Taperssection.com

Gear / Technical Help => Playback Forum => Topic started by: blu666z on January 18, 2005, 02:00:51 PM

Title: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: blu666z on January 18, 2005, 02:00:51 PM

Looking to get a decent record player but I really have no idea where to start.  Any opinions on direct drive vs beltdrive?

-Kevin

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: jpschust on January 18, 2005, 02:17:27 PM

well Kevin, there's a lot to look for, and a lot to know about- why don't we start with your budget. 

As a rule you want to go with belt driven turntables for playback.  Direct drive players are often noisy.

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: Mojowill on January 18, 2005, 02:20:13 PM

get one with a nice heavy chassis.  and look for one that you will be able to find cartridges for reasonable.

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: blu666z on January 18, 2005, 02:27:19 PM

I would like to stay under $100 or at least VERY close to that.  I had heard that belt drive was the way to go but only if you got a NICE belt drive system due to cheap belts streching and causing the speed to change.

-Kevin

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: blu666z on January 18, 2005, 02:28:11 PM

How often do you have to replace cartridges?  Is that seperate from replacing needles or do they come as one unit?

-Kevin

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: Mojowill on January 18, 2005, 02:38:19 PM

cartridges are needle assemblies.  If that makes sense.  I think changing individual needles went out with the 78rpm players.

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: jpschust on January 18, 2005, 02:39:28 PM

needle=cartridge

stanton str-8 has been a classic home playback table for a lot of my friends- is it wonderful?  no, but does it sound decent and come with a cartridge, yes.  You will need a phono preamp which I may actually have a general no name one around.  Let me see when I get home.  If I have it you can have it for free.

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: jpschust on January 18, 2005, 02:45:17 PM

i was giving the simple answer, and while not the technical answer, the simple one :)

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: jpschust on January 18, 2005, 03:30:23 PM

mike, if you ever want to throw down some cash, but not enough to buy a car, consider the vpi line (i have the vpi aires scout that comes with tone arm.  for a cartridge i have a summiko blackbird).  I also use a musical fidelity pre which serves my purposes very very well.  Sounds great and very well built.  Some say it competes along the lines with some of the 15k tables. 

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: jpschust on January 18, 2005, 03:38:11 PM

http://www.vpiindustries.com/scout.htm

not to mention it is pretty.

here are the catches- cover is seperate- spend the money and get the nice cover (i can take a pic of mine).  it looks a lot better., cartridge is seperate, pre is seperate.  i bought mine all from www.acousticsounds.com and they gave me a hefty discount on all of it.

Title: Re: What to look for in a record player?
Post by: blu666z on January 18, 2005, 03:55:54 PM

Wow...this got out of my price range FAST.

-Kevin