Turntable....£1000 - £1500...?????

[james_k100]

Like all of us here present I have fallen head over heels for vinyl...I started with an entry level Pro-Ject Carbon - a worthy starter for 10 that I have enjoyed but it's about time I moved into the bigger leagues....

Problem I'm encountering is the sheer choice at the £1000 to £1500 price mark - Clearaudio Concept, Michel Gyrodec, VPI Scout, Rega, maybe even a nudge towards the Well Tempered.

I am a novice - learning - so simplicity and ease of use at this point is handy - however I learn fast and would relish something with some space to grow....

Help.

Jim

 

[boshk]

Hi Jim,
There's tons of options
Pro-ject
Nottingham Analogue
Origin Live
Dr Feick
AMG

Then you got to figure out your tonearm, then your armplate then your cart.....

Enjoy
Let us know what you end up with

 

[plastic penguin]

Like all of us here present I have fallen head over heels for vinyl...I started with an entry level Pro-Ject Carbon - a worthy starter for 10 that I have enjoyed but it's about time I moved into the bigger leagues....

Problem I'm encountering is the sheer choice at the £1000 to £1500 price mark - Clearaudio Concept, Michel Gyrodec, VPI Scout, Rega, maybe even a nudge towards the Well Tempered.

I am a novice - learning - so simplicity and ease of use at this point is handy - however I learn fast and would relish something with some space to grow....

Help.

Jim

First, don't buy a turntable that'll be a sonic overkill. So, for example, if you've a £350 amp don't look at a £2,000 TT. TBF, with your budget I would dem as many different brands as possible, certinly wouldn't advise you buy based on reviews.

 

[iceman16]

Like all of us here present I have fallen head over heels for vinyl...I started with an entry level Pro-Ject Carbon - a worthy starter for 10 that I have enjoyed but it's about time I moved into the bigger leagues....

Problem I'm encountering is the sheer choice at the £1000 to £1500 price mark - Clearaudio Concept, Michel Gyrodec, VPI Scout, Rega, maybe even a nudge towards the Well Tempered.

I am a novice - learning - so simplicity and ease of use at this point is handy - however I learn fast and would relish something with some space to grow....

Help.

Jim

James can you tell us what''s the size of your room and music you play please!

 

[Al ears]

Hi Jim, There's tons of options Pro-ject Nottingham Analogue Origin Live Dr Feick AMG

Then you got to figure out your tonearm, then your armplate then your cart.....

Enjoy Let us know what you end up with

I'd love to think you could get a Dr. Feickert or AMG for the OP's budget but, sadly, this is not the case. Scratch them from your list.

To the OP I would say firstly - Welcome to the forum, and secondly, should you have limited knowledge of turntable / tonearm combinations / setup then you are going to require a dealer to set it up for you or you are going to have to look at turntable 'packages'.

Several companies are doing ready-setup packages (Rega, Clearaudio, Pro-ject, also the new VPI Nomad which looks to be a seriously good setup) so suggest you concentrate on these for a shortlist. (NB:- Many of these 'packages' use a cartridge that is normally at the very cheap end of cheerful, and would be better off being upgraded from the start.)

As plastic penguin suggests try to audition whatever you can but I realise that in some areas / countries you are going to be somewhat limited in what is available. Certain companies such as Origin Live can put together a system for you but you'd have to buy direct and just take it on trust that it is going to satisfy your needs.

 

[ifor]

Consider Analogue Works and Inspire HiFi also.

 

[Waxy]

Definitely worth considering. It's not as plug-n-play as some others but it sounds superb (which is the most important bit!)

 

[Al ears]

Oh yes, there are plenty to choose from with your sort of budget.

I guess it all comes down to how you feel about future upgrades and how competent you feel about swapping bits out yourself.

Can you fit and align a cartridge yourself or would you need a dealer to do this for you? Do you have the necessary support / wallmount-shelf available at the moment to take an upgraded turntable? Do you want a suspended design or fixed platter?

Lots to ponder. If you can see yourself upgrading again at a later date, tonearm for example, then you want to get the basic turntable choice correct now. Audition as much as you possibly can and then spend the vast bulk of your budget on the turntable itself - the good ones will be compatible with a tonearm costing way over your budget. (Think along the lines of Michell Gyrodec or mid-range Origin Live decks).

 

[nopiano]

Can only agree with previous posts, while marvelling at the choice available, even when compared to the pre-CD era. While I'm a great admirer of the Michell approach to engineering and value, I must admit I've hankered after Clearaudio and VPI though both carry a premium as imports as well as some inconsistency over distribution. Rega, Linn and Michell have been around for decades.

 

[boshk]

What's the general view on how much to spend on a TT compared to amp or speaker so that it's not a sonic overkill?

TTs have more variables to consider too....arm, cart....

 

[thescarletpronster]

Of course, one reason to 'overspend' on a TT is if you would love to upgrade your entire system but can't afford to do it all at once. So buying an expensive TT to hook up to a cheap amp and speakers can make sense if you're going to save up to upgrade those other components. Then in a few years' time, you'll be able to enjoy the full benefits of the TT!

 

[james_k100]

Room size is 20ftx15ft. Music played recently....Jeff Beck, The National, Yes, The White Stripes, John Coltrane, Arcade Fire, Wishbone Ash, Ben Howard, Johnny Flynn, Guns n Roses, The Beatles, Love, Sigur Ros, Elbow....and so on....

Currently running a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with a Cambridge Azur 651a, 551p phono pre-amp and Dali Zensor 1 speakers.

The plan is to upgrade the entire set up over the next 3 months but not all in one hit - it's the turntable I'm looking to get right first and foremost. I have my eye on a couple of new amps and speakers(Focal, B&W, Monitor) but don't want to muddy the waters asking re all that yet - total budget in the £3000 area.

I have not changed a cartridge yet - but have made friends with the manager of the Audio-T store in Reading who I'm sure will guide me through any of the finer details - where else to find a lesson first hand.

I have read a great deal in the aftermath of your posts....a few that I like the look and sound of....

Clearaudio Concept, Michel Gyrodec, Analogue Turntable 1 - also the Origin Aurora looks a tempting proposition....are any of them standout amateur alert avoid material or a good way to break me in to everything? - as I said before I will pick it all up fairly swiftly...

The upgrade options are many and confusing - is everything price dependant? - see the upgrade list on the Analogue 1

Many thanks everyone

 

[plastic penguin]

Room size is 20ftx15ft. Music played recently....Jeff Beck, The National, Yes, The White Stripes, John Coltrane, Arcade Fire, Wishbone Ash, Ben Howard, Johnny Flynn, Guns n Roses, The Beatles, Love, Sigur Ros, Elbow....and so on....

Currently running a Pro-Ject Debut Carbon with a Cambridge Azur 651a, 551p phono pre-amp and Dali Zensor 1 speakers.

The plan is to upgrade the entire set up over the next 3 months but not all in one hit - it's the turntable I'm looking to get right first and foremost. I have my eye on a couple of new amps and speakers(Focal, B&W, Monitor) but don't want to muddy the waters asking re all that yet - total budget in the £3000 area.

I have not changed a cartridge yet - but have made friends with the manager of the Audio-T store in Reading who I'm sure will guide me through any of the finer details - where else to find a lesson first hand.

I have read a great deal in the aftermath of your posts....a few that I like the look and sound of....

Clearaudio Concept, Michel Gyrodec, Analogue Turntable 1 - also the Origin Aurora looks a tempting proposition....are any of them standout amateur alert avoid material or a good way to break me in to everything? - as I said before I will pick it all up fairly swiftly...

The upgrade options are many and confusing - is everything price dependant? - see the upgrade list on the Analogue 1

Many thanks everyone

As I pointed out in my initial post, don't go OTT. With a budget Cambridge look at Rega RP3, the newer Pro-ject Xpression 1 or even, perhaps the plastic Pro-ject. Unless you have the money to pump into extra (better) amps, I wouldn't go any further up the chain. It'll be money down the pan.

No point in having huge ambitions if you only have a small amp (pricewise). Spend initial money on the amp, speakers and CDP... whatever you have left.

 

[BIGBERNARDBRESSLAW]

Room size is 20ftx15ft. Music played recently....Jeff Beck, The National, Yes, The White Stripes, John Coltrane, Arcade Fire, Wishbone Ash, Ben Howard, Johnny Flynn, Guns n Roses, The Beatles, Love, Sigur Ros, Elbow....and so on....

Good eclectic taste.

I own a Roksan Radius 5.2, and it's a great looking and sounding deck, definitely worth considering. I did own a Clear Audio Concept for about 10 minutes (long story), and I can not tell you anything about the sound quality, but what I will say, is that it's not the most exciting looking turntable out there, though it is very simple to set up.

From reading what the others have said, the Analogue Works deck looks like a great sounding deck.

 

[boshk]

Hi Jim, There's tons of options Pro-ject Nottingham Analogue Origin Live Dr Feick AMG

Then you got to figure out your tonearm, then your armplate then your cart.....

Enjoy Let us know what you end up with

I'd love to think you could get a Dr. Feickert or AMG for the OP's budget but, sadly, this is not the case. Scratch them from your list.

Yea, sorry, I misread the Pound for HK$ symbol...hahaha, 11000pounds!!!!!

 

[chebby]

As I pointed out in my initial post, don't go OTT. With a budget Cambridge look at Rega RP3, the newer Pro-ject Xpression 1 or even, perhaps the plastic Pro-ject. Unless you have the money to pump into extra (better) amps, I wouldn't go any further up the chain. It'll be money down the pan.

No point in having huge ambitions if you only have a small amp (pricewise). Spend initial money on the amp, speakers and CDP... whatever you have left.

The OP has already stated his intention to upgrade the rest of the system in the near future ...

The plan is to upgrade the entire set up over the next 3 months but not all in one hit - it's the turntable I'm looking to get right first and foremost.

So I should think starting with a really good TT is a good move.

In a few months - when the rest of the system has been upgraded - it'll sound even better/

 

[CJSF]

So I should think starting with a really good TT is a good move.

In a few months - when the rest of the system has been upgraded - it'll sound even better/

A decent TT makes a lot of sence, the old addage 'rubbish in, rubbish out' still holds good in my book . . .

 

[ifor]

There's a mint Manticore Mantra on eBay.