I second the butcher block acoustics, I have the 1 3/4 inch walnut version with the rubber cone adjustable feet. $100 bucks money well spent. Not sure how OP has his turntable mounted, but I would recommend a turntable shelf. I use the apollo steel shelf with wood insert mounted to a finished basement wall (concrete behind the 2 x 4’s and sheet rock) and my turntable is rock solid. Made an improvement imo. I could literally sit/stand on this shelf it’s so solid. There is also a product for hand cleaning records made in the UK called vinyl revival....it has worked very well for me to cleaned mildly dirty records. For the real grimy ones, you would need a vacuum operated machine. On the cheap, a spin clean maybe would suffice but more work....also the new audioquest carbon fiber brush works pretty well for spot cleaning and reducing static, $20.
A new turntable under 500-700euros
I'm 63 years old and I've got 2 turntables 1) Linn sondek LP12/Ittok/Ortofon MC30Super and Thorens 160S MKV/TP90/Ortofon MC15Super. I switched to CD for the last 20 years for two reasons: I didn't like the sound of both turntables, it was musical but fat at the bass and dull and second I was used at the CD sound and I couldn't stand the clicks, pops and scratch of the vinyl. I've got about 1000 records mostly used but at good condition. Now I want to start listening again to turntable. I will sell the turntables and I will buy a direct drive turntable. Any proposition for a DD turntable under 500 euros or exceeding 700euros the most? And a cartridge under 200euros preferably a non elliptical stylus because all the elliptical cartridges I have heard are exaggerating the problems of the used records? I prefer a MM cartridge with conical stylus something like nagaoka MP100 or Sumiko Black Pearl. Conical styli don't have the detail of the elliptical ones but they are much more silent and subdue the imperfections of the records.Thank you all.
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Dear friends, thank you all. I have the two turntables upon Target racks bought back at '80s. Under each turntable there is a marble slab about 10 kilos each. The sound of turntables is great . The problem is that I don't like this sound anymore. Back at the '80s I had a friend who had an Audio Innovations 500 tube amplifier and everybody was raving mad about it but I didn't like it at all. That amplifier played excellent only classical music. When we played Led Zeppelin or something like that, it was a disaster. I remember telling to my friend "I need more kick,more drive". It was so without nerve. I remember it now because it's the same situation. I need more drive, more rhythm, more speed, the sound seems soft and dull. Maybe it's the result of 20 years listening to CD players. Anyway thank you. |
A friend of mine suggested that I can achieve the sound I'm looking for by upgrading the Linn LP12 (external power supply, better plinth, better arm,etc) but all this upgrade will cost a lot of money and I can't afford it. My pension is 550 euros and I can't afford major upgrades. I think I'll buy the Pioneer PLX500 or Onkyo CP-1050 suggested by gregduke or I will try to hunt a secondhand Technics (1510 or 1710). Thank you for your help. |
If you are dead set for a direct drive, try one of the older Luxmans. They are fantastic tables. Here is an example: https://www.ebay.com/itm/Luxman-PD441-Direct-Drive-Turntable-In-Excellent-With-SME-3009-II-improved/153559238210?hash=item23c0d80642:g:R6EAAOSwIiRdIwOf |
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