Affordable Turntable Options

The U-Turn tables, made in MA by the way, work beautifully. I know a few people who bought them and think they sound great, and the fixed bias actually works fine. They're simply too inexpensive to be taken seriously by some, but that's a typical attitude among so called audiophiles…if it ain't expensive it can't be good.

I bought a old Linn Basik/Akito a few years ago and had to change the tone arm cable (actual rat bites I hadn't noticed when I picked it up from the seller…oh well), but beyond that and choosing a cartridge that meets my needs it's an great sounding table. 

Thanks, I ordered up a new U-Turn with the nice solid wood base they now offer. I didn't select the cartridge as neither the Grado Black nor Ortofon Red really excite me. I'll take it with the default budget AT cartridge and replace it myself. So any suggestions on a good budget cartridge?

Nice choice.  U-Turns strike me as great way to get back into vinyl without spending a lot.  And the solid wood plinth makes them much more attractive.

Don't know what your budget is, but I would recommend the Audio Technica AT-120E/B.  Its the only cartridge in its price class with a nude elliptical stylus similar to that in an Ortofon 2M Blue but for a lot less.

Actually, that cartridge was at the top of my short list....Thanks!

Typo..I meant "it's A great sounding table." Also, I can recommend a Sumiko Pearl cartridge as that's what a nearby Turntable Expert (works at a local high end gear joint) sold me a few years ago after I was whining about the shrill tone I was hearing from a new AT440…again, the Pearl is relatively el-cheapo so some can feel they're not spending enough money, but meh…I like it so much I bought a stylus replacement from the Needle Doctor just to see if I needed it (not sure but I stuck it on anyway and damn, it sounds great), and also asked for some advice about knitting needle repair and the town of Needles, CA, but the Doctor was somewhat less helpful regarding those topics…not sure if those guys are REAL doctors, but the Pearl is great anyway.