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Please recommend me a good-quality turntable (Non-DJ-related).

Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
edited December 2010 in Strut Central
My friend's wife wants to buy him a nice turntable for Christmas. He's not a DJ, he'll only be using it to play records at home. He's not an audiophile, but she wants to get him a nice one rather than some plastic $100 Best Buy turntable. She was originally going to buy him a 1200 ('cause that's what he used to have) until she saw how much they're going for these days. What should I suggest to her? Her budget is $500.

Please and thank you.

  Comments

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    http://www.project-audio.com/main.php?prod=debut&cat=turntables&lang=en
  • discos_almadiscos_alma discos_alma 2,164 Posts
    Those pro-ject turntables are nice, but a little too sparse for my tastes. I like vintage turntables with wooden paneling. Maybe she can find a good used Thorens if there's enough time? Maybe call this dude and see what he has right now?

    http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar_forsale_160rega8.shtml
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Honestly, why not just get a used 1200?
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Honestly, why not just get a used 1200?

    I think she feels weird buying him something used. It's their first Christmas as a married couple.
  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Herm said:
    mannybolone said:
    Honestly, why not just get a used 1200?

    I think she feels weird buying him something used. It's their first Christmas as a married couple.

    I dunno - a 1200 is like a heirloom gift. Don't think of it as "something used," think of it as "vintage"
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Herm said:
    mannybolone said:
    Honestly, why not just get a used 1200?

    I think she feels weird buying him something used. It's their first Christmas as a married couple.

    I dunno - a 1200 is like a heirloom gift. Don't think of it as "something used," think of it as "vintage"

    Good point. I'll spin it that way for her. (no pun intended)
  • YNOTYNOT in a studio apt mixing tuna with the ramen 417 Posts
    musica said:
    Those pro-ject turntables are nice, but a little too sparse for my tastes. I like vintage turntables with wooden paneling. Maybe she can find a good used Thorens if there's enough time? Maybe call this dude and see what he has right now?

    http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar_forsale_160rega8.shtml
    Came in here to this. Never owned one but the local shop swears by them. Think they might be a little pricey and your right they do look a little "new age".
  • InnerSpaceInnerSpace 443 Posts
    musica said:
    Those pro-ject turntables are nice, but a little too sparse for my tastes. I like vintage turntables with wooden paneling. Maybe she can find a good used Thorens if there's enough time? Maybe call this dude and see what he has right now?

    http://www.vinylnirvana.com/ar_forsale_160rega8.shtml

    THIS, I went this route and haven't ever regretted it. Brand new out of the box is fine, but nothing beats a good clean vintage TT like Thorens, Ariston, etc. Especially at the price point you are talking about.

    This might be a dumb question, but does your friend have speakers/amp cause sometimes people don't consider that when they are first time turntable buyers. Like I said, maybe a dumb question...
  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    These are a nice buy, and coming with a decent cartridge already installed saves a lot of hassle and it's ready to go on Xmas day:

    http://www.musicdirect.com/product/88401

    Same goes for this one:

    http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73926
  • edith headedith head 5,106 Posts
    i want one of these for my tv room



    http://www.musichallaudio.com/detail.php?p=3
  • mrmatthewmrmatthew 1,575 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    These are a nice buy, and coming with a decent cartridge already installed saves a lot of hassle and it's ready to go on Xmas day:

    http://www.musicdirect.com/product/88401

    Same goes for this one:

    http://www.musicdirect.com/product/73926

    I was just gonna recommend Rega or MMF.
    They are "new" and are very decet mid level turntables.
  • CBearCBear 902 Posts
    Herm said:
    mannybolone said:
    Honestly, why not just get a used 1200?

    I think she feels weird buying him something used. It's their first Christmas as a married couple.

    This sounds weird to me. Seems like they would know each other well enough by now to be ok with a combination of value and quality. No judgement, just sounded weird.

    I bought a Thorens TD160 Super from craiglist and it changed my whole game. Songs I'd been playing for years sounded like remixes because there were instruments I'd not heard before. Highly recommended.
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    InnerSpace said:

    This might be a dumb question, but does your friend have speakers/amp cause sometimes people don't consider that when they are first time turntable buyers. Like I said, maybe a dumb question...

    Not a dumb question at all. They have a decent home stereo system but that's about it.

    Thanks for all these suggestions! I forwarded her some links and told her I'd help her find a good used 1200 if she decides to go that route.
  • CinisterCeeCinisterCee 863 Posts
    She's just setting herself up for resentment when he upgrades "her first married Christmas gift" to a new 1200.

    b/w

    Get her half-priced earrings
  • Hotsauce84Hotsauce84 8,450 Posts
    CinisterCee said:
    She's just setting herself up for resentment when he upgrades "her first married Christmas gift" to a new 1200.

    b/w

    Get her half-priced earrings

    Ha ha! Nah, he's not picky. He'd be happy with a cheap record player as long as it did what he needed it too (that is, simply play records which, in all honesty, he probably won't even do that often). She wants to get him a nice one though.
  • FlomotionFlomotion 2,390 Posts
    Get a Rega P2 or decent model Project, which are basically Rega clones. By far the best sound for your money.
  • DelayDelay 4,530 Posts
    does the amplifier have a phono preamp? a lot of them produced in the mid 90s don't
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