Hi Lkdog, to be somewhere near your budget used is the ticket, definitely. You could start with something that does perform incredibly well and has a lot of support: a Thorens TD160, right now there is a MKII going on Audiogon (don't know the seller, yadda-yadda) for $235 with excellent MM cartridge. This 'table has excellent pace and dynamics (make sure the springs are level), good detail retrieval, deep bass and a decent tonearm, as long as you stick with MMs. For an excellent phono stage the Antique Sound Lab Mini Phono, which is a tubed unit and excellent value, sells for $250. Ta-da. Of course, the rest here are right and once you're hooked you'll likely get into better components at a higher premium. There are other excellent 'tables which can be had at the $200-$300 level, underrated sleepers like the AR turntables, the Aristons (RD-11s are superb), a variety of heavier direct-drives, and so on. The Thorens is a good place to start, though, due to websites like the following: http://www.theanalogdept.com/
Trying a turntable-it sounds crappy, what's up??
Borrowed a friends TT.
It is a Technics SL-1900 Direct drive(Panasonic circa 1980's is my guess).
The cartidge is an Audio TEchnica with the #'s 22780 on it.
I hooked it up to my Musical Fidelity A300 integrated amp which has a dedicated phono input.
I aa not sure if this TT and cartidge should be on the MM or MC setting.
I have tried both and one is louder than the other.
I had not used a TT since my Phillips belt drive was stolen 12 years ago. It certainly sounded better than this or maybe I am just nostalgic.
I was kind of excited about trying a TT again as I have about 300 albums from college and the 80's/early 90's.
Anyway-I pulled out Steely Dan Gaucho (a good recording if memory serves me) and it sounded warmish but a kind of muffled. Nothing was really that defined.
I teid a nice Elvis Costello aLP and it also sounded very undynamic.
I have a decent digital front end (CAry 308 CD Player) and nice speakers (ACI Sapphires with an ACI Titan Sub). MAny feel that this Cary and these speakers tend toward neutral and warmish sound. Nice system.
What's up-is this a crappy turntable or a crummy cartridge?
WHich setting should this be on MC or MM?
Thanks for any insight-I wa skind of thinking about taking the plunge again, but am not sure now.
It is a Technics SL-1900 Direct drive(Panasonic circa 1980's is my guess).
The cartidge is an Audio TEchnica with the #'s 22780 on it.
I hooked it up to my Musical Fidelity A300 integrated amp which has a dedicated phono input.
I aa not sure if this TT and cartidge should be on the MM or MC setting.
I have tried both and one is louder than the other.
I had not used a TT since my Phillips belt drive was stolen 12 years ago. It certainly sounded better than this or maybe I am just nostalgic.
I was kind of excited about trying a TT again as I have about 300 albums from college and the 80's/early 90's.
Anyway-I pulled out Steely Dan Gaucho (a good recording if memory serves me) and it sounded warmish but a kind of muffled. Nothing was really that defined.
I teid a nice Elvis Costello aLP and it also sounded very undynamic.
I have a decent digital front end (CAry 308 CD Player) and nice speakers (ACI Sapphires with an ACI Titan Sub). MAny feel that this Cary and these speakers tend toward neutral and warmish sound. Nice system.
What's up-is this a crappy turntable or a crummy cartridge?
WHich setting should this be on MC or MM?
Thanks for any insight-I wa skind of thinking about taking the plunge again, but am not sure now.