Just out interest....

[wee tee cee]

If I was to dip my toe in the vinyl water is there any new turntables about the £300 mark that would do justice to some second hand John Martyn that could hopefully, be purchased without breaking the bank.... It would have to be plug and play, easy to set up.......or should I just stick with the lap top?

[Ali Tait]

Do you have a phono stage Tony? If not you'd need to buy one as well as the deck.

[wee tee cee]

I was having a swatch at the budget rega decks/phono stages......just wondering

[Ali Tait]

I'd say go for it if you have the room. I have a Garrard 401, but nowhere to put it!

[snuffbox]

There was a td125 with sme 3009 went for £280 on ebay today,was going to bid on it myself but bought one from closer to home.
You couldnt get close to that quality for three times that amount on a new deck.

[Audioman]

If I was to dip my toe in the vinyl water is there any new turntables about the £300 mark that would do justice to some second hand John Martyn that could hopefully, be purchased without breaking the bank.... It would have to be plug and play, easy to set up.......or should I just stick with the lap top?

You asked for new TT's - Rega RP1 comes with option of installed budget cartridge. Add Project or Cambridge Phono Stage. Used can be better value but it won't be plug and play plus probably will need service/set up/ new parts.

[Marco]

Any reason why it has to be new, Tony? If you could go for quality second-hand, you're options would be rather more interesting! ;)

Marco.

[chelsea]

2nd hand would get you a nice deck.

[DSJR]

Old vintage turntables ALL need some work doing on them and, with no dealer backup, this can be daunting for a vinyl novice. A TD125/SME is a heck of a cheap buy still, but can the OP do the suspension (not as easy as a TD150/160 or even an LP12), properly dress the arm cabling (very few have ever bothered) etc etc. NOT a deck to "plonk and play..."

Perhaps one of the Pioneer PL71's that float around the forums may be worth waiting for and, of course, THERE'S THE TECHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


For new, my personal and possibly blinkered NEW choice would be a Rega RP1 with Fono Mini and of course there are a number (!) of Pro-ject choices. Both makes easy to set up and use and should be quiet and reliable in use...

[Audioman]

Dave gives sensible advice. OP wants 'plug and play'. Most here are too obsessed with fiddling with and fettling old junk to be objective. :lol:

[Ali Tait]

:lol:

[jostber]

Don't stick with the laptop, go with vinyl. :) Forum wise the Techies SL1200/1210 get the most attention here, and they have a lot of potential. You will need a solid TT, a good cartridge and a good phono stage to get the most out of the wonderful analog sound.

Often quite good deals on used TT's with cartridge can be found here on AOS, PFM and similar forums. Many enthusiasts have several TT's and need to clear out some from time to time to get room for another. :) Putting in a wanted ad in the forums might also be a way to go.

[wee tee cee]

I would prefer to buy new, If the performance within budget would give me a reasonable taste of what vinyl can do. The rega rp1 and basic phono stage are just about affordable....can anyone let me know how they perform from they're own experience ....

[Audioman]

I would prefer to buy new, If the performance within budget would give me a reasonable taste of what vinyl can do. The rega rp1 and basic phono stage are just about affordable....can anyone let me know how they perform from they're own experience ....

Why not find a Rega dealer and listen for yourself. Then you can make the decision according to your tastes rather than anybody elses. Suggested these on price and experience of other Rega products.

[vouk]

Second that on the Rega; never heard one I didn't like regardless of price. Otherwise, Pro-jects are also good value for money - some of their models are fully plug and play.