Budget Turntable

I second the KAB Technics route. Add a Denon cartridge and I think you'll find the sound competitive well above its price point.

Michael

Cerrot, the KAB-modified Technics really are quite special. I've previously had a Music Hall MMF-5 and a Project RM-6B that the Technics trounces. (The chasm widens with the addition of a Denon DL-103 cartridge.) I had also borrowed a Nottingham Horizon that the Technics handily beat, as well.

Michael

Cerrot, on what do you base your assertion that "that 'J' arm is way heavy and the direct drive is sooo noisey"? I had to actually at the (included) headshell weight to have an overall arm mass to match my Denon 103. And I've experienced none of the motor noise that you refer to. It outperforms the belt-driven tables I've had in the past. Have you listened to a unit with the fluid damping system? And no, I've never heard a Rega P3 so I can't provide a comparison.

It seems that we're getting a little off-topic. The original poster wanted a system that would allow someone to enjoy vinyl on a relative budget. Several of us have offered the KAB-modified Technics as a viable option. None of us are claiming it's the be-all-end-all turntable, but it provides excellent value, reliability, ease of adjustment, and compatibility with a wide range of cartridges. Not to mention top-notch support from Kevin at KAB.

Michael

Cerrot, that's interesting because your experience with the Technics vs Project is completely opposite of mine. I found the light Project arm to be difficult to match with cartridges that offered strong value, the arm was difficult to properly adjust the VTA and anti-skate, and the turntable itself was extremely sensitive to vibration. With the same cartridge, the Technics sounds so much better to me, and gave me a much better signal-to-noise ratio. I also previously had a Music Hall table (similar in many ways to the Project), and it couldn't hold a candle to my Technics. Which mods did your "highly modded Technics" have that didn't do as well as the Rega?

The original poster asked about a Rega P3 and a Clearaudio Emotion (neither of which I've ever listened to). I'm sure both would work just fine, as they get good press. As for budget phono stages, it depends on how much you want to spend. On the inexpensive side, the Parasound zPhono is a good value for around $100, and the Acurus P10 and Musical Surroundings Phenomena are a little better for a couple hundred dollars more. The Dynavector P75 also gets good reviews.

Best of luck,

Michael