Suggestions for buying (Very First)Turntable

[vsvasan]

Would like buy my first Turntable,more specifically to play LP records of 70s & 80s regional film music (Ilayaraja) and
the budget is 80 to 100K. Look forward to have your expert advice/suggestions about various make/model of TTs
suitable for above music genre & budget.

Have not used TT before,hence would like to know the following details:

- Whether belt drive TTs offer better sound quality than Direct Drive TTs ?

- Automatic TTs are same as Direct Drive TTs ?

- Which are the most significant parts contributing to sound quality & hope most of the parts can be upgraded at later stage :
Cartridge,Tone arm,Headshell,Plinth,Platter,counter weight,slipmat

Thanks

 

[A K Bhattacharjee]

Considering your budget, there are many options. Rega, Project debut, Audio technica etc. I would recommend Pioneer plx 1000 costing around 60k which is almost similar to Technics. However there is no comparison to Technics. Technics 1200 MK7 is available in India retailing around 100k.
Belt drive tts are known for noiseless operation. However high end direct drive tts are also good(like Technics).
All automatic tts are not direct drive. In golden era there were many automatic direct drive tts. Now it is very difficult find a new one. Nowadays direct drive turntables are mostly belt drive.
People love belt drive tts because of their noiseless operation. This doesn't mean that direct drive turntables are less popular. Technics is the best example.
Cartridge & tone arm these two are most important parts of a tt. Platter, mats & plinth also plays important roles. TTs with heavy base are less prone to vibration. In my opinion rubber mats are better than felt mat. Hope these information will help to decide to a some extent. Other fms will also share their opinions.
Best of luck.

 

[vsvasan]

Considering your budget, there are many options. Rega, Project debut, Audio technica etc. I would recommend Pioneer plx 1000 costing around 60k which is almost similar to Technics. However there is no comparison to Technics. Technics 1200 MK7 is available in India retailing around 100k.
Belt drive tts are known for noiseless operation. However high end direct drive tts are also good(like Technics).
All automatic tts are not direct drive. In golden era there were many automatic direct drive tts. Now it is very difficult find a new one. Nowadays direct drive turntables are mostly belt drive.
People love belt drive tts because of their noiseless operation. This doesn't mean that direct drive turntables are less popular. Technics is the best example.
Cartridge & tone arm these two are most important parts of a tt. Platter, mats & plinth also plays important roles. TTs with heavy base are less prone to vibration. In my opinion rubber mats are better than felt mat. Hope these information will help to decide to a some extent. Other fms will also share their opinions.
Best of luck.

Thanks for the explanation!
One query : Cartridge & tone arm can be replaced for up-gradation purpose.Whether platter & mats are also used to be replaced for such purpose?

 

[A K Bhattacharjee]

Thanks for the explanation!
One query : Cartridge & tone arm can be replaced for up-gradation purpose.Whether platter & mats are also used to be replaced for such purpose?

Platter may not be replaced easily & also not advisable because speed, wow & flutter are all adjusted taking into consideration the weight of the platter. Mats can be replaced according to your choice/hearing pleasure.

 

[Debojit]

Saw a Clearaudio Concept on sale in Olx along with a Clearaudio phono. It is a very good table and works well with their phono.

 

[bhaskarcan]

Considering your budget, there are many options. Rega, Project debut, Audio technica etc. I would recommend Pioneer plx 1000 costing around 60k which is almost similar to Technics. However there is no comparison to Technics. Technics 1200 MK7 is available in India retailing around 100k.
Belt drive tts are known for noiseless operation. However high end direct drive tts are also good(like Technics).
All automatic tts are not direct drive. In golden era there were many automatic direct drive tts. Now it is very difficult find a new one. Nowadays direct drive turntables are mostly belt drive.
People love belt drive tts because of their noiseless operation. This doesn't mean that direct drive turntables are less popular. Technics is the best example.
Cartridge & tone arm these two are most important parts of a tt. Platter, mats & plinth also plays important roles. TTs with heavy base are less prone to vibration. In my opinion rubber mats are better than felt mat. Hope these information will help to decide to a some extent. Other fms will also share their opinions.
Best of luck.

+1 for Pioneer PLX1000 and Technics 1200mk7.

 

[vsvasan]

Platter may not be replaced easily & also not advisable because speed, wow & flutter are all adjusted taking into consideration the weight of the platter. Mats can be replaced according to your choice/hearing pleasure.

Thanks!

+1 for Pioneer PLX1000 and Technics 1200mk7.

How about VPI Industries TTs, models such "the player" & "Cliffwood" ? thinking of stretching my budget to go for VPI TTs and settle with the same for longer time.

 

[bhaskarcan]

How about VPI Industries TTs, models such "the player" & "Cliffwood" ? thinking of stretching my budget to go for VPI TTs and settle with the same for longer time.

If budget can be stretched, VPI TTs are great options.

Regards

 

[Kumar101]

Seriously worth listening to Rega, been making great Turntables for a very long time. Here video of the owner describing their TT's:

 

[yogitashwer]

Saw a Clearaudio Concept on sale in Olx along with a Clearaudio phono. It is a very good table and works well with their phono.

He is asking too much for clearaudio tt.

 

[reubensm]

if you are looking for a one time investment, marquee and legendary technics brand, fantastic performance (especially with older records that need greater tonearm capabilities) with little hassle (almost plug and play) and even if you want a change later - a fast moving deck with high resale value, then look no further than the Technics SL1200 or 1210 series (especially the MK2 if purchasing as used).

Note: First time users usually prefer the tonearm auto-return feature. The SL1200/1210 series feature manual tonearms so you'd have to manually return the tonearm (using the tonearm lift) to base after a side is played. However manual tonearms are more accurate and manual turntables are less noisy.

 

[yogitashwer]

if you are looking for a one time investment, marquee and legendary technics brand, fantastic performance (especially with older records that need greater tonearm capabilities) with little hassle (almost plug and play) and even if you want a change later - a fast moving deck with high resale value, then look no further than the Technics SL1200 or 1210 series (especially the MK2 if purchasing as used).

Note: First time users usually prefer the tonearm auto-return feature. The SL1200/1210 series feature manual tonearms so you'd have to manually return the tonearm (using the tonearm lift) to base after a side is played. However manual tonearms are more accurate and manual turntables are less noisy.

Technics is easily available on eBay used one is it gud to buy from there .

 

[reubensm]

Ttems bought on eBay from 'high-reputation' sellers are generally as described but shipping costs and customs duty (inclusive of GST) are highly prohibitive. The ability of the seller to pack the item well is also very important. If you have someone locally who can receive the shipment and carry the turntable back to India for you, thats the best and most cost effective way.

 

[Sopra]

Technics sl1200 was my first. Rugged like a tank and easy to setup

 

[hector2013]

Would like buy my first Turntable,more specifically to play LP records of 70s & 80s regional film music (Ilayaraja) and
the budget is 80 to 100K. Look forward to have your expert advice/suggestions about various make/model of TTs
suitable for above music genre & budget.

Have not used TT before,hence would like to know the following details:

- Whether belt drive TTs offer better sound quality than Direct Drive TTs ?

- Automatic TTs are same as Direct Drive TTs ?

- Which are the most significant parts contributing to sound quality & hope most of the parts can be upgraded at later stage :
Cartridge,Tone arm,Headshell,Plinth,Platter,counter weight,slipmat

Thanks

Technics 1200 or 1210 series will be my recommendation. You can't go wrong with these highly reliable TTs as they are built like a tank & are almost plug & play. If you look for reliable resellers in India, you may get a used one in good condition. Otherwise, importing one from reputed ebay sellers in Japan can be option. But as reubensm has shared the import duty & other taxes can be quite high. You will have to add at least 55% on top of the ebay price to get an estimate of the net landed cost at your place in India.

Along with the the TT, you will have to find a good cartridge & stylus. For the genre you intend to play, either a Nagaoka MP110 or Shure M95ED will be recommended.

 

[General_sound]

Hi. Chipping in a bit late! You did mention ur records are from the 70's&80's. I do hope they are in good condition as many LPs of that era were played on ceramic carts and simpler tts. Why I am saying this is that certain tt/cartridge combination have a tendency to pick up surface noise. Surprisingly ,a few low end cartridges with conical styli are more forgiving, at the cost of treble roll off or resolution.
So before taking a decision, see the condition of your LPs, clean them and try to audition either at a dealer or friend.
Ur budget can get you some fine tt by Pioneer ,Technics and British/ European manufacturers.

 

[arj]

Would like buy my first Turntable,more specifically to play LP records of 70s & 80s regional film music (Ilayaraja) and
the budget is 80 to 100K. Look forward to have your expert advice/suggestions about various make/model of TTs
suitable for above music genre & budget.

Have not used TT before,hence would like to know the following details:

- Whether belt drive TTs offer better sound quality than Direct Drive TTs ?

- Automatic TTs are same as Direct Drive TTs ?

- Which are the most significant parts contributing to sound quality & hope most of the parts can be upgraded at later stage :
Cartridge,Tone arm,Headshell,Plinth,Platter,counter weight,slipmat

Thanks

Do you have a Phono-stage ? of so please do factor that into your budget as well. BTW What is the rest of the system like ie in terms of the Amp and speaker ?

Based on the Phono you can plan for the right cartridge. and 70s/80s means it most probably will be 33/45 rpm LPs
Once you have the budget fixed we can plan the TT+Cart or if needed the Phono.

A Rega TT+ Phono deal might give you a better deal and the Cart also setup well.,