Best turntable under $4000

$4000 for a turntable?  lol

That's more than I spent for the used Lexus that I've been driving for the past seven years or so... 

I have an old Sansui turntable that still performs just fine... I think I spent $100, maybe, plus a decent cartridge.  It's mainly nostalgic clutter, now, though... and I'm considering getting rid of it. 

To each his own, I guess.  ... values and priorities... some like bling, some prefer practicality or investments that actually go up in value - I'll take that 4k and drop it into an S&P 500 Index fund, thank you very much.  

@cpdkee and everyone else, for that matter: Spend your money on whatever you want. It’s your money. Only you can decide if you’re being frivolous or not. You decide your own values, and by definition how you use your money reflects your values.

My condescension is reserved for people who believe that spending more equals greater enjoyment. That’s not how life works.

I condescend to the people who condescend to the frugal sorts who understand that more money does not essentially equate to more enjoyment and NOT even to greater performance in audioland... nor in cars, for that matter.  

If you want a suggestion, then here’s one: Technics. You can get a new, well-reviewed Technics for around $1000 or so if you shop around. You can get a used one for much less.

But, if spending $4000 on a turntable makes you feel better, well, have at it! All is well.

@jerryg123 all is well, jerry.

"Diminishing returns" does depend on one's measure, and some can be measured, and some are purely subjective... 

And if spending more and more money equates to equally more subjective enjoyment, well that's fine, and subjective... 

But to think that spending more definitely gets better discernibly better performance in audioland is delusional.  I don't think that's any "new news."  

So like I've repeated here and in many other places, enjoy what one enjoys.  If one is aware of the issues and the alternatives, is educated and informed, then at that point, assuming that the person is rational and well-intentioned, A person can play his chips however he feels fit.

all that said, 

congratulations on your Kenwood.  I'm sure it's a very nice piece.  

@lewm

your statements about the S&P 500 show how unsophisticated you are when it comes to money... 

so it wouldn't surprise me if you think stereo gear represents a sound long-term investment strategy... 

But like I said, if people have money to burn and want to spend it on expensive stereo gear - or any other bling that turns 'em on - well, OK.  And, if one wants to spend $4000 on a turntable, or a piece of wire for that matter, and they really do enjoy it that much more than a less expensive tt or wire, well I guess that's OK too (as long as they don't hypocritically btch about the evils of marketing or selfish capitalism itself, lol) if that's where their values reside... my own value system, and thus my own money, resides elsewhere...  but at this point I'm repeating myself.

But, just don't expect me to agree that one needs to spend $4000 on a turntable to get excellent sound.  And the last thing you want to do is try to convince me that stereo gear is some sort of "investment" in the financial sense.  

@yogiboy

@lewm

I am not a "big time" investor, and I am not a money manager looking for new clients. I am a systematic and patient investor, using the power of compounding and time over decades to ultimately produce a reliable income that means security. But that process can be seriously damaged by unwise spending. And, in fact, I would advise against most money managers, because automatic investing in index funds is not only the best way to do it, but also quite simple IF one just takes the time to read a book or two...

And I do feel sad when I see people damaging their financial futures by throwing money at things that ultimately don’t matter to performance: especially young people who damage their futures by buying fancy blingy toys, like fancy new cars or unnecessarily expensive audio equipment to impress their so-called friends... but, hey, if one has money to burn and bling is a priority for whatever reason, then have at it, but I am not impressed. Bling is pretty to look at and toys are fun to handle, but aren’t people here more interested in music reproduction? (well, maybe not... some people here are more technophiles and blingophiles than musicphiles.)

What I AM is an audio enthusiast with a passion for music - ... for music ... - reproduced in a high-quality rich natural enjoyable way with livable components, but here’s my twist, as an antidote for the spend-crazy faction on this site: frugality. Frugality is being wise with money. My speciality in the audio world is excellent music production that can be, with care and knowledge, had for surprisingly little money through the careful selection of high-value products.

Many people on this site are enamored with bling or with impressing each other with how much money they spend on things that are ultimately trivial for the excellent reproduction of music. I am providing a contrarian view, a view carefully come to over four decades in the hobby, to that tendency. The throw-money-at-it tendency is a real disservice to anybody who, for example, might be new to the hobby or who might not actually realize, because maybe they never tried it, having been convinced by deluded audiofools who equate spending money with achieving excellent sound, that high-level audio can be had for surprisingly little money.

Some people on this site don’t want to hear any of that though...

@lewm if you have the money to burn, have at it.  

as for Sansui being a joke, that's news to me... at least as vintage products, they are generally well-respected.  It certainly doesn't perform as a joke; as far as turntables are concerned it's still rock solid.  Now, if you'd say having spent $4000 on a vintage turntable of ANY sort is joke, well then there we can agree.

... and vintage stuff is fun and nice to handle and look at... but I've moved away from vintage, overall; I don't need the clutter any more... just have a couple last older items remaining.  

Indeed, turntables overall are a nostalgia trip, honestly.  Maybe that's why the "fogies" you describe like them!  I used to like 'em too, and still do I guess, sort of... and yes they do sound different (different) than most digital sources... noisier... and they are fun to use, I suppose...   

Hey, if $4000+ turntables turn you on, all is well, in the end; you are expressing your values.  However, nothing - and I mean nothing - that I've ever seen nor heard has convinced me that $4000+ for a turntable is necessary by any stretch to achieve fine audio.. other than a stretch of magical thinking.  At that pricepoint, sure they're pretty and cool and fun to show off "wow" and nice to handle, and sure they sound nice but not necessary.  At that point they are more like elaborate shiny toys, high performance yes for sure, and toys are fun, I get it.  But one can get high-performance tt toys for far less money.

I stand by my assertions.