Ah, the old budget allocation problem... When considering more expensive turntable/arm/cartridge combinations, I've recommended to friends that they spend about 50% of their budget on the turntable, and the remainder on the tonearm and cartridge. Given your budget, and assuming you are willing to buy used equipment, you might think about a VPI HW-19 Mark 3 or Mark 4 turntable, with a Rega RB-600 or Audioquest PT-6 tonearm, and a Shure V15VxMR cartridge or Grado cartridge that fits within your budget. There are some other very good turntables that might fit into your budget, such as the Basis, Oracle, Kuzma. A final option that may gather the wrath of the vinyl junkies is the top-end turntable made by Thorens. Thorens makes an excellent table which is combined with its own arm, but it has not garnered a following from the high-end audiophile community. It is, nevertheless, a fine buy and one worthy of serious consideration as a first step.
Where should the money go?
I am looking to get into analog but have very limited knowledge on the subject. What component should I invest the most money? Should I start with a less expensive table, such as a Rega Planar 3, and buy a higher end cartridge and tonearm? Or is the table more important? My budget is about $2500-3000. However, I am totally lost on the subject and don't know where to start. I've talked to the local audio shoppe but would like more inputs. I would welcome any advice you could give me. Thanks alot.
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- 7 posts total
- 7 posts total