I have a desire for a cheap tt and need a recommendation

[Light Capture]

I want to be able to play vinyl and have a need for a low budget tt. The low end rega and project turntables seem plentiful on ebay, and has my interest. What do you vinyl aficionados think about a cheapo tt?

(I have a nice Denon DRA397 80wx2 stereo receiver w/ phono that I like a lot and will be using with it. It is cleaner with better detail, plus more modern sounding than the older Denon receivers I've owned in the past.)

[RobbieGong]

Hi Mike, when you say low budget how much up to ?

[Light Capture]

$150-300usd used
I forgot to mention I would like a black modern tt vs. a silver vintage tt.

[Jason P]

You'll not go far wrong with a Project, or a Rega for that matter. They're not the last word in hifi but Regas in particular make music very well. I'd try and find a good Planar 2, 3 or P series for your budget. Allow for a new cart if not included (an AT95 will be fine to start with) and you're good to go (assuming your amp has a phono stage)...

[Light Capture]

Thanks Jason. I'll look for the Rega models 2,3, P as you suggest. BTW, what do you mean by 'They're not the last word in hifi'?

[Jason P]

Only that their sins are ones of omission - you can get decks that are more 'faithful' to the original recording/have a more accurate reproduction, whatever that means (though for your budget that may be debatable) but what they do, they do very very well - and that is to make music enjoyable. The first good hi-fi I heard was a Rega 3 playing through a Creek integrated and Royd speakers, and the effect was startling. You can also upgrade them (Regas for sure, and Projects too I believe) at a cost-effective and bit-by-bit manner - a new Rega white belt for instance makes a big difference, then there's all manner of sub platters, platters and the like - but essentially they're good from the off and very little can go wrong with them.

Later Regas often come with the Ortofon OM5 cart fitted. This can be massively upgraded by purchasing an OM20 stylus (I did this many moons ago on a Dual 505 I had) which is just a simple swap and makes a huge difference, so I wouldn't discount a S/H RP1 either.