up with a deal on a Denon DP-60L and Ortofon Bronze so I made the move to vintage. I still have the Pro-Ject and Ortofon Blue that I’m trying to sell locally.

@loverockinobvoiuly you will get many opinions, and none are wrong as it is all personal preference.

i used to run a modest pro-next debut with a Sumiko blue point EVO3.  That unit sounded amazing, absolutely loved it.  In total I think it is about $800 these days by purchasing them together up front.  I used that for almost 10years, as 90% of the quality comes from needle setup and quality of that stylist. Last year I broke the tip off and needed to get it sent in.  While waiting I was drawn to another table. And due to lead time I went for it, $5k later I’m very happy (Xtension Evolution with blackbird) but the difference between $800 and $5k was not worth it. To be honest if you set the $1200 stylist next to the $450 they look identical, my dealer stated the specs are nearly identical. For reference the rest of my system is McIntosh preamp/amp (600watt/channel) with B&W 802D2’s.  The reason I state this is that the system sounds amazing, and the difference was minimal between the 2 tables.

again I highly recommend the Sumiko blue point EVO3 and a modest table such as the pro-ject debut.  

Technics, Rega ....all good choices. I second the posts mentioning to purchase new with a pro installed cartridge. Since the clicks/pops etc are a worry for you, at the very least consider investing in a VPI 16.5 record cleaning machine and Audio Intelligent fluids by Osage Audio Products; http://www.audiointelligent.com/ You'll have clean, quiet vinyl and enjoy the format much more. 

VPI table
Soundsmith cart
VPI 16.5 record cleaner 

With your setup, seeing you’ve spent $1800(?) on speaker cable, I’d strongly recommend stepping up to Clear Audio turntable at $2200. More than you want to spend but that’s the minimum for your setup.

I wouldn’t go into a MC cartridge, unless it’s a high output one that you can play through a regular phono stage.

@luvrockin 
Here's a modded 1200 that is a great step towards 1200g performance well fitting your budget. Read theartofsound Techiepedia for many enthusiastic comments about why this would make lots of sense for you both now and as you can invest a bit more later.
https://www.audiogon.com/listings/lis9a00b-technics-sl-1200mkii-turntable-with-kab-upgrades-turntabl...
Cheers,
Spencer 

Hi folks, Im a little late chiming in here as the OP has already made his move, but I know this thread will read by others making similar decisions and I also just went through the same thing my self recently joining the vinyl club..

I was originally looking at a Rega RP6 with the neo PSU when I stumbled upon a refurbished MUSIC HALL MMF 7.3 with a Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridge pre installed from Partsconnexion. Both TT’s were in the same price and quality range (priced new). Long story short after [A lot] of research I pulled trigger on the Music Hall , I could not resist the discount as I too was unsure whether or not this Vinyl stuff would be my cup of tea so to say..

Then it was the Phono pre, that was a MUCH BIGGER DECISION than the actual TT its self. I’m no newbie to audio and I also know pre amps are a very important part of the stereo be it Phono or not. I knew if I wanted good sound that I could not skimp out on the Phono pre. I read up on all the usual suspects, newest Blackbox, Grahm Slee, Rega, Dynavector which Im sure are all great but in the end I settled for another great deal which was a USED Sim Audio MOON LP5.3 - This pre amp is dead quiet and matched up very well with the Ortofon 2M Bronze cartidge..

I must admit I was surprised the sound is Very good , It rivals my digital setup… my digital setup is no slouch..

Tidal/Jriver/PC Laptop To Matrix Xspdif 2 (dig to dig Converter) Powered with Uptone audio Ultracap LPS1.2 feeding latest iteration if Schiit Yggdrasil DAC via AES/EBU cable in turn feeding Audio Research LS26 (bal conects) preamp to Bryston 7B3 mono blocks feeding ELAC FS209.2 speakers.

There are small differences for sure like the bass notes will come out lower on the digital setup but for $1600 bucks USD id like to think I built a nice Analog setup.. It also seems that I have a achieved a nice analog sounding digital setup which is what were all chasing with these high performance Dac’s and such.

I got the Music Hall MMF7.3 discounted at $1000 Usd, and the SIM Audio Moon LP5.3 for $600 usd.

Just some food for thought for any one else looking to jump into Vinyl.

Great responses here but no one has addressed the fact that unless you have a great source to buy clean, well cared for records... your records will still sound like crap no matter how much you spend.  You mention snap, crackle and pop in the first line of your post.  Having a good, used record store in your town is a must.  Just my opinion anyway.  Have never bought an LP online.  I need to be able to look at the record under some bright store lights to see if it's been properly cared for.  Have fun in your quest for the 'vinyl' sound anyway!

Technics SL1200 GR offers tremendous value for money. Fit and finish is AWESOME ! We feel it's really amazing. We sell these tables on a regular basis. We are offering a Free Ortofon MM Cartridge with them.
sunnyaudiovideo.com

When you get a TT you are not just getting a TT.  You are getting a lot of baggage:  [i] Cartridges; [ii] Phonostages; [iii] Another cable or two (and you really do have to get a quality cable as the signal is about a 1000th of a line stage signal); Tricky setup including [iv] think minimising vibration, [v] getting a 100% level platform, [vi] setting azimuth, [vi] setting VTA, [vii] setting overhang, [viii] setting tracking force;  [ix] Expensive LPs, [x] Vinyl cleaning, [xi] Stylus cleaning. 

I know all about it I have 3 TTS.  But if you want to give it a go then a Technics 1200G (or that family) is the way to go.   In one shot you are getting a superlative TT, and your setup issues will be far less.  Another truly fabulous advantage is just dropping the needle.  Almost impossible to screw up.
  

I honestly recommend that you don’t get into vinyl. I started five years ago and if I had to do over, I probably wouldn’t. The money I have spent on vinyl is nuts.

I would take the $1500 and upgrade your DAC or CD player.

Not to mention the frustration with hit or miss reissues, poor pressings, weeding out what was mastered from digital, having to send records back when they have defects, paying the shipping back and forth, etc.

With many of my favorite albums becoming available in hiRes MQA on Tidal, I rarely buy new records. It has to be something really special any more to get my wallet open. Mostly the ultradisc sets from Mofi.

If you dont don’t have a streamer, I suggest getting one like a BlueSound Node 2 or one of the Auralic streamers. My choice is a PS Audio DirectStream Junior. This is an upgradable FPGA DAC with a built in bridge for streaming! I know a dealer that sells them at a heavy discount ( there is 50% markup on all this audio gear).

I read some of the previous post about the hassle of set up and availability of vinyl, used or new, but to someone like me, 66 and grew up with vinyl there is nothing like it. I love the hands on switching carts arms and general set up is only half the attraction of vinyl, the other half is the satisfaction of what you get sound wise when it is done right. I can totally understand someone discouraging you from starting a vinyl rig in today's times though but if you have the wants to do so the Technics table would probably be very rewarding, everyone that has an opinion of it seems to like it or them a lot.

I'll take the other side.  Getting back into vinyl over the last 10 years has been by far my most rewarding experience as an audiophile.  The you-are-there realism of my vintage Thorens 125II/SME 3009II Imp/Pickering XSV 3000 is stunning, jaw dropping.  I marvel at it every day.  My digital set up is dull dull dull by comparison.

 In terms of hit and misses- to me that is part of the fun of this hobby.  Sure there are disappointments but for every record that is a 'miss' there is a surprise 'hit' that comes from out of nowhere and sounds better than any of those (boring) audiophile staples you have to shell out $50 for.  There are some fabulous sounding jazz records from the 50s and 60s and even the 70s that can be had for $10 from ebay in excellent or very good + condition. They often beat the pants off new releases-even so called audiophile reissues-in many cases.

The hunt is part of the fun and sure you have to take the bad with the good but it's the same with any other hobby worth persuing- just think of what die-hard sports fans have to endure.

Finally there is just the pure physical aspect of vinyl.  From cartridge mounting to tube swapping in phono stages to record cleaning to that ever so satisfying click as the stylus settles into the groove.  There is something that is so entirely visceral about playing vinyl that is lost in the streaming environment.

To me it is no contest.  Gimme that black licorice.

For what it’s worth, I have a vintage Marantz 6300 which was one of the better TT’s offered in the mid 70’s. I always thought it was the cats ass with my Audio Technica AT15ss mm which was the best money could buy back then. I installed a NOS AT15ss stylus I found and it elevated things to a new level I had long forgotten.

Fast forward; I decided that I wanted to get a center piece of eye candy for the living room and started my search for a high end belt drive TT. After a lot of reading and chatting with some guys who know their stuff, I found a used, but in mint condition, VPI Ares3 TT with out a tonearm and it had the high end optional super platter. I got it for a great price and then found a used SME Series IV magnesium tonearm. I have the equipment to do the machine work to make up the arm-board and I spent two days of work precisely machining the parts to mount the SME to the Ares3. Plus I made up some custom modified rubber medium durometer isolation feet for supporting this 75 pound monster which do a 100 percent job of isolation of all feedback at any SPL I play at. I transferred the Audio Technica AT15ss from the Marantz to the Ares3 and after some work with set up, I put it into service. I didn’t expect there to be too much difference in what the performance was between the Marantz and Ares3, it was more about the fabulous sexy look for me.

When I put on some well played vinyl I was very familiar with, I was blown away. It was like I entered into some new world; hearing things I had not even known were in the recordings.... dynamic range, soundstage, detail, bass/mid/upper ranges all were just spectacular. I honestly never expected what I was hearing. So the bottom line is, I no longer listen to any digital recordings; they cannot come close to the performance of vinyl when using the right machinery for extracting the recordings.

Spend more money than you wanted to, you will not be sorry. Save money on buying some newer MC cartridges which can be very expensive. Try to find as new condition you can find in the Vintage Audio Technica AT15ss/AT20ss if you can find it, you will not easily surpass the performance of this Beryllium Cantiver/super Shibata diamond cartridge. Try to find a super platter on an older VPI, you’ll be very pleased. Skip the SME Series V, its not much different than the Series IV and save the money; but its arguably one of the finest tonearms made.

To put this into perspective; we are not comparing this to a $1200 Technics; this set up is a $9000 installation, which I have about $3200 into as I bought all the parts and put it together myself.  Trust me, a $9K TT will blow the doors off of any Digital recordings, you cannot compare or for that matter any $1500 TT.... and don't listen to anyone who says its all to finicky to put together, its just requiring a little patience to align the cartridge and measure things, its no big deal.  But it's worth the effort.

I agree with Williewonka1. I have a Music Hall Ikura. For the money it's a good table. It came with an Otofon Blue and I upgraded to the Black. I also have the Bellari tube phono stage and I like it as well. For budget tables Music Hall is good.

I didn’t mean to be a downer for the original poster. Just wanted to give some bigger perspective. Now that I have over $5k in audiophile reissues that I painstakingly put together, I am kinda stuck.

Each time I upgraded my DAC and CD player, I found myself having to upgrade my analogue front end. It has taken a $20k rig to top my $10k Esoteric SACD player.

The analogue rig consists of a VPI Classic 4 with a 12” 3D reference tonearm. An Ortofon Cadenza Black cartridge to a Bob’s Devices Sky 20 SUT to the phono stage built into my Luxman L-590ax Mark II integrated. All wired with Transparent MusicLink Super cables. Stillpoints record weight and VPI perifery ring.

To clean those precious plastic discs, I picked up an Audio Desk Gläss ultrasonic record cleaner.

I didnt even factor the cost of record storage racks. And my last point, I had to move to a larger house to keep growing my collection.

Well mastered records sound awesome! Magical even.

Though I’ve had MQA Tidal cuts and CDs that also sound magical.

I believe digital or vinyl completely depends on the personality type, not so much which one necessarily sounds better.

I dont believe the personality manifests itself the same in everybody, but I believe each persons road to vinyl is chosen due to certain qualities in life they have experienced and desire. And it’s how and why they learn to desire these qualities that directs them to their particular format.

For instance, I’m an architect, for me having createable control with something authentic is important. So you can see that being able to pick the pieces (cart, table, phono pre, loading, alighnment, etc), and having a piece of vinyl with physical gooves you can see and feel (but don’t!) with your eyes and hands, and finally placing it on the table watching the platter spin, then dropping the needle and hearing the drop has a tangle quality that would appeal to me. It is "me" that controls the final sound, and it is me that reaps the benefits or not, thus there is a greater reward for all my diligence. It takes a certain level of craft in TT design that appeals to an architect as well.  There is also the uniqueness aspect for me, being that every LP is unique (ticks, pops, pressing, etc) that adds to its authenticity. 

Now compare that to my brother, a NASA rocket engineer who desires efficient, exact design with minimal error, what do you think he listens to?

BTW I’m sure there are many engineers who listen to vinyl, I’m saying given my brothers specific life experiences, anyone who would meet him would bet,he’d be a digital guy - and you’d be right.

Oops.  Never mind my previous post. Somehow posted in wrong forum. 

luvrockin,

I'm a digital head having two players, four dacs, and stream from my PC. But when I finally took the plunge back into vinyl after many years I settled on a Pro ject 1.3 Genie that came with a Pearl cart. I later moved to a Ortofon Blue 2M cart which sounds much better. As for a phono stage I found a used Monolithic PS-1 with a separate power supply and has adjustable dip switches in the back for settings per the cart recommendations. The 1.3 is belt driven and the motor is on the outside of the platter. This seems to be popular now with other models of late. Pro ject makes more expensive models based on the style of the 1.3 but for a entry level item I feel I did okay. Best of luck with your search.

Hi
Wow! Advice is all over the place with regard your question! Looks like MANY did not read the post where you said you bought a table and cartridge. I don’t know anything about either of choices. 
Here’s my advice, having nothing to do with what you chose and having everything to do with set-up. Go to sound-smith.com and watch his YouTube videos and read articles by Peter Ledermann from S-S. He speaks to turntable set-up and the importance of correct Vertical Tracking Angle, Rake Angle, arm/cart resonance interface, and tracking force all of which are CRITICAL to get the best from your new/used equipment.
You stated that you wanted to buy less-fussy equipment for your first new foray.  I think that would have been a poor choice, as others said here.  I’m glad you bought an adjustable TT and new cart- good way to go. 
(Aside: I don’t think the phono step-up you bought is equivalent to your amplifier quality however, as it is important to revealing the resolution that I’m sure you are accustomed to with your front end.)
Seriously look at the resonance of your arm/cartridge choice.
I had purchased a turntable with a low compliance arm and a low resonance MC cart available “everywhere” as a “combo” with Pro-ject RPM3 and Blue Point No. 3.  It wasn’t for me! (for sale on eBay right now)  I’m running an RPM 10.1 and ancient Grace F9e (purchased by me in 1984- retapped). It has a stiff arm and super-high resonance cart. (you can hear the third violinist shift his feet. LOL).  You can go the other way too, with a compliant arm and a low compliance cartridge. 

Look to the vinylengine forum for an evaluator. It’s very rough though. 
 
This from Ortofon: (much more  accurate formula)

“Resonance frequency can be calculated by using the formula 
f = 1000 : (2 x π x √ (M x C)) where:
f - Cartridge resonance frequency in Hz
π - 3.14159265359...
C - Cartridge compliance lateral in µm/mN
M - Total tonearm system mass which is a sum of Mass of cartridge, Mass of headshell and screws and effective mass of tone arm (all values in gram).

• Resonance frequency within 7-12Hz is optimal for the system. 
• Resonance frequency slightly outside optimal interval 6,5-7Hz and 12-14Hz can be considered as a possible that probably can be used without problems.
• Resonance frequency outside the interval 6,5-7Hz and 12-14Hz is questionable, and the system might not work properly.”

Take the time to set it up, or find a local dealer or friend to help. If you purchase the correct arm/cart combination, and set it up correctly you will not be disappointed!

Best to you. Happy New Year!

Bentunderground

Got my rega RP6 TT, cart and rega FONO MM today and am going to set it up a bit later. Thank you got all the great information as I knew I could count on this AG forum for excellent info. I am looking forward to hearing it on my system. I heard it on the sellers system which was amazing and also a top notch guy. So far, great experience!

Cool, enjoy it that's a nice table, easy set up too.

Good for you luvrockin. I thought about swapping my Ortofon 2M blue cart for one of the Rega carts. I haven't decided on what to replace it with though. Any advice AG members?

My experience with getting back into vinyl has been frustrating thus far. I've had top notch digital setup for many years, wanted to get vinyl setup that would be on or near equal footing.I've had perhaps five or six different systems over the past number of years, everyone couldn't compete with the digital setup. Lack of resolution relative to the digital was the major defect that doomed every attempt. Total system price ranged from $1300 to 10K (exclusive of all accessories). Initially, the novelty had me playing vinyl on a regular basis. Over time I would find myself playing vinyl so infrequently I couldn't justify keeping the equipment.Setup was not the culprit either. I've had a number of protractors, I understand VTA, azimuth and every other parameter that affects performance. Top notch cabling, custom TT stand, every i dotted and t crossed.So, now we come to my latest attempt, soon to be up and running. Technics SP10 Mk.II and SH10E, both completely refurbished. Modwright SWP 9.0 SE, Jelco TK850L with dynamic VTA adjustment mod, custom plinth, start off with Denon 103R (other cartridges to follow if not satisfied).So, the deep dark spending hole of vinyl continues. If I didn't have over 2500 albums I would have quit this pursuit some time ago. To reiterate, I find vinyl far more frustrating than digital at getting satisfying levels of resolution. Vinyl does have some outstanding sound qualities, highest resolution very difficult to get to. Have to add macro dynamics as well.

@sns Start a thread about your new setup when you get it. I had great success w/ SP10mkII. One concern, is the compliance match a good fit between the 103R and the Jelco? I've heard widely varying results for the cart depending on the arm. 
One suggestion, play around with different clamps and mats if you get a chance. I found that you can clearly hear impactful differences with every change and finding a sympatico match will be well worth the trouble! Cheers,
Spencer