I'm helping out a friend who is interested in adding vinyl to his system, but wants the tonearm to pickup after play. Are there any good TT's with this feature that would cost between $200 and $600 used (including tonearm)? Maybe a Thorens? Thanks for any advise.
Look for an AR-XA and install a Lifter. Trouble free ,built like a tank, heavy platter, great arm, quiet, reliable and can be modified easily- A NO BRAINER. Under $100. When and if you wear it out, toss it and get another one. There really aren't any semis I would recommend.
Oracle Alexandria, I really doubt there's any other that compete under $1000. $600 should get you an Alexandria, invest in the pickup of your choice. No, mine's not for sale!
An older Harmon Kardon T-60 would be a good choice.
But there are several auto-lifting mechanisms available that can be added to almost any manual turntable for about $40 brand new. The Expressimo Audio "Lifter" is one of them. It is user installed in about a minute or two, with a self-stick feature, that adheres to the plinth. That opens up the TT selection to just about anything in his price range.
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