help choosing, and finding, a turntable

Hi, I am kinda new to the analog world. My mom gave me all her old records but the turntable she gave me (Technics SL-B200) doesn't work. It was dropped when moving and she claimed it always had a grounding issue. Instead of trying to fix it, I figured get a new one. I have a TX-SR703 amp and B&W DM604 S3 mains. I have been doing some research but most of the stuff I come across seems to be geared towards DJs. I just wanna lie back on the couch and listen to some Jethro Tull, not remix J-Lo. I am kinda flexible on price....if it is worth it I don't mind spending the cash. I was thinking in the 100-200 dollar range, but for all I know that could be too little or maybe all I need is 50 ebay special. Thanks!

Brands like Rega, ProJect & Music Hall all offer an entry level better than average turntable with a supplied cartridge for around $299.00. Maybe less if you find a special. I personally lean toward Rega as it was my choice. I think any of them though would give you much better sound from vinyl than what we were used to hearing in the 70's. I had an old Pioneer for almost 20 years, almost replaced it a couple times but the new turntables with fancy features never sound better than my Pioneer. I was in the midst of upgrading my system and when it was time for a turntable I auditioned a Rega Planar 2 in my system. The improvement over my charished Pioneer was incredible. Honestly I didn't know vinyl could sound that good, such a lack of noise and increase in fidelity.

I feel these $299.00 tables are a good mid point, you can go much more expensive. There are also cheaper and then there are the DJ stuff. Many people like the Technics 1200. I still personally feel the DJ tables don't offer the musicality of a hi fi turntable. It all depends on how important the sound is to you. You could probably check on Craigslist and find one somebody has had in their closet for years and now willing to sell for a few bucks that will get you buy. Here's a couple websites to look just to get an idea of range.

www.amusicdirect.com

www.acousticsounds.com

Do you have a phono input? If not, you may want to consider a turntable with a line level output, as opposed to the usual turntable that requires a phono input or a separate phono preamp. Example:

http://www.crutchfield.com/p_033DP30...0F.html?tp=200

If you are wanting to go cheaper, Denon makes a TT for $150. I think its the DP 29F. Check out www.needledoctor.com I think Best Buy also sells it. Otherwise look on www.audiogon.com for a used TT.

Thanks for all the advice I really appreciate it. Yes, the receiver has a phono input. This is a great starting point. Thanks again.

You could always look on a certain auctions site for Rega Planar 2/3 and Systemdek Turntables...Most are of 80's vintage, but if I recall, this is when manufacturers were having to battle with newly emerging CD, so tended to be on top of their games...Also, make sure they are supplied with a good tonearm from Rega (RB2xx 3xx series) or maybe Linn (Basik, Basik LVX, Basik Plus etc)

A good no brainer for a cartridge to get you started is the Audio Technica AT95E for about $30...Sounds sweet as...

Oh, and then there's setting them all up to work beautifully together....Well...that's another volume ;)

Hope this makes sense :)

Chris.

The Rega Planar 2 & 3 are still current models. I'm not sure when these were first introduced or how much tweaking Rega has done over the years.

I may be off but last I knew the P2 was around $550.00 new and the P3 a couple hundred more, I personally wouldn't put a $30.00 cartridge on a table of that calibur. In fact, most believe you should put the bulk of your turntable budget into the cartridge.

If one isn't familiar with setting up a turntable it might be good to buy locally if they are able and willing to provide service after the sale, such as set up help and future advice or FAQ.

There are really two I would consider - the Technics 1200 for durability and it sounds better than it gets credit for. The other would be the Project Debut series but get the one with a phono stage built in. Both are plug and play.

Some retailers are selling stripped down Technics SL 1200 - kinda knock-offs for a low price - apparently they are also pretty good but I don't know much about them.