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Buying a record player [message #87548]

Sun, 25 March 2018 21:40

Elerie90
Messages: 21
Registered: March 2018

Chancellor

I've been thinking about getting a record player (turntable?) for a while now, and I think I'm finally ready to go for it. Are there any brands and/or models you recommend I check out? Any I should steer clear of?

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87552 is a reply to message #87548]

Mon, 26 March 2018 09:06

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18793
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

You can't go wrong with a Rega turntable. VPI also makes nice tables, and their new Cliffwood table is very affordable. The Technics SL-1200G turntable is good too. It's a direct-drive turntable, which sort of lost favor in the last couple of decades, but probably shouldn't have. It's the best drive type, in my opinion.

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87562 is a reply to message #87548]

Mon, 26 March 2018 14:50

Jungle
Messages: 17
Registered: March 2018

Chancellor

Sorry to butt in on your question, Elerie, but I saw that you weren't sure whether or not to call what you're looking for a record player or a turntable. I'm starting to doubt myself now. I've always assumed these terms are synonymous, but is that the case?

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87564 is a reply to message #87548]

Mon, 26 March 2018 15:36

Elerie90
Messages: 21
Registered: March 2018

Chancellor

Thank you for the recommendations, Wayne! I'll have to give those a look. I'm intrigued by the Cliffwood table since you used the magic word, "affordable." I've had a couple of people recommend Panasonic turntables. What are your feelings about that brand? What caused the direct-drive turntable to lose favor? I'm sorry for all the questions!

No problem at all, Jungle. I'm curious about that as well!

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87566 is a reply to message #87564]

Mon, 26 March 2018 16:04

Wayne Parham
Messages: 18793
Registered: January 2001

Illuminati (33rd Degree)

Record player and turntable are the same thing in this context. I've seen other kinds of "turntables" in other industries, but in audio, they're record players. Seems like people called 'em record players in the 1950s and 1960s, but more and more called them turntables after the 1970s, especially when used in a high-fidelity stereo. So "turntable" may be more of an "audiophile" word.

Anyway, as for the (Panasonic) Technics direct-drive tables, they were pretty popular in the 1970s and 1980s. But by the 1990s, CDs started becoming more popular and a lot of people stopped using vinyl. So most manufacturers stopped making turntables. The low-end and midrange products were first to go, and pretty soon even the high-end was pretty limited.

High-end gear is usually belt drive because it can be manufactured in small quantities, which is a necessity for high-end products. There were some very good direct-drive turntables, but they were mass-produced and so when turntables started slipping in popularity, most manufacturers stopped making them because the market couldn't support their required quantities for production runs.

One notable exception is the Technics SL-1200. It got a reprieve probably mostly because DJs used them. So that model has been in production since 1972, with only a brief pause between 2010 and 2016. It's ironic to me that Matsushita (Panasonic) maintained that product offering all the way up to 2010 - well over a decade after the "digital revolution" of audio - and then finally killed it off after analog and vinyl was making a huge comeback. But they quickly realized that and brought it back in 2016.

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87568 is a reply to message #87566]

Mon, 26 March 2018 16:31

gofar99
Messages: 1955
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona

Illuminati (5th Degree)

Hi, Recently there is some confusion among folks just now wanting to get into vinyl. A turntable is usually a device that plays the record...but it needs external amplifiers and speakers. A record player however (most new ones are junk BTW) is self contained. There are numerous brands and levels of quality of each. Vintage gear also comes in both types however there were a number of rather decent record players in the 70's and 80's. Panasonic, Zenith, GE etc. For vintage gear however it is buyer beware. There is a lot of misrepresentation on the web about condition, value and quality. I see many listed as vintage, collectable, near mint condition and so on at outrageous prices. Most are not as advertised. If you see something you think you might want...ask about it on the vinylengine.com forum. The folks that know all about playing vinyl hang out there. It is a friendly site as well.

BTW I only have 6 turntables at present. You can never have too many if the bug bites you. Very Happy

Good Listening
Bruce

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87573 is a reply to message #87568]

Tue, 27 March 2018 12:45

ABtoJayZ
Messages: 14
Registered: March 2018

Chancellor

gofar99 wrote on Mon, 26 March 2018 16:31

BTW I only have 6 turntables at present. You can never have too many if the bug bites you. Very Happy

Ha, only 6 turntables...and my friends think I'm out of control because I have two and want to buy a third. I'm sure it won't stop there either. It's been fun to learn more about turntables while I'm researching ones that are for sale. What all do you own?

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Re: Buying a record player [message #87576 is a reply to message #87548]

Tue, 27 March 2018 13:33

Elerie90
Messages: 21
Registered: March 2018

Chancellor

Wayne, thank you for explaining the difference (or lack thereof) between the two terms. Also, thank you for going through the history of the direct-drive turntables in a way that's very easy to understand. Poor Matsushita. At least they were able to make a comeback only six years later. Still, it's surprising that they held on that long and then gave up right when the tides were changing.

Bruce, thank you for expanding on the difference between turntables and record players (as well as the warning about not buying any new record players). Would you suggest not buying vintage gear online then? I'll have to give that website a look. You must be a regular over there with your six turntables and all!

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Re: Buying a record player [message #88193 is a reply to message #87576]

Sun, 17 June 2018 09:08

Rusty
Messages: 1205
Registered: May 2018
Location: Kansas City Missouri

Illuminati (3rd Degree)

I prefer direct drive tables. But not the knock off's to the Technics 1200. I used a Rega prior and it was prone to feedback and speed variation that made piano's seem to go out of tune and vocal fluctuation's. Quartz controlled direct drive has rock steady speed and in the 1200 case, heavily damped in the plinth to help prevent feedback getting fed back into the tonearm. The market for used or vintage tables is hot these days. But, good deals can still be had. For the novice, I think the Technics SL-Q line of table's offer quartz drive and idiot proof means of cartridge alignment called p-mount. Simply, the cartridge plugs into the tonearm and secured by a mounting screw. No other alignment required other than adjustment of the VTF, (vertical tracking force) and anti skating adjustment, (force exerted on the stylus as it travels across the record). These table's can usually be bought for a relatively reasonable price. It's true that buying used can be a crap shoot. I still think you've got dealer odd's going for you.

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Re: Buying a record player [message #88211 is a reply to message #87548]

Tue, 19 June 2018 12:02

Azuri
Messages: 315
Registered: November 2012

Grand Master

Belt driven units have inherent quality for the reasons Wayne gave. And I think that may be the underlying reason for the uptick in the interest in vinyl. People are starting to want quality more, over the cheap, novelty type mass produced record players.

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