Hey guys, im planning on getting a turn table (finally).
Probably looking to spend <$1000 on a beginner turn table and use my AVM90 phono input.
Anyone have suggestions for which beginner table?
Anyone have thoughts on the AVM90s phono stage?
Any advice for a vinyl beginner?
Any reference records people suggest?
Thanks yall!
If you are open to a lightly use turntable there are soe fine Rega P3 turntables available. The P3 is the current design. It is relatively easy to set-up, especially with the included Rega phono cartridge. Not familiar with your AVM 90. I believe it accepts a MM phono cartridge type. MC need not apply, so careful attention to the provided cartridge is important.
Personally I would steer clear of Project lower end turntables as the build quality isn’t as good as what is offered in a similarly priced Rega.
As far as LPs well that depends on your personal taste. If you enjoy jazz the Blue Note Tone Poet series of records is hard to beat in terms of sonics and performance.
The ECM and ACT labels offer excellent sonics in LP format as well.
Good luck on your journey.
Thanks for the reply. a friend I selling this used: Orbit Plus Turntable – U-Turn Audio
thoughts on it?
Get the Rega, in the long run it is a better choice.
You didn’t mention music preferences.
I like jazz, Neo-jazz, classical, pop, rock/metal
My go to’s are snarky puppy, yello, cello music, joey Alexander, Banks, anne-sophie mutter, piano guys.
is there a go to place to buy used turntables? Other than the audiogon/hifi shark places
I rather like - and trust - The Music Room for used equipment purchases. They may not be the least expensive option, but they’re trustworthy.
One issue im seeing with the P3 is that the phono cables are attached. Given my current setup, I’ll need longer cables to reach my AVM90. maybe in the future I can have a dedicated phono preamp.
Can I just extend the cables with a female/female adaptor?
Any thoughts on the Fluance RT85?
Ive seen a few comparisons to P3. half the price and is sold on amazon giving me the 30 day returns etc.
Solid choice if funds are limited. Add an Ortofon Blue mm and you are good to go.
Then pick- up a couple of Tone Poet LPs.
ACT LPs line up with your taste in music.
Great! Any suggestions on cables? I basically just need it to sound fine and don’t want to spend much when setup isn’t super permanent.
Cables need to be at least 2m
Belden cables
You need to be careful here. The signal levels on the phono cables are considerably smaller than typical line levels produced by other sources. Significantly extending the phono cable could create a greater susceptibility to noise/hum and further reduce the signal level (a bad combination).
I would caution against lengthy cables between the cartridge/tonearm and the phono pre. On the output side of the phono pre, you’re dealing with line levels and cable lengths to your preamplifier aren’t as much of a concern.
My humble recommendation: a.) get a phono preamp. If budget is a near term concern, you can get a Schitt Mani for ~$149, b,) leave your turntable ‘turntable-to-preamp’ cable at its current length, c.) use a ‘phono preamp output-to-preamp input’ cable of whatever length you need to accommodate your system configuration.
Gotcha, I hope 2m is not too long. I’ll use my AVM 90 preamp since it’s already there.
Yes—go slowly. Read as much as you can, talk to as many vinyl users as you can.
It is very easy to put a turntable system together that will sound no better or worse than a CD player.
And records are not cheap these days.
I endorse the ideas above re. buying a higher quality used turntable. But I would be loath to buy a used cartridge. And take the advice as above regarding phono cable length. That matters.
Good luck and have fun.
Is 2m too long? I know it’s probably a depreciating curve here but I don’t have much room for less than 2m.
Pro-Ject t1 and t2 are also good turntables. Looks like Crutchfield has some deals on the t1 right now. The Pro-Ject Debut Pro would be worth considering. Looks like it comes with the Pro-Ject pick it cartridge which I believe you can swap up to a Ortofon Blue when your ready.
Like mentioned above vinyl is expense now, used records are priced kinda bonkers and new records are priced insane. Needless to say it might cost a small fortune to grow a collection. Especially if your interests and Jazz and rock, long gone are the days of $3-5 quality used records.
Ron is correct Belden Cables are an easy low cost option. Blue Jean Cables are another good low cost option.
Try it without a phono preamp initially. If noise is an issue purchase a phono preamp. Don’t go too cheap on a preamp as a low cost one may provide more problems than solutions. Make certain it comes with a trial period/return policy.
I’ve been using and installing cartridges since the days following the onslaught of Nehru jackets and mescaline. I would never buy a used cartridge. There are so many really fine cartridges now that are so affordable. They are so prone to damage of many kinds. I’ve broken more than I’ve worn out though. A real heart racer when it happens (in the old days they’d say stuff like…Mad enough to slap my gramma!) I don’t say things like that…just the ones I learned at parochial school. I’ve never had a Rega table but I like the company and even most of their cheaper arms and tables are nice.