Newbie.....needs lots of advice and help!

[marley]

Sorry its the newbie again...asking more dumb questions!!

Before I started asking questions, and looking online etc...i had just "assumed", that the most "important/expensive" item , I would need to buy, would be the amp.? It seems the turntable , is very important/expensive...ish! too?

OK , So rega turntables , seem to be the one to go for...looking online, there isnt much second hand rega stuff about...looking last night, I can get a new Planar 2 for £399 a new planar 1 for £239......ive only seen one "Rega Planar 3 Classic Turntable in Black with RB300 Tonearm" obviously used, for £340 posted..............I think. I know the answer about the planar 1.......so will discount tha anyway!

Am I best of waiting to see if I can find a better deal on a used planar 3...or look at getting a new planar 2?

Its all subjective , I know, at the end of the day...its my money, so its up to me! lol!...

This is getting more and more of a rabbit hole though!! Then there is the amp..(and cd player etc etc!!)

Thanks for all your advice...(AND! your patience thus far!)!!.

[walpurgis]

Put a 'wanted' advert in the forum Private Exhibitions section. I'd be surprised if there isn't a Rega turntable available at a good price.

The same applies to any other bits you may want.

[Macca]

A turntable is mechanical engineering and good mechanical engineering doesn't come cheap - so really good turntables do tend to be quite expensive relative to, say, a really good cd player.

Although obviously you can spend a fortune on a cd player or other digital system if you want to, but as long as the rest of the system has been put together with some care and attention even a budget digital source will give acceptable sound quality with all types of music. This is not true of turntables.

It depends on your level of expectation. The Planar One will be fine if you just want to listen to your records and enjoy them. It's a competent design. However if you were to hear it compared back to back with a more sophisticated unit only then you would realise what you were missing. It all comes down to what level you are happy with and what you are prepared to spend.

usually how it works is we start off with the budget equipment and over time we swap it out for more expensive, better performing equipment until, maybe decades later, we end up with what is usually referred to as 'high end' sound. Those with lots of money to chuck at it can dive straight in at that level of course, but that isn't most of us.

If you are going to put together a system on a tight budget, buying second hand items, you can potentially get a very good set up for the minimum of cost. But it's unusual to get this exactly right first time. Be prepared to put things back up for sale and have a punt on something else with the proceeds. It's trial and error. Some people enjoy this process and you can learn a lot.

The alternative is to pay a premium and go to a dealer like Hi-fi Dave and get a full system from him which he knows will work well and which is likely to satisfy you straight out of the gate. A bit more expensive, yes, a lot less hassle also. But then one man's hassle is another man's fun and learning experience. So you have to decide where you want to be with that. Either route is valid.

[walpurgis]

A bit of advice. If you have a turntable shipped to you, make sure it's going to be very, very carefully and robustly packaged. Never have one sent with the main platter still fitted, it should be wrapped separately and placed beneath the plinth. And the plastic lid needs very strong support and protection, possibly even best shipped separately. There are no end of horror stories about decks wrecked in transit. It's happened to me! (got a refund though )

[marley]

Put a 'wanted' advert in the forum Private Exhibitions section. I'd be surprised if there isn't a Rega turntable available at a good price.

The same applies to any other bits you may want.

Doh!!! Why didnt I think of that!....just placed an ad.

A turntable is mechanical engineering and good mechanical engineering doesn't come cheap - so really good turntables do tend to be quite expensive relative to, say, a really good cd player.

Although obviously you can spend a fortune on a cd player or other digital system if you want to, but as long as the rest of the system has been put together with some care and attention even a budget digital source will give acceptable sound quality with all types of music. This is not true of turntables.

It depends on your level of expectation. The Planar One will be fine if you just want to listen to your records and enjoy them. It's a competent design. However if you were to hear it compared back to back with a more sophisticated unit only then you would realise what you were missing. It all comes down to what level you are happy with and what you are prepared to spend.

usually how it works is we start off with the budget equipment and over time we swap it out for more expensive, better performing equipment until, maybe decades later, we end up with what is usually referred to as 'high end' sound. Those with lots of money to chuck at it can dive straight in at that level of course, but that isn't most of us.

If you are going to put together a system on a tight budget, buying second hand items, you can potentially get a very good set up for the minimum of cost. But it's unusual to get this exactly right first time. Be prepared to put things back up for sale and have a punt on something else with the proceeds. It's trial and error. Some people enjoy this process and you can learn a lot.

The alternative is to pay a premium and go to a dealer like Hi-fi Dave and get a full system from him which he knows will work well and which is likely to satisfy you straight out of the gate. A bit more expensive, yes, a lot less hassle also. But then one man's hassle is another man's fun and learning experience. So you have to decide where you want to be with that. Either route is valid.

Thanks for that.......seems like a lot of sense to me.

[AJSki2fly]

I am really looking for something which is as uncomplicated as possible yes!.

So it looks like an integrated amp. is what I need...Ive seen on another forum a turntable

"linn axis turn table with audio technica at440mla cartridge not had much use £300"...would this be suitable...or would I be better off looking for a Vega turntable?

I cant seem to find many second hand Vega planar tt for sale....looking about a P1 ia £200 ish, and the planar 2 for double that.....So Im still undecided/unsure......I guess though, it depends on what type of amp. (and the cost of it!) as to which turntable I get...as has been said, a C.D. player I assume isnt that "important".. (I mean regarding spec. price etc?).

Oh yes!! then there is the tuner....it sure is a rabbit hole isnt it! lol!

Not too far from you https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Vintage-R...eE3Sh&LH_BIN=1 it need a new lid and need to check it works and cartridge is OK or not.

Rega Planar lid https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NEW...gAAOSwb5lef1LY

Could bid on this one and buy a new cartridge https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Rega-Plan...kAAOSwfPFe-OaS check he has original packaging or will be VERY CAREFULY package and double boxed. Then buy a new Cartridge like and Audio Technica or Ortofon
others can advise what works best with the arm/turntable