How does a beginner turntable compare to digital ?

My first turntable was crap compared to the rest of my system, and especially the very expensive disc player I had, and loved.

I am now all vinyl 2 yrs later, if that tells you anything.

With my limited vinyl knowledge and experience, i would say your phono pre-amp is also a factor. I chose to wait until I had a bigger budget than yours, and still was a little let-down. My cdp is a Resolution Audio Opus 21.

However, if you already own vinyl which is not getting any play; why not buy the gear now, and upgrade slowly?

Try a Pro-Ject Debut III, $400 including a pretty decent Ortofon OM5 cartridge. I bought one last year to listen to Christmas records in the living room, but when I brought it downstairs to compare to my much more expensive 'tables I was astonished. Analog (including this cheap machine) gives you the air that is missing from cd. It's free of the digital haze that restricts dynamics and sense of real space. I'm not a digital hater: my cd player is an Esoteric X-03se, and I love it for what it does. It's just that analog, even the inexpensive Pro-Ject, can make music come alive in a way that cd can't.

But as someone entirely new to analog you may find that surface noise, ticks and pops can get in the way of your musical experience. I never hear them myself, and many of my records are real "beaters" filled with noise. Of course I bought my first record player in 1956, and like most of us who started with analog, there's no adjustment to make. I have a friend who's a very sophisticated listener and knowledgeable audiophile who cannot abide the surface noise. Really the only way for you to find out is to make the commitment, give it two or three months, and resell if it's not your cup of tea. Even if you buy new for $400 and resell for $300 (typical for the Pro-ject) you're only out $100 to learn.

You will need a phono preamp, too. Many adequate ones available for under $100. Or, if you want to push it up a bit, $250-300 for a used Lehmann Black Cube will give you real high-end quality, and it's instantly re-sellable if you give up on analog.

That's all I got. Have fun!
Dan

At a much lower cost is going with a used table to begin with...I had a project expression 4-5 yrs back...and although it sounded good...the lack of any real suspension caused the table to skip when one was in the same are code...that bad...and the build quality on the entry level regas and projects are nothing to write home about...people scoff at older non-1200 series technics...but they are built better...i currently have an h/k table from the 80s which cost me about 1/4 of what a P1 would run...and the P1 is mdf and plastic....

VqLong200,
I think a table in that range is a good idea to start out with. I was in your position five or so years ago. What I have found is that vinyl isn't necessarily better than digital, it's just different. I personally find the difference very enjoyable and thus moved up to a more expensive table. The differences I've included are:

more care required for storage and cleaning of records

much more attention to setup and maintenance of equipment.

shopping for vinyl is more enjoyable than downloading or buying cd's. I love spending a few hours going through the inventory of the records shops in my area.

less long term listening fatique. I still get good detail in all frequency ranges, but the highs just are quite as biting over the long term.

In my system images are stightly less precise compared to my digital setup. Sound stage is slightly better.

I like not having the option to fast forward through tracks. It makes me listen to the entire record as the artist intended.

I started with a Music Hall MMF5 which at the time was in your budget (now a new one is much more expensive). A table in the this range will tell you if vinyl is something you want to invest time into. I hate to throw in a plug, but my MMF5 is for sale if you are interested.