I have a big vinyl collection, from friends buying me old records, my parents' old records, and from me just buying some records (some are pretty cool and cheap), and yet i have nowhere to play them. I'd like to buy just a basic, simple turntable/record player but don't really know what is good or not. I was looking at this Crosley turntable and it looked really awesome, kind of retro, but I read three amazon reviews that said it was bad. I am definitely on a budget, so I don't want anything over 120 dollars. And it has to be able to play 7", 10" and of course 12". Does anyone have a brand or record player they could recommend? And once again, it doesn't have to be portable or fancy, just something with decent speakers that I can play my records on.

I don't know much but I do know that you should not be getting a record player with a belt, get one that's direct drive.

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WE MADE BROWNIES. I THINK WE'RE DEAD.

hmm thanks, I'll keep that in mind.

i have a record player but no records
haha

no. do not buy it or anything like it. they sound like CRAP.

get a turntable you can run through your stereo.

i've been looking at getting one of these as a cheap replacement until i can afford something better.

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yeah!! i was looking at that exact one a few hours ago!! i think i will end up getting that one the reviews are all really good.

i inherited a marble record player from my dad
and a marantz from my auntie

i'd say Marantz is the best choice.

i hate the crappy things Target and K'Mart sell.

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Karmi .....

Aw, I miss my record player. When I got home from uni it erm...didn't work anymore. It's a 'Fidelity' dansette type (one of those cute players built into a carry case) with gorgeous retro patterned paper on the inside and a cool autochange function where you can pile up 45s and they drop down to play. Does anyone have any idea what could be wrong with it (I know it's hard to diagnose from afar but it'd be good to know common problems with these) and how much it might be to get fixed? I mean, if it's possible to. I think it has something like bulbs instead of whatever you have in later record players; my ex-boyfriend bought it for me as a present and mentioned that.

I've been looking on the internet at similar players, but haven't seen anything as nice as mine, even though a lot are fairly expensive.

If I was buying one for myself, I'd get one that wasn't as bulky as mine, without the box, and perhaps even one that would plug into my normal stereo. I can't really give you any advice about it. I recognise the name Marantz, it's possible that my dad's is that make, and I know his is good.

I'll check Marantz because a few people have recommended that to me, but also what Sokkar showed was pretty good and I had actually been looking at that the other day anyway, it got great reviews.

Yours sounds so cute though Sssh!

ion do those usb turntables which allow you to play from and record old vinyl to your pc. only £100 too. id get one if i didnt already have four decks, maybe

update - google ads at the bottom:

Ion USB Turntables £79.95
Factory Re-Pack, 1 Year Warranty, Bargain, Next Day Delivery!
B-stock, Ex-display DJ Equipment, Ex-Demo, Pre-owned DJ Equipment

Man, I didn't know there were still so many turntables on the market. It's hell to buy one around here, and I won't buy one unless I can listen to it first. :snob:

I have two -- a Technics and an older Pioneer. They are awesome thru the silly sound system we have.


I advise getting one they still make parts for, tho. We have to send away for any parts we need, which fortunately has only happened once thus far, and then have a guy at our local audiophile store fix said turntable. Which believe me is yea $$$!

I heart my vinyl tho.

So yeah. Luck!

Chyia, vinyl junke

You might think about investing in a vintage Technics turntable. I "inherited" a Technics linear tracking direct drive turntable from 1981, and I've only had to replace the needle in the 10 years I've owned it. I know you can buy them on eBay at a cost that would fall within your price range. Be sure to verify the age of the needle first to save yourself the trouble of replacing it first thing after receiving the unit.

If you have the $$$ get a Technics turntable. Total quality. I've known people who have accidently dropped their decks down flights of stairs and they still work after (for 10 years at that)! I've also known people who have had the same Technics decks for 15-30 years. I just recently got a brand new one. My old one I had for 10 years before a nasty powerout blew it. Then I switched to a vintage Garrard but I'm now back to Technics. As a Technics owner I recommend them highly! There is also a reason why Technics are pretty much #1 with DJ scenes all over the world.

Some other tips:
Look into getting a pre-amp to if your tuner doesn't have one. A pre amp helps stop the suckage of sound and will keep it pumping out at a proper level. Get a brand new stylus cartridge as well (needle).

Lastly, find a proper resource that tells you how to balance/level and properly set it up the deck and tonearm right. A quality turntable should come with instructions on how to do this (technics tables do). This is a major proper step for playing vinyl that some people skip or do not know about. Improper level or tonearm weight can kill your vinyl collection and needle faster than you'd like.

technics. mine is technics and I've never had any problems. I have a pre amp like voodoo was talking about. it's hooked up through my stereo system so there's no need for new or separate speakers.

btw, mine wasn't terribly expensive, it's just a basic turntable.

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Aw, look at all the Technics love, yay. They really are classics.

Um, one other thing: Buy at least one proper cartridge replacement (needle) at once, or soon as you can. Imo WELL worth it; there's not much that's more aggravating than getting all primed to listen to something you've got an insatiable yen to hear and having the current needle spaz out. The last time this happened we wised up and bought 3 at once (they had to be ordered grr.) Lots of audio shops don't keep many cartridges in stock -- if any.

One other small observation: Don't forget to have your turntable looked over, cleaned, or w/e from time to time; just your basic preventive maintenance. Idk how pricey it is to have this done in a shop - my cousin is an electronics whiz and he does our stuff basically for the price of a home-cooked dinner - but back in the day when he lived too far away to do this, we neglected it and had to take in to the electronics store; I think it cost around $75.00. An ounce of prevention, etc.


I'm needing to listen to some vinyl Grateful Dead or Creedence or something now. My older vinyl has been sadly neglected of late.

Chyia, tickled for you