I've been on a fruitless search for a good used turntable to get back into vinyl. I've seen the usual suspects out there, but people (around here) seem to want way too much for them. Saw a nice Bang & Olofsen yesterday, but it had lots of scratches, the needle didn't look good, and they wanted top dollar and wouldn't budge on the price. I had to tell the guy that a new cartridge (proprietary) would cost me as much if not more than the player! Still wouldn't budge. Oh well.
Thus, unless I find a fair price on a used player in GOOD shape, then I believe new might be the way to go in my case. Would be nice to have a player I can actually find needles/cartridges for these days.
So, what new table for under $200 would give me the most bang for my buck? I don't really want or need USB functionality or anything like that. Just something that sounds good for the price, and can actually do reference material some justice. I don't mind the thought of getting something that just does the trick for now, but has the ability to upgrade cartridges later down the road as my budget permits.
The U-Turn Orbit is pretty much the only option for an acceptable new beginner turntable in the $200 or under price bracket. But it does have some limitations -- e.g. no cueing lever unless you add another $40 or so to the price. The Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB is also decent-ish, but is a bit more than $200 now. $200 just isn't much money any more. Most "entry level" turntables start at about twice that price.
That's kind of what I've noticed. The more I look into it, the more I realize that I may want to upgrade down the road. Really liking some of the options I'm seeing in the $3-500 range, but for now I just have to keep my budget in check, so I believe I'll go ahead and order the the Orbit with the optional cue lever.
I've got the AT120usb setup as my 78 player. Seems well built for the price. The bonus is that it comes with a very nice cartridge, and a built-in preamp.
Just wanted to post an update real quick. I received my U-Turn Orbit with an acrylic platter, the cue lever, and a Grado Black cart.
The results? I LOVE it. I've tried it out with a variety of LPs, from Miles Davis to Jamie XX, and it plays it all like a champ. I really enjoy the simplicity and look of the belt drive. Interesting thing about the player is that it doesn't have a grounding wire. Apparently it handles grounding internally somehow, but it sounds great with no humming, so that appears to work well.
A bonus on my end was that I learned I didn't need a preamp after all. The old Technics receiver I hooked it up to has an actual phono input, and sounds clear as a bell with plenty of volume. Very happy!
Thanks for the recommendation, Skriefal!!! My U-Turn sounds absolutely superb to my untrained-for-vinyl ears. After seeing how much stinking money people wanted for beat up vintage players, I'm really, really happy I went the new route. This thing's a great value.
There are many vintage turntables that are probably better performers than the Orbit or the AT-LP120 -- even at current price levels. But there is the uncertainty aspect to be aware of (i.e. how long will they continue to work?). So it's nice to have an affordable, "new" option without having to settle for the Crosley/Ion brand toys.
Oh, I agree that there are some fantastic performers in the vintage realm that would smoke the Orbit, but after a long and fruitless search within my area, I finally gave up. While I do love my Orbit, I wouldn't hesitate to pounce on a good vintage one if I finally ever come across one. That said, there is a bit of piece of mind going with a brand new one. And yeah, it was so nice not to have to settle for some of the cheap junk out there. I am one very satisfied customer. While it may not be the best table out there, it is certainly proving more than enough to keep me happy. The sound quality is muy excelente.
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