Any ideas on a good used "starter" table?


Failed to mention this on my earlier post...would an older Thorens or equivalent be a better cost effective option than a new entry level Project or MusicHall?......I plan on upgrading the cartridge...if so...what specific older model belt tables should I be looking at? Do the new models have quieter "operation"? If this is nothing more than a "lateral" move I will go new....thanks
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I think that the older Thorens TTs are very good, but I am not too wild about their tonearms. Any way you look at it, the under $200 market is not going to get you into analog nirvana, but you could get a pretty good sound.

If I was going to do it, I would get a good used Rega Planar 2 with a RB250 tonearm for around the mid $200 range. This is the equivalent of buying the arm, and getting the table for free. The RB250 is one of the better arms made, and mods up to being competitive with some of the best. I'd get the Planar 2, and use it while modifying the arm up to max level. When you get ready to move up, you can transfer your modded RB250 onto the better table. Then you can sell the bare Planar 2 without arm for about $100, and come out smelling like a rose. The modded RB250 is about all the arm that anyone would ever need on a high end TT. You can do better, but it would cost alot more money, and you'll still get 80% of the performance with the modded RB250. It is no shame to have a modded RB250 on even the highest priced tables. And you can get it on a used Planar 2 for dirt cheap. Mod it yourself. Keep it when you move up.
Don't use a Grado cartridge on the Rega TT. They hum.
I don't know how much you plan on spending, but a 1980's vintage Linn LP12 might be just what you want. You can sometimes find them on Agon for under $800 w/tonearm. The beauty is that they are completely upgradeable. Eventually, you will end up with one of the best turntables on the market without having to lose money on, or hassle with selling your existing rig to upgrade.
I have had a lot of success modding the vintage Thorens TTs - TD-160, 165, 145, 147, and 166. They were built like tanks to begin with, well engineered, and relatively simple to mod yourself - Dynamat, blu-tac, filtered IEC, new cables, new baseplate, etc. (see theanalogdept.com). And don't sell the Thorens tonearm short either. When the bearings are cleaned, lubed and adjusted, it is a decent performer. And you can always replace it with a nice vintage SME Type II Improved (or more modern arm like the RB250 (though I have never tried that).
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