Harman Kardon T35C Turntable and TCC phono preamp?

Regarding the turntable -- YES! Very nice unit. I've owned the T25, T35 and T55 over the years and they are all perfectly competitive with $300-$500 units of today depending on cartridge.

Regarding the phono preamp -- NO! Look for a used NAD PP1 or PP2, Music Hall Phono Pack, Creek OBH series, Pro-Ject Phono Box or Rotel RQ. You should be able to get one for $50-$150. But even new, all of the aforementioned are bargains.

Without knowing which cartridge you are going to use, it's hard to make any specific recommendations. I would recommend something in the $100 range -- an Ortofon OM10, for example, is a nice choice because if you get into the whole vinyl scene again you can keep the cartridge but upgrade the stylus and obtain improved performance. But there are others as well.

I would call Needle Doctor or Music Direct and ask for suggestions. They will be able to suggest a cartridge and preamp that will match well with your system and individual tastes.

Hi Jerry,

To be honest, I'd never even heard of the TCC brand until this thread and it took me a lot of Googling before I found a site that sold them. You gotta admit...they appear really uninspiring.

Given TCC's relative obscurity and lack of "audiophile" credentials, my feeling was that, since Gha is new to vinyl, better to go with a known quantity. Also, I know if he buys a used Creek, Rega, Cambridge, etc that he will be able to get his money out of it if he decides to upgrade.

I'm glad to hear it's a good product for the money. I was just trying to play it safe here since Gha seemed ready to pull the trigger.