Turntable and amp combination

marr, get a Rega, MoFi or Pro Ject turntable and an integrated amp with a phono section. I would check out Parasound. They have excellent gear for the money.

I think looscannon nailed it. I would add that Rega's are extremely easy to set up, (usually under 10 mins, once you know what you are doing). You can great deals on parasound gear. I would also add Rogue Audio integrateds as a recommendation as well.

Stay away from the overpriced Belt Drive junk and look for the Japanese high-end Direct Drive like brand new Technics SL1200GR ($1700) or more expensive SL1200G. You will not find anything better than this for reasonable price. 

Rega is not easy to setup at all.

What is easy to setup is Technics with removable headshell and tonearm with VTA on the fly.

Project Carbon Espirit is right now what I have in mind right now. I have also been steered towards Marantz. 
For amps, do most of the people pick solid state amps for vinyl or tube?

parasound Halo is something I previously looked at. I wrongly assumed that I need something different for vinyl. Will include it in the list. 

Regas are not hard to set up but marrduk is right that direct drive is even easier to set and you don't lose on sound quality when you get a quality deck like an upper tier technics.

With respect to ss vs tube, both are good (just depends on personal preference). But SS are maintenance free while most tube amps require regular tinkering. A good combo is a tube preamp going into a SS amp.

For a really good affordable hybrid of Tube and SS integrated. Look at the Rogue Audio Sphinx. It is US made and customer service is excellent. With tube input you get a very natural sound with great sound stage and then the SS amplificationsection will give you the strong bass / low end that you can't get with a tube amp unless you buy a hyper expensive one.

Project Carbon Espirit is right now what I have in mind right now. I have also been steered towards Marantz.

You can discover much better turntables at the same price or very close, what you're looking for at the moment is not good. Read more about Direct Drive turntables and particularly about brand new Technics models on this forum or elsewhere. 

For amps, do most of the people pick solid state amps for vinyl or tube?

Reading your questions it's hard to understand how long you're into audio ?

Solid State or Tube is endless debate, no one will tell you, no matter what source are you using (analog or digital), it is just personal preferences. 

I'll tell you more: when you say "tube" would you like to describe what you mean? Push-pull, single ended, what king of tubes (new or NOS) ? It is all important. Low power tube amp can't drive inefficient speakers, but they can drive high efficient speakers very well. Currently running my Yamamoto A-08s with Zu Audio Druid speakers. The best Solid State amps i ever heard are those from Nelson Pass (Fist Watt) and mine is First Watt F2J. 

Practically SS is better, those from Nelson Pass FIRST WATT are unique design and exceptionally good (and not expensive). 

When I was looking for a new turntable, I originally expected to get a Pro-ject. My dealer, who’s dealt Pro-ject for years, talked me out of that and into a Mofi. 

Yamaha makes nice integrateds for the money...and they have something to fit most price/quality ranges.  Personally like them in silverface va. black.

I don't pretend to be an expert but I'd recommend going with a tube based phono preamp.  I originally purchased a Lehmann SE Black solid state phono peamp but after several years I elected to upgrade my TT to a Clearaudio Concept and Satisfy Carbon tonearm  with a Van den Huul MC10 special edition cartridge.  I elected to also upgrade to a Jolida JD9 II tube phono stage and have been pretty happy with the results.

I too have Salk speakers (Songtowers).  And although my system has outgrown them...they sound better with every upgrade I've made...so they have survived...

Get an Audiolab 6000A intgegrated amp ($999). It has good enough analog (with phono) section and a great digital section.  This will be more than enough for your bookshelf speakers for the moment.

And yes, I vote for the Technics 1200GR ($1700).  You will pretty much blow every TT listed above with this and it will not limit you as your system grows. Spend more on the front end stuff. Also has a removable headshell...which gives you a lot more flexibility with regard to cartridges and...well...headshells.  Even today, Technics still has a head start on everyone else...and at this rate, no one is catching up any time soon..  You will probably not find a better TT at twice the GR price.

Here’s a turntable with built in tube preamp, phono stage, and amp in one unit: https://www.mcintoshlabs.com/products/turntables/MTI100

Rega. At your budget, the direct drives exhibit too much vibration. Unless you also plan to do some DJ'ing. 

Thanks guys. 
I feel like I have a good amount of guidance here. 
Turntable candidates (increasing price)
1. Project Espirit
2. Marantz TT 15S1
3. Technics SL1200GR

Amp Candidates
1. Marantz PM7000N
2. Cambridge Audio CX81
3. Parasound Halo Integrated

As for speakers, down the road I am planning to buy used Wilson Sabrina. But before I do that, I wNt go compare it to a few of the British brands (PMC, Spendor etc). For the moment I am focusing on TT and amp   

Marrduk24. Please don't make the mistakes I did with entry level VPI or Clear Audio or any other new TT which I have heard. Problems begin early with oil, belts and speed control.The quality is not there in that price range. Blew through VPI Scout and Clear Audio Performance with upgraded tonearm. Problems with both.  Finally spent a lot more on SME with series V tonearm. Recommend you start with Linn or Thorens refurbished TT and moving magnet cartridge. American made Grado cartridges punch above their weight and are good entry level value. Several integrated amps have Moving Magnet phono stages. Moving coil requires more sophistication which generally costs more money.Once again, you can buy used for about half the cost of new. Had very good luck on Audition both US and Canada. Do not even look at Ebay.

The pro-ject the classic belt drive turntable, especially the classic SB, is a quality turntable. The SB will give you a taste of a moving coil cartridge, be it the high output blue point #2 or the ortofon quintet red (depending on where you buy it). You can buy the classic SB with ortofon quintet red mc right now from audioadvisor for just $1149. It is regularly $1499. I have owned this tt for many years now and it is a fantastic tt. I have since replaced the cartridge with a Hana el and now it’s even better! Do not listen to those bashing affordable belt drives! Also, yes, the rogue sphinx is a great integrated. Lastly the marantz pm8006 is also a fantastic integrated, all analog, with a very nice phono mm section that would pair nicely with the above mentioned blue point #2 high output mc cartridge on the classic sb tt. Read Michael Fremers review of the classic SB TT.
https://www.analogplanet.com/content/pro-ject-classic-sb-superpack-turntable-%E2%80%9Cbrains%E2%80%9...

Here's the pm8006

https://www.us.marantz.com/en-US/shop/hificomponents/pm8006

@chakster Great advice about a Japanese made DD Technics 1200, even if it’s an older used one, but I’d personally got for a new GR, as I did. It’s a phenomenal deck for the money.

Also, an external phono pre is going to sound better than most internal ones, and also have more loading capabilities. Tavish makes some great tube based phono pres for aprox $700, and have MM and MC inputs. Hook one of those up to a decent integrated amp, and you’re off and running. Just my 2 cents...

@chakster Great advice about a Japanese made DD Technics 1200, even if it’s an older used one, but I’d personally got for a new GR, as I did. It’s a phenomenal deck for the money.

Absolutely, if 1200 series then NEW G or GR, not old for sure.

If old then SP-10 mkII with EPA-100 tonearm (it’s my ex).

For lower budget it can be the SP-20, i just assembled one for a friend in obsidian plinth with custom armboard, saec ss-300 mat, audio union stabilizer, denon da-401 tonearm and at-ml150 occ MM cartridge, look at this beauty.

“It’s my ex” lol


Those decks look awesome. That SP-20 came out beautifully! Phenomenal job. I immediately took screen shots to add to my audio porn pics.


I’ve still got my pretty much fully KAB upgraded and modded 1200M3D from around 2000 or so and my new GR. I can’t bring myself to sell the M3D, just cuz it was just such a fun journey.

That SP-20 came out beautifully! Phenomenal job. I immediately took screen shots to add to my audio porn pics.

Thanks, here is a closeup and yet another view. 

I like that black custom armboard (we made) better than the original on this sh10b3 plinth. 

Awesome, man. Love the plinth and armboard! 

Try to find a good condition or refurbished AR XA turntable; then buy the best arm and MC cartridge you can afford. For phono preamps, try Classe, Parasound, or Behringer

Hi all, first time poster here. In support
of the OP's turntable choice list, I own a Project Debut Carbon Espirit SB about 3 years now and I'm still very happy with it. Build, speed stability, features and sound quality are all very satisfactory at the price. No signs of issues developing anywhere yet.

One thing I will say is I think you'll that you'll want to upgrade the cartridge early on. I went with an Ortofon 2M bronze and it sounds very sweet when we'll set up. Just a little relaxed (which I like) and detail to beat the band. The table and cart are a lovely match. I have it going into a Rothwell Simplex phono stage which is another good choice at that price.I remember the difference when I plugged it in, replacing the phono stage built into my amp. It was more than night and day.

I think they provide a good budget solution and would leave a decent chunk for the amp.

Hey guys

a little bit of change in plans. 
As for TT, thinking of UltraDeck and Technics 1200GR now. Have read all of the previous threads now. They generally end with something like 
  -poster says “ UltraDeck is more laid back and Technics is more dynamic”
   -  chakster says “but you didn’t compare them with same tonearm and cartridge. So your observations aren’t valid”
   - poster says “but that’s what the dealer selected. They must know their stuff”

as for amp, thinking that instead of buying an amp for the speakers I have now, I should buy the amp for speakers I plan to buy when we move to a new house later this year. 
I had done a long audition last year and based on that had settled on Wilson Sabrina. Planning to buy them used to save some dough. 
Also planning to buy used integrated. Want to spend < $5000. Short list is
- Hegel 360
- Luxman 509
- ML 585
- Audio Research VSI75
- Naim Supernait 2
- Krell Vanguard

bunch of these brands are not that easy to find in the used market and you have to wait. 
Would appreciate any inputs on the above and anything else I should be looking at.