Clueless Analog Newbie, Looking to Buy

04-22-09: Nrenter
I know...I know...

Some people make this far more complicated than it really needs to be.

Especially when you consider that BILLIONS of people enjoyed LPs from 1949 to the mid-'80s, of which 90% played their beloved music on turntables nowhere near as good as the PL-120.

No one said (or, at least I didn't) that a budget system can't be enjoyable. But let's not forget the ancillary stuff necessary for it to *be* enjoyable-especially relative to a ceedee reference. Stylus brush. VTF scale. Record cleaning brush. The tools, knowledge and discipline to learn to align your cart. Some way of cleaning the records, particularly if the OP is planning on buying used. LPs are valuable, so some good sleeves for storage. Oh yeah, that brings up the pesky issue of software-how much of that 400.00 budget will go to buying some music? A library of, say, 12 albums is going to get old really, really quick.

Yes, people have been enjoying records for close to a century, but how many of those people would choose ceedee over vinyl on a mid-fi system? Who knows, but if the marketplace is any indication, about 99%-and as much as I like vinyl, I'd probably be in that percentile. If I was in the OP's position and was gifted with a large record collection, it would be fun to buy a cheap record player and spin some tunes. But I'm pretty sure I'd go back to digital for the best sound.

And that was, after all, the OP's initial question.

I've got about 500 CDs and no vinyl. I’m not looking to run out and buy 100s of LPs; I’m sure I’ll slowly acquire them just as I have my CDs.

I’m not looking for miracles, just another means to enjoy my music. My father is an audiophile (a member here, but he has insisted I not mention his name... as to not tarnish his reputation) who claims buying one of these cheaper tables isn’t really worth the investment. I realize it won’t be top notch, but I’m perfectly alright with that.

Thanks again to everyone; I’m searching the classifieds here, amazon, and eBay. I’ll let you know how it works out!

Sounds like all your father's advice on the subject has done is delayed your enjoyment ( or perhaps dissatisfaction ) of an analog front end. Is he willing to pony up some cash to get you an "acceptable" table?

Quite frankly, when I was your age, I "wasted" far more than $400 on far worse ideas. If you don't like the AT table, you'll get most of it back by selling it here on the 'gon. I wish I could say the same for my "bad ideas".