minimal table

[beck]

i need a minimal turntable, not over $700...any suggestions? thanks beck

[JoeE SP9]

Music Hall MMF-5 $549 at www.needledoctor.com
This is a very nice reasonably priced TT. It includes everything so you can play LP's right out of the box. Of course this presumes your receiver has a phono input. If not get the Music Hall Phono Pack $120 from the same place.

[beck]

thank you sir...

[JohnMichael]

Music Hall MMF-5 $549 at www.needledoctor.com
This is a very nice reasonably priced TT. It includes everything so you can play LP's right out of the box. Of course this presumes your receiver has a phono input. If not get the Music Hall Phono Pack $120 from the same place.

Good suggestion that I will second.

[JoeE SP9]

Two of my audio buddies have Music Hall TT's. They and I are favorably impressed with them.

[emorphien]

I'm really happy with my Rega P2 which I got for $450 new with the glass platter. It's a much simpler and more minimalist table than the MMF-5 (which seems pretty nice but I haven't heard one).

Mine didn't come with a cartridge, that cost me another $130.

[dean_martin]

Check out the Pro-Jects while you're looking at the Music Halls at needledoctor.com. The new RM-5 is right at your budget and looks interesting with its carbon fibre tonearm and minimalist plinth. I've had one of the older Pro-Jects for several years and have been pleased. The Rega P3 may still be $695 too. I don't think the P2 is still in production, but if you can find one still in stock somewhere, especially one with the glass platter, you might get a good deal.

[emorphien]

I don't think the P2 is still in production, but if you can find one still in stock somewhere, especially one with the glass platter, you might get a good deal.

Ooh crap thanks! I meant to mention that. The P2 is over and done with as far as production (although there's plenty of support). I had to hunt around and call this weird place in way up in north-eastern NY to get mine.

[dean_martin]

Ooh crap thanks! I meant to mention that. The P2 is over and done with as far as production (although there's plenty of support). I had to hunt around and call this weird place in way up in north-eastern NY to get mine.

Congrats for snaggin' one of those. I followed the buzz about the P2 being discontinued. I wish I had had the extra money at the time to get one of those last ones with the glass platter. (I've learned though that something else will always be there to take my equipment money when I have it.)

[emorphien]

Fortunately for me, my tax return came just in time this year to buy the table before they were all gone!

[basite]

you can also check needledoctor for technics, with $700 you can buy any technics tt
you can also buy a pro-ject rm-5 tt, coming at $649 at needledoctor

[musicoverall]

Ooh crap thanks! I meant to mention that. The P2 is over and done with as far as production (although there's plenty of support). I had to hunt around and call this weird place in way up in north-eastern NY to get mine.

www.cadencebuilding.com? They're actually in northwestern NY - just north of Syracuse. Vladimir is a great guy - part audiophile, part recording engineer. Really knows his stuff. I think he's still got some P2's left. Shipping is free, too!

My second turntable, now in storage, is an old Technics SL-QD22. Got it for $25 on Ebay. The only thing that keeps it from being by far the best sub-$600 table I ever heard is the fact that it only accepts p-mount cartridges, which limits how far you can take it. The thing is dead quiet, something I wasn't sure a direct drive could do. Great arm. Really a steal. I sold my old Rega P3 when this came along.

Still, for the original poster, I'd recommend the P2. Enjoy!

[basite]

The thing is dead quiet, something I wasn't sure a direct drive could do. Great arm. Really a steal. I sold my old Rega P3 when this came along.

Still, for the original poster, I'd recommend the P2. Enjoy!

dunno, my luxman pd-282 is also extremely quiet, in fact, you don't hear it spin.

[emorphien]

www.cadencebuilding.com? They're actually in northwestern NY - just north of Syracuse. Vladimir is a great guy - part audiophile, part recording engineer. Really knows his stuff. I think he's still got some P2's left. Shipping is free, too!

My second turntable, now in storage, is an old Technics SL-QD22. Got it for $25 on Ebay. The only thing that keeps it from being by far the best sub-$600 table I ever heard is the fact that it only accepts p-mount cartridges, which limits how far you can take it. The thing is dead quiet, something I wasn't sure a direct drive could do. Great arm. Really a steal. I sold my old Rega P3 when this came along.

Still, for the original poster, I'd recommend the P2. Enjoy!

Are they in the Syracuse area? I thought they were further north east (a lot further).

That's where I got it, and given the complete lack of advertising and mostly word of mouth, they probably do have some left. $450 with the glass platter.

[JoeE SP9]

dunno, my luxman pd-282 is also extremely quiet, in fact, you don't hear it spin.

You are not supposed to hear it spin.

[emorphien]

You are not supposed to hear it spin.

pssh I want to hear a loud whirr from mine

[musicoverall]

Are they in the Syracuse area? I thought they were further north east (a lot further).

That's where I got it, and given the complete lack of advertising and mostly word of mouth, they probably do have some left. $450 with the glass platter.

North of Syracuse - up by Watertown, close to the Canadian border. Not sure how they ended up there. But in the world of jazz, they are quite well known. Cadence magazine has a fairly large following. They also make some of the best sounding CD's I've ever heard, on the Creative Improvised Music Projects (CIMP) label. It's likely that they sell most of their audio gear to subscribers. The mag has been around for about 35 years or so.

[musicoverall]

dunno, my luxman pd-282 is also extremely quiet, in fact, you don't hear it spin.

My Technics is the one and only direct drive that I have any experience with at all but the audiophile scuttlebutt for years has been that the motor isn't decoupled from the table the way a belt drive is and therefore excessive noise is introduced. For all I know, it's a mythical problem, although it appears scientifically sound. But apparently you have no problems, as I do not.

[JoeE SP9]

My Technics is the one and only direct drive that I have any experience with at all but the audiophile scuttlebutt for years has been that the motor isn't decoupled from the table the way a belt drive is and therefore excessive noise is introduced. For all I know, it's a mythical problem, although it appears scientifically sound. But apparently you have no problems, as I do not.

There has to be a reason why all really good TT's are belt drive. When I bought my VPI I was using a Technics SP10. The VPI was so much better sounding even my next door neighbor heard the difference and he was not an audiophile.

[emorphien]

North of Syracuse - up by Watertown, close to the Canadian border. Not sure how they ended up there. But in the world of jazz, they are quite well known. Cadence magazine has a fairly large following. They also make some of the best sounding CD's I've ever heard, on the Creative Improvised Music Projects (CIMP) label. It's likely that they sell most of their audio gear to subscribers. The mag has been around for about 35 years or so.

Interesting, I'll have to check out their mag, I've never seen it!

And watertown isn't close to Syracuse, hence my initial description of their location. I thought I recalled them being more in the Watertown area, which is pretty much up in the NE corner of the state.

[musicoverall]

There has to be a reason why all really good TT's are belt drive. When I bought my VPI I was using a Technics SP10. The VPI was so much better sounding even my next door neighbor heard the difference and he was not an audiophile.

So many of them can hear better than I! Or at least, better than a naysayer! LOL!

[musicoverall]

Interesting, I'll have to check out their mag, I've never seen it!

And watertown isn't close to Syracuse, hence my initial description of their location. I thought I recalled them being more in the Watertown area, which is pretty much up in the NE corner of the state.

Anything under 200 miles away is CLOSE out here in the boonies! But being an ex-New Yorker, I still consider anything west of NYC as West. But being away for quite awhile, at least I've discovered that the country doesn't just consist of NYC, Chicago, Texas and California!

Oh, and Cadence Magazine will show you what a magazine looks like that doesn't sell advertising. It's pretty minimalist. The reviews are short, but good and there are some good columns. The interviews tend to be a little dated, though. Still worth a look.

[emorphien]

Haha no not exactly in the boonies. I'll probably get one issue of it just to see what is in it.

[JoeE SP9]

So many of them can hear better than I! Or at least, better than a naysayer! LOL!

I should have held onto that SP10. I could have sold it to one of those guys at audiokarma. They worship that old Japanese gear.

[basite]

There has to be a reason why all really good TT's are belt drive. When I bought my VPI I was using a Technics SP10. The VPI was so much better sounding even my next door neighbor heard the difference and he was not an audiophile.

my opinion (i'm not a tt expert, i do know something about them, but not as much as alot of you guys) belt drive has less problems of sound because the motor isn't attached to the wheel, and therefore the noise of the motor is less 'noticed' by the needle, and plays really clean, with a direct drive, the motor is attached to the wheel, and by that, the noise of the motor is picked up by the needle and played back, altough, when you have a really good direct drive tt (like one of the legendary technics tt's or like my luxman (ok it isn't THE vintage tt, but it's really good)) you won't notice the difference between them and a mid-range belt drive tt.