Best budget turntable?

What about the new Yamaha Yamaha TT-S303? It looks like a nice budget new TT , Even tho I have my dream turntable
i have been tempted to get one just for a third system.
Amazing how many decent midrange turntables have the AT 3600l cart fitted (in pic) reason is it is very very good for the money and quite a few companies have worked this out.
Chris
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I'm in need of a turntable that at the most can be $500. It's ok if the used price is lower. I'm ok with getting a hand me down.

I've got a Denon DP-45F. It's been working fine until now. The arm is acting super weird. I've read up on it and trying to get it fixed would be a waste of time. Parts for this thing are nonexistent.

Does anyone have ideas for a great TT? My entire system is built around vinyl so once this thing decides it's done it'll get quiet. Thanks
If you like the sound on the Denon (and why wouldn't you) these are around from time to time. I own a 33F which is kind of a sleeper unit but (IMO thankfully) no servo tone arm. Love that TT. It gets little usage due to space restraints but I am holding onto it because of how nice it sounded. Also, I tend to think most CEC sleepers like the LAB 4XX are a steal typically well, well under your budget leaving lots of room for carts.

Pioneer PL 5XX (old school, not the 80's plastic reissues) are hard to beat and tend to be quite reliable. Some parts are hard to find (innards, gears) but they do exist and many need little to no work.

Your biggest issue IMO will be shipping or limitations of buying local. If having one shipped be 100% certain the seller/shipper knows what they are doing. Absent correct disassembly and packing you get a box of (broken) pieces.
 
I'm in need of a turntable that at the most can be $500. It's ok if the used price is lower. I'm ok with getting a hand me down.

I've got a Denon DP-45F. It's been working fine until now. The arm is acting super weird. I've read up on it and trying to get it fixed would be a waste of time. Parts for this thing are nonexistent.

Does anyone have ideas for a great TT? My entire system is built around vinyl so once this thing decides it's done it'll get quiet. Thanks
If you subscribe...... there is a nice Sony in BT right now, in budget and in Iowa.
 
When I was a kid.....
I told my dad I needed a turntable.
He told me to spin the record on a pencil, stick my tongue in the groove and sing!
I did that for years.

back to the show....
 
The one that puts a smile on your face and keeps it there ,my 40 year old Pioneer aint worth but $500 but keeps me so happy I feel no need to upgrade to a McIntosh TT .
 
I am watching it. But not ready to buy. Will look for something similar, and very likely a similar Kenwood, when I am ready. That or one of the Technics 1300-4100 or whatever it was. ;)

These don't come up at that price very often, surprised it's still available. Believe me if it was the 500 it would have been gone in the first hour, the 550 doesnt carry the same cache. But other than the fact it came with a tonearm supplied by Kenwood its the same table. The arm is no slouch either and will accept a wider selection of cartridges than the Grace on my 500.

If you do consider one of these tables keep in mind they're large and quite heavy, well over 30lbs.
 
These don't come up at that price very often, surprised it's still available. Believe me if it was the 500 it would have been gone in the first hour, the 550 doesnt carry the same cache. But other than the fact it came with a tonearm supplied by Kenwood its the same table. The arm is no slouch either and will accept a wider selection of cartridges than the Grace on my 500.
I just hesitate buying from an unknown on Ebay, especially a turntable. And I would have to put it on credit, which I don't want to do right now. but seems a nice price.

@Grenadeslio , would rather, if possible, deal locally, or at least with an AK person. Seeing as I paid to be in the club. :)
 
I just hesitate buying from an unknown on Ebay, especially a turntable. And I would have to put it on credit, which I don't want to do right now. but seems a nice price.

@Grenadeslio , would rather, if possible, deal locally, or at least with an AK person. Seeing as I paid to be in the club. :)

Ya, I wouldn't put a table on credit. If the hobby puts you into debt it takes the fun out if it.

But when you're ready I wouldn't rule out eBay it's the largest market so the greatest selection. And its comprehensive buyers protection policy completely covers the buyer so absolutely no worries. Many items are also offered with a square trade 1yr warranty so really no downside. I've purchased my last 6 tables through eBay and all arrived intact.

Due diligence in communication with the seller before purchase is a must.
 
That Kenwood KD-500 would kick the ass of any new table costing $500, solid as a rock is right.
As long as it worked
If $500 is the budget, including a cartridge, and you can't do your own work like re-capping and the like, I'd avoid a very possibly unreliable direct drive unless it came with some sort of warranty
 
As long as it worked
If $500 is the budget, including a cartridge, and you can't do your own work like re-capping and the like, I'd avoid a very possibly unreliable direct drive unless it came with some sort of warranty

That's the beauty of eBay, if the ad states it works (which this does) then you're completely covered. Shipping too although this table has free shipping. And this coverage extends for some time, as much as 6months.

Many items are offered with a 1yr square trade warranty. That aside with due diligence communicating with the seller before purchase it's not that hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. All of the used tables I've purchased through eBay still operate as designed. But I didn't buy basket cases for $50 then wonder why they needed work.
 
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I think he wants a table to use this year, not a project

Exactly, read my edit above.

Do these look like projects? All purchased on eBay, all work as new, all purchased for less than $350, two for less than $250.

And quoted from the original post where the OP says used is ok, maybe you should let the OP speak for himself.

"I'm in need of a turntable that at the most can be $500. It's ok if the used price is lower. I'm ok with getting a hand me down."

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As long as it worked
If $500 is the budget, including a cartridge, and you can't do your own work like re-capping and the like, I'd avoid a very possibly unreliable direct drive unless it came with some sort of warranty

I can't directly speak for the reliability of that particular Kenwood, because I've never owned or worked on one, but I currently have a total of eight* vintage Japanese made direct drive turntables between 33 and 43 years old and not a single one is unreliable or required a recap or any other electrical maintenance. Given that that particular Kenwood is a contemporary of the tables I own, and actually cost more new than any of mine, I can't imagine why it wouldn't be equally reliable. In fact, I'd love to have one.

It's the later decks with the servo arms and more advanced electronics that scare me away.

Case in point, I just finished servicing my oldest table last night, a Technics SL-1500, a fully manual direct drive model from 1975. It was the easiest deck to service I have ever owned. Being fully manual, there's very little that can go wrong. Just two drops of spindle oil every 2000 hours (about 10 years of average home use), maybe replace the heavy weight silicon oil in the cueing mechanism once every 20 - 30 years and Deoxit the speed control pots as needed if it stops holding speed. I doubt if any of this had ever been done before I got it, but could have been easily handled by any halfway competent tech. To me, it's any not more difficult than changing the oil in your own car, and like with the car, for those who don't want to do it themselves, there are professionals who will do it for them.

Point being, unless there are advanced electronics involved, most vintage Japanese made direct drive turntables will be reliable for many decades with only minimal maintenance. Do it yourself, or pay a processional to give it a good servicing once every ten years or so, and it will probably outlast most owners.

* 2 Technics, 2 MCS also made by Panasonic, 2 JVC, 1 Realistic made by CEC and 1 Sony
 
I can't directly speak for the reliability of that particular Kenwood, because I've never owned or worked on one, but I currently have a total of eight* vintage Japanese made direct drive turntables between 33 and 43 years old and not a single one is unreliable or required a recap or any other electrical maintenance. Given that that particular Kenwood is a contemporary of the tables I own, and actually cost more new than any of mine, I can't imagine why it wouldn't be equally reliable. In fact, I'd love to have one.

It's the later decks with the servo arms and more advanced electronics that scare me away.

Case in point, I just finished servicing my oldest table last night, a Technics SL-1500, a fully manual direct drive model from 1975. It was the easiest deck to service I have ever owned. Being fully manual, there's very little that can go wrong. Just two drops of spindle oil every 2000 hours (about 10 years of average home use), maybe replace the heavy weight silicon oil in the cueing mechanism once every 20 - 30 years and Deoxit the speed control pots as needed if it stops holding speed. I doubt if any of this had ever been done before I got it, but could have been easily handled by any halfway competent tech. To me, it's any not more difficult than changing the oil in your own car, and like with the car, for those who don't want to do it themselves, there are professionals who will do it for them.

Point being, unless there are advanced electronics involved, most vintage Japanese made direct drive turntables will be reliable for many decades with only minimal maintenance. Do it yourself, or pay a processional to give it a good servicing once every ten years or so, and it will probably outlast most owners.

* 2 Technics, 2 MCS also made by Panasonic, 2 JVC, 1 Realistic made by CEC and 1 Sony

Spent a long time making a case you didn't need to
All I run now for personal use are Japanese direct drives, my point was there is nothing special about the Kenwoods (I have owned a couple and worked on several others) except the vestigial hype from the 70s focused primarily on the composite base material which was a novelty for about 2 seconds
You also have to remember that just because you get lucky in the used market doesn't mean everyone will
 
Spent a long time making a case you didn't need to
All I run now for personal use are Japanese direct drives, my point was there is nothing special about the Kenwoods (I have owned a couple and worked on several others) except the vestigial hype from the 70s focused primarily on the composite base material which was a novelty for about 2 seconds
You also have to remember that just because you get lucky in the used market doesn't mean everyone will

Now that's funny, nothing special about Kenwood's

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Some people like to run them nude with multiple arms.
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Then there's the legendary L07D
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As for being lucky purchasing new, I think 6 pristine tables that work like new goes beyond luck, it's due diligence communicating with the seller before purchase as I mentioned.
 
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