Buying a new turntable

[admin_exported]

Hi

So I have decided I am going to buy a new turntable after having problems with a Dual 505-1 that I bought from ebay a few months ago. I am basically looking for a brand new turntable that comes fitted with a cartridge and requires minimal setup and maintenance (basically, take it out of the box, set up the weight, tracking force and anti-skating and then for maintenance just replacing the stylus when need be). I have found the vinyl/turntable hobby to involve a lot of maintenance type work that I generally don't like as I am an impatient person when it comes to setting things up, repairing things etc. and so this is the reason I am looking for something that is easy to setup and run.

I have about £200-£250 to spend and so would like recommendations on the best turntable to buy within that price range. Also, where is the best online store to buy turntables/hi-fi etc?

One last thing, I currently have a Rotel RA-820AX (which has an intergrated phono stage) amplifier and a set of Mordaunt-Short MS-10 speakers. Will these both be ok with a modern turntable?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Anonymous]

yes and id go for a rega or one of its clones

 

[fatboyslimfast]

A Rega P2 is a bit out-of-range (£250 without cart), but the P1, which is a great little starter TT, comes in bang-on. Hifix have it for £185 including ready-setup cart.

Alternatively, if you want something a bit less "square", try the Project Genie Mk3 for £165 - again from Hifix - although it doesn't have a dust cover, if that is important to you (having owned a Roksan Radius V without dust cover, it was an issue for me).

For me, the P1 would edge it, due to the better arm and stylus. Both come with an Ortofon OM cart pre-fitted , but with a OM5E stylus on the P1 and OM3E stylus on the Genie. It can be upgraded easily as mentioned in your previous thread by just buying a more expensive OM stylus.

Neither turntable will require any maintenence other than a new stylus every 750 playing hrs or so and a new belt every 5 years or so.

Oh, regarding your Rotel - it has an excellent phono stage, and the MS10s are great little mini-monitors. No worries there...