What's the cost of an entry level vinyl setup?

I was interested in finding out if it was possible to do vinyl with a budget that was within reason compared to my existing system. It sounds like it could be.

Mceljo (System | Threads | Answers | This Thread)

I agree that it could be. The question in my mind is if you are the type of person that will be satisfied with what the $1000 buys, or if you are the type (like most here) that continue to upgrade.

That's the question I hope you will honestly answer before you start writing the checks.

I was interested in finding out if it was possible to do vinyl with a budget that was within reason compared to my existing system. It sounds like it could be.

I've also noticed that I'm at a level of audio that is essentially picking up scraps from the kitchen floor compared to the average audiophile on this forum.

As I've said a $1000 set-up including cleaning equipment and some vinyl to spin would be a fair expenditure considering the overall value of your system IMO. I also think you're the type of person, based on your posts, that can be satisfied with that investment, as well as the sound it would produce, and avoid riding the escalator.

As to your other comment, let me share an experience from this past weekends Bay Area Audio show. There was a room using "scraps" that included an Audiolab 8000 integrated amp ($300 used) and a Magnavox CDP ($50 used). I won't mention the speakers, but I will say the sound in that room was in my top 3 of the whole show.

Clio9, if he does, and if he stays with it for even six months, then he'll be the first in these threads to have done so as far as I can tell.

I have faith in him :)

BTW, having owned a Technics SL-1200, I don't believe one can get a satisfying, long-term, "entry level" set-up based around this table (or a Rega P-3, or Music Hall MMf 7.1, or...) for less than $2K (including table, arm, cartridge, phono preamp, interconnects, platform/base, set-up tools, and cleaning supplies).

As you were a SL-1200 user you obviously have more experience with this table. However, it keeps getting mentioned in "budget" threads and that was my point.

I'll disagree with the Rega P-3, or for that matter the refurbed/modified AR or Thorens tables such as those that can be found on Vinyl Nirvana. As a B&O user I'll say an 8002 refurbished by Soundsmith can be an extremely satisfying table.

Clio09, my comment regarding the Technics SL-1200, Rega P-3, MMF 7.1, and any other "budget" table one wants to include in the list was not intended to offer a judgment about the sound of the tables, or about whether an owner would find their sound satisfying.

My use of the word satisfying was probably poorly chosen, but my intention was to suggest that with an investment of $2K, one might be less likely to want to change one of the elements to something more expensive (more expensive cartridge, arm, table, interconnect, phono preamp, etc.).

Of course, whether one desires to upgrade is open to many factors with the most significant factor being the personality of the owner.

The operative term in the original post was "ENTRY LEVEL".
I stick to the opinion that you can get very good sound from some careful choices and smart shopping. I got a brilliant Dual 721 for $20. It is in great shape. Stuck a $150 cart on it, and voila!

I'll also stick my neck out here and say that a large percentage of the population who have spent years going to clubs or live music (or with the MP3 player stuck in their ears) have such damaged hearing that they really can't distinguish the nuances that make someone spend 5K on a TT, or preamp or a cartridge.

Craig.