hi there,
i'm in a similar position to the OP. i have a marantz pm-44SE mk2 amp and mission 761iSE speakers, but i'm COMPLETELY ignorant about turntables. i've had my current setup happily hooked up to a marantz cd player, denon tuner and aiwa double tape deck (remember them?) for more than 20 years, but have only just decided to buy a turntable...yes, really!
anyway, putting my mid-life crisis to one side, could anyone recommend a turntable that will complement my existing setup? i'm looking for something easy to set up and to use (with a young family i don't have the time to read up on how to set up and maintain a fussy turntable). also due to the young, and expensive (and unplanned family), i'm on a budget, ideally c. £200, but if i have to spend more than i could be a little flexible. my budget would have to include the turntable and any accessories required.
should i go for a new system or second hand? having a quick read around, it seems that second hand direct drive japanese units are well regarded, like the technics SL-7. is there anything that i need to watch out for or consider when buying second hand, like will these old 80s units connect straight to my amp without expensive adaptors? how about cartridges or styluses?
appreciate any advice you can give. thanks.