(This is my first post) Long story short, my dad introduced me to vinyl and cassette at a young age, and I've started collecting (because thrift shops had cheaper music that iTunes, etc.) and I can't afford a decent turntable. I am not willing to spend over 200 dollars, either.
No Money
- Thread starter guestman
- Start date
Balifly
Listening
Welcome to the AK turn table forum!
Out here on the wet coast, that amount can buy a pretty nice turn table.
Our standard is not very high though!
RJolly87
Well-Known Member
Your best bet will be to keep doing the rounds at thrift stores, meanwhile learning all that you can on these forums.
Right now the buy in and music on cassette is dirt cheap. You may need to lay back a while on the turntable, because those hit the radar of many, and the good ones go quick. Same with receiver, amps, speakers, etc.
As it stands with me right now, I think I only just recently broke the $100 mark on my system, and it's a rack system straight out of 1987. With the speakers refoamed and recapped, it's annoying neighbors once again.
Also feel free to explore the guided direction of the experts here too. They know how to play the game with the cards they are dealt, and they can help you do the same.
Right now the buy in and music on cassette is dirt cheap. You may need to lay back a while on the turntable, because those hit the radar of many, and the good ones go quick. Same with receiver, amps, speakers, etc.
As it stands with me right now, I think I only just recently broke the $100 mark on my system, and it's a rack system straight out of 1987. With the speakers refoamed and recapped, it's annoying neighbors once again.
Also feel free to explore the guided direction of the experts here too. They know how to play the game with the cards they are dealt, and they can help you do the same.
We had the same tought:thmbsp:
Other than the U-Turn Orbit stay away from anything new like a Crosley, ION USB etc in that $200 or less price range. Where you can really make out is with a vintage table and sometimes but not always for stupid cheap money, $10-$20. Craigslist, garage sales, thrift stores can be a good local source. Example Technics SL-D2 are built to last and perform surprisingly well, prices are all over the place but usually under $100. Ask questions here before you jump into a table, be an educated buyer, we'll show you how to get your degree in turntables or at least a high school diploma. What city/state/province do you live in?
ggregg
Super Member
I have 6 turntables right now. The most I paid was $60 (Empire 698). The least $5 (Pioneer PL25). Other than a cartridge/stylus replacement on some, only needed minor repair, if that. They all work fine now. These are not junk tables either, Empire, Luxman, Elac Miracord, Bang and Olufsen,Technics, and Pioneer.
RamblinE
(╯°□°)╯彡┻━┻
However another thought too is that if you're a complete stranger to turntable setup, trouble shooting, maintenance and cartridge alignment than the U Turn Audio Orbit might be the better way to go. Comes pretty much set up right out of the box. Plug and play.
When I brought home my D2 it needed a deep cleaning. It had spent a lot of time in a garage. I also had to remove the bottom panel and treat the pitch control pot with toner cleaner before it would hold a steady speed. And aligning the new cartridge took a few weeks of trial and error before I was cool with it.
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When I brought home my D2 it needed a deep cleaning. It had spent a lot of time in a garage. I also had to remove the bottom panel and treat the pitch control pot with toner cleaner before it would hold a steady speed. And aligning the new cartridge took a few weeks of trial and error before I was cool with it.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using Tapatalk
J English
Super Member
Yes, buy local if you can, sometimes a drive is worth it to get a good table. None of my tables have cost more than $100 (Yamaha, B&O, Kenwood, Technics). Inexpensive phono preamps like the Rolls V-20 or Art DJ Pre are decent for around $50, or a vintage receiver (I prefer the Yamaha CR series). Keep looking, all you need is ONE good one.
A word of caution if considering an Ebay turntable, not recommended for a newbee that might not be able to sort out sellers that arn't competent to properly disassemble and package a turntable, you could end up with a destroyed turntable. If you don't find anything local, we still don't have any idea where you live since you didn't list it, you could join AKs Barter Town and maybe a local AK member would have a nice table for sale in your price range.
