Need a new record player

Started by RastaRunner5, Nov 10, 2013, 05:21 PM

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RastaRunner5

Hi Forum, I need some help deciding what would be a good record player to purchase. What does your set-up look like?

My first record player purchase was the Crosley CR6249A-TA Keepsake Portable USB Turntable
http://www.amazon.com/Crosley-CR6249A-TA-Keepsake-Portable-Turntable/dp/B008AFYZ1M/ref=sr_1_13?s=aht&srs=2529210011&ie=UTF8&qid=1384121925&sr=1-13&keywords=crosley

It did it's job and made things very simple. It lasted from February 2012- September 2013 before it stopped taking power.

Any recommendations? I will also need to purchase speakers. Hoping to spend somewhere between 200- 300 (obviously the cheaper, the better).

Thanks for your help!


Hawkeye

Not a bad recommendation by EC.  Here's another one to consider:

http://uturnaudio.com/

For a small integrated amp, I'd consider this:

http://shop.emotiva.com/collections/amplifiers/products/a100

You could also go cheaper by going used/vintage on the amp.

I also recommend used/vintage speakers.  Something like Dynaco A-25's or Kef, but I'm a fan of their smooth midrange.  Depends what kind of music you listen to.  Check Craigslist, ebay, and your local pawn shops and Goodwills!
We could.


CountSA

If you are starting from scratch you will need a turntable, a receiver, and a phono preamp.  You will need a phono preamp to connect the the turntable to the receiver.  Older receivers will possibly have a phono jack, newer models will likely not.  If you have, or get a receiver with a phono jack then it is not necessary to get the preamp. 

When putting together my setup I didn't have a ton of money to spend so I really wanted to get the most bang for my buck while keeping everything under $500 or so.

I would suggest checking craigslist for a turntable.  Technics is a good place to start...I got a lower end one (SL-BD22) for $65 that works well.  The Techinics 1200 is widely considered the best turntable, those run about $500 on craigslist from what I've seen. 

I didn't know anything about preamps when I was starting out.  They can range from $20 to $1000 and everywhere in between.  I did a fair amount of research and got this nice phono preamp that costs $50:
http://www.amazon.com/ART-II-Preamplifier-Outputs-Switchable/dp/B000AJR482

Again, it's not the greatest preamp out there, but it's very affordable and overall a great value.

If you need a receiver you can check craigslist again.  Marantz and Denon are 2 good choices to look for.  I got my receiver on www.tech.woot.com.  They don't always have receivers on there but if you check often they will pop up regularly.  I grabbed this one along with 5 Boston Acoustics speakers and a subwoofer for $275 shipped.  http://tech.woot.com/offers/denon-5-1ch-a-v-home-theater-system-4


It took me about 4 months, about $400, and a good amount of research to put all of these pieces together, but I am very happy with the sounds I get when playing vinyl.