Need recommendations for a moderately priced turntable. Don't need/want a USB connection.

[ohiosmith]

haven't owned a turntable since the 70/80s when I had a Dual 1229.

Many thanks.

[Wilms]

1. Have you considered a used one from eBay?

Might be an idea.

[GoCubsGo]

2. I was going to suggest the same.

I'm sure you could even get another Dual there.

[ohiosmith]

4. Thanks!

[HopeHoops]

12. Same here - eBay - go for a Technics with the strobe.

There are a lot of on-line sources for needles, cleaning brushes, etc. I've got my turntable hooked in with all of the rest of the A/V stuff along with a LaserDisc player, a couple of VCRs, DVD players, multi-CD deck, and a dual cassette tape unit. It took some serious fucking with to get it all hooked in and routed through the amp and equalizer out to the speakers, but it works. You just have to push a bunch of buttons to figure out which settings work with which devices and keep the sound in the house instead of treating the neighborhood to whatever is going on. I set it up myself and I almost understand it but I'm still befuddled once in a while. The TV actually serves as a sound switch in all that bullshit, but it does the trick.

[ohiosmith]

13. Cool! Thanks!

[ohiosmith]

3. No I hadn't. Good idea.

[hunter]

5. I've bought good working turntables in thrift stores for $10.

One person's treasure is most people's obsolete crap.

If I was spending more than that I'd make sure I could get replacement parts, especially needles and rubber parts like belts or idlers.

This site came up on google:

http://www.turntablebasics.com (I've bought parts from other places, but I couldn't come up with them right away.)

Mostly I've gone primitive rather than hi-fi because I wanted to hear the music as it sounded when I was a kid, usually NOT as it was played on my dad's expensive stereo system.

For my birthday my wife got me a rugged portable from a university music department. It cleaned up well, and sounds like I remember. It also plays 78's with a flip-over needle. (Insert horrified gasps from audiophiles here...) It's the process I like. Carry out the record player like luggage, open it up, plug it in, and party like it's 1966!

I also have a much gentler turntable I've used for digital transfers, but I haven't done that for a long time.

[ohiosmith]

6. Cool! Thank you!

[Kali]

7. be aware with older/used turntables that rubber and plastic parts (especially belt-driven)

can be stiff and brittle. google "turntable reviews" or read some on Amazon or one of the big electronic seller sites.

[ohiosmith]

8. Good idea! Thanks!

[Major Nikon]

9. I agree

Belt driven or not, a turntable still has lots of moving parts. Storing something in your attic for 20 years isn't always a good idea for things with lots of moving parts. If all the lubrication is gone it will work fine for a little while and then it won't.

[hunter]

14. I confess to some mechanical inclinations...

For me, playing a record on an old machine I've fussed with is more fun than playing a record on a brand new working machine would be.

BTW, for ohiosmith, I found another site:

http://www.needledoctor.com (Again, it's just google, nobody I've bought stuff from...)

Mostly I get stuff from antique radio guys who tend to be a fairly conservative lot and don't know my secret superhero identity as a flaming radical lefty environmentalist posting on Democratic Underground.

[ohiosmith]

15. Thanks hunter!

[ohiosmith]

10. Self serving kick!

[hifiguy]

11. Check out Pro-Ject and Rega.

Moderate prices, high build and sound quality. PM me and I can shoot you some websites with info.