Turntables for beginners

[denzong]

Hi Friends,

i know that this has been raised many a times here on the forums but even after reading through all of them i am still confused.

you can say i am a new listener as well as an old one. My dad has some 100 LPs (including some Rajasthani ones, which are very rare) with him in various formats and a Philips player (quite old i must say...maybe around 25 years plus) and in great working condition. My brother has asked my dad for all of these therefore to keep my music interest in place i have to buy a new one and restart the collection.

i am working in the digital media and know all about the digitization of music and also have a nice big collection of digital music collected from all over the world. but once you have been bitten by the analog music its hard to turn back.

keep this same thing in my mind i have thought of getting back in the scene. now here is what the biggest predicament is all about.

for a beginner is it worthwhile to indulge in a new TT.
see i have inquired around the market and here are the offers i have got:

Pro-ject Debut 3 for Rs. 22000 (with inbuild phono)
Rage for Rs. 255000
Used Gerrard for Rs. 6500
Philips used for Rs. 4500
Denon new Rs. 15000

now what i want to know is: should i put in so much money as a beginner on the TT, which would effectively reduce my budget for buying vinyls, or should i go in for a good used one (change the cartridge if the need be), get my collection in place and then after some time buy a good TT.

also would the old Gerrards and Philips be compatible to my Yamaha AV Amplifier.

Guys i am really confused here with all the reviews and expert opinions and actually looking for a very simple solution.

would appreciate a clear guidance here

regards

amit

Using: Panasonic 32LCD, Videocon 32LCD, Yamaha AV Receiver 347, Yamaha Home Theater System, Samsung & HP Laptops, Fuji Film SLR Cameras, Casio Digital Camera, Iphone & Black Berry, Airtel DTH

 

[denzong]

One more addition to the list of avilable TT - Technics Turntable SL-B2 for Rs. 6500

People need help

 

[jls001]

Hi Amit,

Compatibility of your Yamaha AV amp to Garrard or Philips: you will need a phono preamplifier unless the turntable has an inbuilt preamp. The output of the phono preamp is a line level output and can be fed to any of the audio inputs of your Yamaha AV amp. Except for the ProJect Debut III which you said has phono stage, you will need a phono preamp for the rest. Output of the III can be plugged in directly to AV amp's audio in.

To begin with, why don't you look for an used turntable in the range of 5K-6K in good working condition (incl cartridge and stylus)? If you want plug and play, there are lots of direct drive models from Technics, Pioneer, etc. Setup is easy and operating is easy. I believe there is a Pioneer PL 640 Direct Drive for sale from hemant (hemantwaghe) here on the forum itself (check For Sale By Owners section in the forum). If you don't mind getting more involved in the process, then look for an old beltdrive Garrards, Thorens, Dual, etc. They may need a bit of servicing, etc. There is a school of thought that maintains that belt drives are superior. Of course we will not dwell on that discourse since it's another matter

Joshua

 

[denzong]

Thanks Joshua

Hemants Pioneer is sold but he is offering Technics Turntable SL-B2 for Rs. 6500

i also have a garrard on offer for 6000

what would be a good buy.

also when we talk about the phono preamp where can i get the same in mumbai and how do i check as to what equipment i would need.

 

[venkatcr]

I would actually suggest just the opposite. If you are an amateur TT owner, it becomes quite a issue maintaining an used TT. You have to wonder if it is working at the right speed, take it often for repairs, and be aware of the internals to know whether it is working well or not.

A new TT, on the other hand, will give you 5-6 years of service without any issue and you can enjoy your music, and decide whether you want to continue the Vinyl way from a position of strength.

Cheers

 

[arj]

which garrard is it ? if its is a 301/401 then it is a deal of a lifetime.

 

[Hiten]

Vinyl collection and listening requires maintenance and more dedication than Digital format. I would suggest first listen to a good vinyl setup. See how it goes then decide. If not sure buy a used turntable give it a try, you can sell it to almost at same price you have bought it. If you are sure vinyl is the way for you, invest in good new turntable and enjoy the analogue sound.

 

[hemantwaghe]

which garrard is it ? if its is a 301/401 then it is a deal of a lifetime.

IMO most of 301 /401 s are in "safe hands" with ppl who know it's worth!hyeah:hyeah:hyeah:

 

[denzong]

i have got the following deals in hand as of now

1. Garrard 6200 - shure cartridge and the stylus is of classic with 3 speeds (33,45,78) for rs. 6500
2. cosmic cogram 200bd - cartridge and stylus of classic with 2 speeds (33,45) for rs. 6500
3. philips 242 - artridge and stylus of classic with 2 speeds (33,45) for rs. 3000

now please suggest

 

[hemantwaghe]

why not my technics with shure cart?
btw which yamaha amp you have? model no? does it have phono in?

 

[denzong]

hi hemant,
nothing against you but i am just trying to evaluate the best option. therefore please note i have mentioned about your offer too.
since this is a new thing for me i just want the right gadget
my yamaha is RX - V 361. i am not sure about the phono in... can you describe it to me as a lay man

 

[denzong]

hi hemant, nothing against your payer. since i am starting new i am just evaluating options and want to get the right piece with the peace of mind
my yamaha is RX - V 361. not sure what kinda phono in you talking about

 

[jls001]

my yamaha is RX - V 361. i am not sure about the phono in... can you describe it to me as a lay man

Does it have input marked "phono"? Or does the input selector has something called "phono"? Being an AV amp, it is 99% unlikely to support phono input so you'll likely need a phono preamp. Some choices I can think of are NAD PP2 & PP3, Lyrita's new tube phono stage (on costlier side, but fellow forumers like malvai who've heard it came away mighty impressed), or a cheap one from Norge (in Mahim W, but I heard hearsay that it has hum). Or you can think radically and invest in a Marantz PM5003 amp which has a fairly good phono!

Another different method would be to get an old integrated amp that have phono in (I've recently seen a number of Luxmans, Akais, Pioneers, Sonys, etc) in Chor Bazar. Of course, the usual caveat about checking them thoroughly, applies.
Joshua

 

[jls001]

There is a recent thread on phono amp here: http://www.hifivision.com/phono-turntables/14640-phono-premplifier-riddle.html

 

[denzong]

Pyle PP999 Phono Turntable Pre-Amp is this good for my receiver

also about the final TT choice

 

[jls001]

Pyle PP999 Phono Turntable Pre-Amp is this good for my receiver

also about the final TT choice

I have not listened to Pyle so can't comment. A system build should be - ideally - a marriage of well-matched components. The phono stage (preamp) should do justice to your TT's output. In other words, if your TT is good, you will also need an equally good phono preamp. In other words, a chain is as strong is its weakest link.

Please go and listen to whatever you're interested in. Never buy without first listening it yourself. Your opinion is the one that counts most.
Joshua

 

[denzong]

hey joshua,
thanks a lot for the ultimate word
will be doing this work next weekend and keep all of you posted