Best turntable/cartridge/phono preamp combo

Yessir I owned an MMF-7. The tonearm is basically entry level.

The Shelter may sound better than the Goldring but its' full potential is not being realized in that arm.
That's a fact; you'll understand more clearly when you upgrade.

Thank you.

Audiofell: Absolutely untrue. The Shelter tracks perfectly and made a huge improvment to the table's performance.

And, my opinion is based on actual experience as an owner and long time vinyl listener, is yours?

The Project tonearm on the MMF-7 will not track the Shelter to its' full potential. Stick with the factory supplied Goldring if you go with the MMF-7. Anything more expensive is basically a waste of money.

Good luck.

I like the Rega P3, Elys 2, and Fono preamp. Great upgradeability and ain't half bad to start with.

Music Hall MM7, Shelter 501 mk 2 and EAR 834P phono pre. Exceptional combo and great $ value!

Actually a used Music Hall MMF-7 (about $800), a manual record cleaning machine (figure $150), and a used Creek OBH-8 phono preamplifier (about $125) are well under his target price.

This is the easiest and most affordable entry into vinyl. Lastly, the Music Hall and Creek are easy to sell on Audiogon when upgraditis hits.

All of course IMO.

Matty,
If you are who you say you are, the Great, then get the GREATEST turntable/arm/cart for the money. Notice I am not including a preamp, that's because a preamp will cost some additional $. I doubt what the other members propose- VPI, MMF, with arm and cart, will leave any $ for a pre as you stated in your post.
So, here's my suggestion: Lenco 75 w/ RB300/ Denon 103 cart. Cost to have one made, about $1200-$1500. Cost for you to build, about $800-$1000 depending on how much you spend on the Lenco as they are getting more expensive by the minute. The Lenco, Swiss made in the 70s, is an idler wheel drive as opposed to a belt drive.
After I rebuilt my first Lenco, I sold 3 belt drives- MMF, VPI and B&O. There are several posts by others who have sold their expensive belt drives after they heard a properly set up Lenco.
Be warned, you will keep your vinyl and start adding to your collection.
Search the 'gon for info about these fantastic tables.
Good luck.

You'll probably want to go MM. MC adds a layer of complexity and usually more cost.

Buy a used Music Hall MM-7 and a manual record cleaning machine. If you like what you hear and want to upgrade, the MM-7 will sell for very close to what you paid.

Small steps.

I allready have tons of vinyl that I collected mainly because it's in very good condition and was thinking that I could save it and sell later for more money. I am just just looking for a really good turntable preamp cartridge combo. I want to know the best way to spend my 1500 on these components. I also plan on using this setup to turn lps into cds via my powermac, So I want somthing that will accuratly reproduce what is on the record and not add any color. Also would I be better of buy sperate parts to make my own turntable or just getting one stock. Also should I go MM or MC which will give me more accurate sound??

Thanks

Mattythegreat

And yes I should mention a preamp why not look at some of the older units such as a Classe DR-5 pre many times they are going for a song. They are built with great care and sound fabulous and the are very reliable.If tubes is your thing look at an older Theta,or conrad johnson, beautiful sound and their easy on tubes.

Honestly I would go for a used VPI scout or maybe a used again HW-19. There going for great prices here they are very easy to maintain, and setup. And it leaves you with left over funds for alot of used vinyl.