Looking for not too expensive Turntable


I want a vintage turntable for a second system with a tube amplifier. I read the Pioneer PL-12 is good sounding without any jitter due to being belt drive. I can actually hear jitter. I owned a direct drive TT and it had jitter. My Garrard 401 did not have any jitter either. Suggestions? Pioneer PL-12 good?

fisher_400

Showing 5 responses by chakster

When it comes to vintage turntables, nothing can beat the price/quality of Technics SP-10MKII (i use teak wood custom plinth), a little bit cheaper and quite rare is Technics SP-20 (i have a spare one). Adding tonearm like Victor UA-7045 will not make this combo much more expensive. Plinth or no plinth is a matter of taste. I would suggest Technics is the best DD choice when it's reasonably priced on used market (best buy, imo).
SP10 is not inexpensive.

Just ot make it clear:
the first SP10 does not have Quartz-locked speed control like all the later made and improved models, such as SP10mkII and SP20 
@lewm 

Denon DP80 can "beat" SP10 Mk2 by a small margin. Can be found for $600 to $900. (I owned them both, both in custom slate plinths, ran them side by side in my system. End of editorial.)
 The OP said the budget is $250 for the whole system 
I don’t know any other top class turntables with such a high torque like the SP-10mk2 (or mk3). In terms of usability this is the best, i wish all my DD could immediately start/stop like the SP-10mk2 or at lest like the Technics SP-20. But none of them (Luxman PD-444 or Victor TT-101) can compete with Technics torque. Never tried Denon, but i’m sure the platter is like Victor’s. I know they have another advantages and i know why the torque is not that high and the platter is not so heavy. But for usability the high torque is amazing feature, that’s why it was studio broadcast turntable, that’s why even lower technics are "disco" turbtables.

The visual part of the hi-end gear is important for me too, i prefer the classics, in terms of design those SP-10mkII, SP-20 are so nice (but not in the stock obsidian plinth, imo).