Help with a budget turntable/amp/speaker system?

Get the AT-440 cart...with your budget, it's really all you can afford and it'll probably do just fine with the music you like...forget Theil and Vandersteens -- they're out of you price range and, speaking from experience (2CE sigs and 3A sigs), Vandys are great for jazz, light classical and especially vocals but are a little laid-back for your tastes, IMO...also, they are rather easily overdriven at the higher volumes you are likely to listen to...they actually have an LED warning light that comes on at what you may consider routine volume levels...I have no experience with Theils but I think they are a bit pricey for your range....a used NAD integrated would make a fine bang-for-buck choice...I confer with Bank738's Wharfedale recco...I have had Pacific EVO 30s and Diamond 9.6s...you will get the SPLs you want but they can also deliver the nuance and detail that audiophiles crave...I would also consider used Klipsches...some may hate them, but their high sensitivity (usually 90 dB/w/m or better) will mate well with the relatively low power integrateds in your range...don't let that statement put you off...50 WPC from an integrated with a real power supply will blow away 100 WPC from a cheapo surround receiver...as for budget, the cart is about $50, leaving you with $650 for speakers/integrated...I'd split that 50-50 with a little give one way or the other depending on what's available...try to go local as shipping will eat up a huge chunk of your budget...sorry for the run-on...good luck and happy listening....keep us informed!!!

One more thought: I know there are a lot of devotees to the NAD 3020 and it was a game-changer but that was back in the '80s and the Marantz goes back to the '70s...I know there are lots of examples of these that are still playing fine but the probabilty of cap failure starts becoming a concern at about 20 yrs...if all things were equal, I'd go for the newer 315 BEE...you might also consider one of the Cambridge integrateds...they've just introduced new models and I've seen a lot of deals on their late-model used stuff...I've never had one but they get raves and I am a big fan of their digital stuff (740 CD player and DAC-Magic)...

Yeah I was a bit worried about that too, because who knows what's happened to that amp over the course of 30-40 years?

Before I posted this, I was leaning towards the Denon-110 for the cartridge but now I'm leaning towards the AT-440MLA. It just seems more reliable after all the great reviews, and I posted a similar thread on a different website and everyone suggested the AT as well.
I think I'm going to end up just using the C315BEE for simplicity's sake.

thank you all so much for the help! :)

I'd stay away from a MC cart on my first TT...unless the integrated you get has a MC input, you'll need a separate phono amp...not in the budget...I also thought you were looking at the $50 AT 95E cart...not the $220 AT440...suit yourself, but I doubt I'd spend 20% of my budget on a cart for a starter system....I personally wouldn't go much over $100...you might also look at the lower-end Grados, Sumiko Pearl, Shure M97, etc...very good for the dollar...and all have at least 4 mV output...compatibly with any MM input...

One last idea and then I'll shut up until you report back...there are a few very good budget monitors out there that might give you very high bang for buck...the first that comes to mind is the new Pioneer SP-BS41-LR...I believe it got a Stereophile C rating ( definitely peruse stereophile's budget component reviews online...especially Stephen Mejias' columns...I have a feeling he's right up your alley) and it's $150/pair...others such as NHT super zero or Wharfedale Diamond 10.1 are also well-reviewed...augment a pair of those with a cheap thrift store sub and you'd have a killer micro-budget system that would deliver the occasional punch you probably crave...I have enjoyed the audiophile hobby for many years and have been through lots of high-end floorstanders yet these days I prefer to listen to monitors on stands...for me, they deliver most of the oomph of the big boys and have superior imaging and presence...plus, they're cheap enough to swap out on occasion...if I want to rock out, I turn on my homemade subs (low-Q sealed with Shiva drivers)...worth considering and it frees up more of your budget for a nice integrated or that AT 440...

let us know what you come up with...