gofar99 Messages: 1945 Registered: May 2010 Location: Southern Arizona
Illuminati (5th Degree)
Hi, it largely depends on the price. You can get decent players from Rega and Pro-ject as examples. But the lowest price range where there are any good ones (IMO) starts at about $400. Pretty much everything below that price point is as you noticed plastic and flimsy. Beware of brand names that were famous in years gone by that are now made as budget devices to lure you into thinking you are getting a high quality unit. Think along the lines that the software (records) will rapidly be more valuable than the thing they are played on. 20 new LPs at retail prices will equal the cost of a modest player. Even bought from used record exchange stores they will end up being the bigger part of the investment. You need to protect them from excessive wear and damage and cheap turntables place them at serious risk.