Turntable, sound and amplifier for under £500

kdee69

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So,

Until earlier today I didn't even realise that the turntable I'd been looking at didn't have speakers! Not to mention the 1p piece sellotaped to it's arm! What is the world coming to??? :p

It's my son's 21st soon and I want to buy him a "record player" that will allow him to play all mine and my husband's old vinyls (there's Led Zep IV in there with gatefold sleeve so he better love and care for it as I did!!). These will be gifted to him on his 21st.

My budget really is around the £500 mark and I was wondering whether any of you experts can let me know if this combo is ok? Also, can you recommend a good store where I'm not spoken to as if I'm a bit thick when I ring up to place the order? (Dave at one store today told me I might as well keep my money if I was spending less than £800 - nice |() Also, i live in the middle of nowhere so I'll need to buy via t'interweb or via phone

So, here goes...

Denon PMA520AE - (about £130) - this was Hi-Fi corner

Q Acoustics 2020i - (about £130) - this was Sevenoaks Sound and Vision

and can't decide between:

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon at £325 - hi-fi corner or

Pro-Ject Essentials 2 at £209 - hi-fi corner

I know a lot of you recommend the Riga RP1 so any advise would be GREAT!
 

kdee69

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namefail said:
Going by the specs on RS it does. And remember to budget for stands and cables. :)

Cables?? Dave didn't mention cables as he was dismissing me !!

Can anyone help with cables? And do I need stands?
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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kdee69 said:
namefail said:
Going by the specs on RS it does. And remember to budget for stands and cables. :)

Cables?? Dave didn't mention cables as he was dismissing me !!

Can anyone help with cables? And do I need stands?

you will need cables to connect speakers to the Denon, Rega RP1 already came with RCA cables that go in the Phono input of the Denon.
 

kdee69

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thank you all for your help

So, it would seem that the speakers adn amp are good, but any thoughts on the pro-jects?

Also, any recomemndations for good stores?

much appreciated
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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kdee69 said:
thank you all for your help

So, it would seem that the speakers adn amp are good, but any thoughts on the pro-jects?

Also, any recomemndations for good stores?

much appreciated

can't help you there as i'm from another country. But someone will jump in no time! :grin:
 

chebby

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kdee69 said:
Also, can you recommend a good store where I'm not spoken to as if I'm a bit thick when I ring up to place the order? (Dave at one store today told me I might as well keep my money if I was spending less than £800 - nice |()

I think we should know which store 'Dave' works at :)
 

MajorFubar

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kdee69 said:
(Dave at one store today told me I might as well keep my money if I was spending less than £800 - nice |

Be sure not to give them your money, ever. There's a courteous way of telling a prospective customer that for the money they're considering spending, you can't really help them. But that isn't it. Your suggestions sound fine to me. I don't think you'll go wrong with any of those. Choose what you can get the best deal on and which sounds best to you.

Welcome to the forum. :cheers:
 

kdee69

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hello - once again thank you

Sligh issue now - it would appear that son is buying some bluetooth speakers - I can't alert him to my gift - he will probably buy fairly decent ones but my question now is, would it be the amp now that needs to be b/t compatible or the turntable? Or indeed, would they even work?

If it's the amp, can anyone recommend a half decent one around the £100-200 mark?

thanks (sorry to be needy :))
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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Don't worry, the speakers probably will have built in amplification, so the only thing left is to know brand and model.

It is important to know if they have a analogue input (probably will) That way you'll need a external phono stage, it will cost £100/200.
 

kdee69

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Hi-FiOutlaw said:
Don't worry, the speakers probably will have built in amplification, so the only thing left is to know brand and model.

It is important to know if they have a analogue input (probably will) That way you'll need a external phono stage, it will cost £100/200.

you are so good at replying - so, what is an external photo stage thingy? can anyone recommend one?
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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At this prices only one come to mind, Rega phono mm2.

a phono stage or phono pre amp, receive the tiny or small information of the TT cartridge and amplify the signal... In layman's terms...
 

kdee69

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OMG :pray: Now I'm completely lost!

So, I need a turntable, and an amp and the other piece of kit?

I'm sorry to ask what must seem dumb questions but I jsut can't get my head around it
 

chebby

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Just buy what you originally listed in your first post. (Including the speakers you were going to get.)

The Denon amp you mentioned already has a phono input built-in.

Ok he may end up with some Bluetooth speakers as well but i'm sure they'll come in useful.

Or you could just hint or something to put him off buying them for now.

Strapping a set of Bluetooth speakers to a seperate phono stage and a turntable won't sound anywhere near as good as what you intended to get in the first place. (Even if it's possible given that most Bluetooth speaker don't have the connections you'd need.)
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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No! Ok baby steps...

you were going to buy a system with the Denon 520AE the already has a phono stage or phono pre amp built in, so no need for a external one.

But as you told us that your son was going to buy a Blutooth speakers, and if the speakers have blutooth built in probably they will have a built in amp as well, so no need for the Denon any more, but you still need the phono stage for the TT.

So it is important to know brand and model of the speakers set that your son eventualy will buy, to know if it is possible to integrate the TT that you want to give to him!

First of all the Blutooth speakers will need to have a analogue input so you can connect the TT through the phono stage into it.
 

Hi-FiOutlaw

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chebby said:
Just buy what you originally listed in your first post. (Including the speakers you were going to get.)

The Denon amp you mentioned already has a phono input built-in.

Ok he may end up with some Bluetooth speakers as well but i'm sure they'll come in useful.

Or you could just hint or something to put him off buying them for now.

Strapping a set of Bluetooth speakers to a seperate phono stage and a turntable won't sound anywhere near as good as what you intended to get in the first place. (Even if it's possible given that most Bluetooth speaker don't have the connections you'd need.)

if it is a speaker set like this is no need for amp and it will soud good as a conventional system, plus this set have RCAs input!

So as i've state it will be important to know brand and model.

but Chebby is right, if you manage to put him off and not buying the speakers for now and give him the inicial set!

http://www.qacoustics.co.uk/q-acoustics-bt3-bluetooth-speakers.htm#juicered
 

kdee69

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ok, so finally he's decided on speakers. They are the Sonos 5 - they are the only Sonos that have a line in. So, i'm definetly getting the pro-ject debut carbon , I'd really now like to confirm that I just need a "pre-amp"? Is that correct? and if so, can anyone recommend one around the £100 -£130 mark that's good?
 
A

Anderson

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The Sonos 5 does have analogue in, so all you would need to buy is the TT, the phono pre amp & cabling.

However, I think you should stick with your original plan, tell Jim to buy the Sonos Connect instead as it will give him all the functionality of the Sonos and all the sound quality of what you're getting. Honestly tell him to get the Sonos Connect and you'll get the rest..
 

kdee69

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Hi, he;s already bought the Sonos 5 - just my luck :(

so, can anyone recomemend a pre amp for about the £100 - £130 mark ? I've seen this - is that ok and would it do what I need it to do

Rega Fono Mini A2D Phono Pre-Amplifier (Moving Magnet

And just confrim from your expert view if the turntable and the amp are all that he would need? Someone mentioned a cable some way back when?

thanks all - really appreciate your help
 

fatman

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If you still have a £500 budget for turntable & phono stage, I'd recommend calling Lintone Audio..... You could get a Rega RP3 'slight seconds' and the, currently discounted, Rega Fono MM. There was quite alot of posting on the RP3 seconds when they hit the shelves and all positive.

The RP3 is a big step up from the RP1 (as is the MM from the A2D).

Lintone also stock the Project Debut Carbon. Whatever turntable you go for I'd definitely consider the discounted Rega Fono MM

http://www.lintone.co.uk/special-offers/rega-fono-mm-phono-stage-silver-3425-148-4173.php
 

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