What makes a turntable worthwhile? I want to buy into the meme

What makes a turntable worthwhile? I want to buy into the meme

They're super fun to have, cool to look at, and a super worthwhile way to listen to music at home. It's a blast for you and guests, and it's great furniture.

Personally I find something unique about putting on a physical record. Even if I have nice speakers hooked up to my computer, something about a digital music player makes me keep skipping around my library and not even finishing songs.

As someone who wants to experience albums front to back, I somehow find vinyl easier to do so on, whereas I almost never finish a record that I'm listening to on my computer or iPhone. Can't explain that. I guess I find you just develop more of a relationship with a record when it's something you touch and commit to.

But if nothing else, it's great fun. I finally pulled the trigger on an AT-LP120 and some AudioEngine A5+s and have been incredibly happy. Prior to that, I had just been dabbling with old all-in-ones from the 70s that I nabbed from my grandparents.


Pic related, it's my stuff. I know I should have the speakers on stands--miss me.

Also worth mentioning that the sound is incredible. It sounds bigger and deeper and better than even my nicest headphones ever have.

The only really main thing you need to be absolutely sure you have if you're buying a turntable is a counterweight. If it doesn't have one it's most likely a piece of junk that will ruin your records.

This is mostly true, but if you want to scoop up something like an ATLP60, that's going to be fine 99.999999% of the time.

It's super hard to get advice for this stuff because Crosley people won't say anything, and the people who do speak up are in so deep that they can't really remember the entry stage with a clear head.

The worst and most annoying self-identifying "audiophiles" are turntable dudes. Lifehacker (or maybe Gizmodo) has some really great guides to owning your first table. Maybe check those out.

I've looked up a handful of articles on different tables to buy in the 500-1000 range and none have mentioned a counterweight

You see that little weighted dial in's pic?

That's a counterweight, you can visually identify them.

By the way I'm not a shill for Audio-Technica, but I identify the most with their stuff. They're the only company making this sort of stuff that isn't producing super-modern ridiculous looking turntables that seem like they're for only the hippest darkest coffee people who listen to only the worst London-based producers.

I mean, the AT-LP120 is a direct clone of the Technics SL-1200, so that really speaks to me in an unpretentious hip-hop kind of way.

I dunno, I just think Pro-jects and Regas look really ridiculous.

My buddy told me you could pick up some old, but pretty nice turntables at garage sales and on craigslist if you know what to look for. Plus normally people have some interesting and old records.

Any table north of $200 will have a counterweight. I highly suspect you could get a weighted turntable for less. Look for the numbered knob at the rear of the tone arm.

Again though, the ATLP60 doesn't have a counterweight but is totally cool from what I've read. Counterweights are important, but the ATLP60 is a quality machine. Even Turntable Lab stands behind those solidly. I believe they even sell a bundle with a set of AudioEngine A2s.

They look great, sound great and are overall great to have, but you have to invest into a good player and good speakers, then the records are expensive too, but it's overall worth it

This is true if you live in a city, but even then, this is a very hard and scary road to hoe when you're entry level. Consider this down the road, but I would recommend a new, definitely good- to-go turntable.

Getting started is definitely a hump, but once you're there, you're there. Again, if you live in a city your chances of scooping up good records on the cheap go way up. However I don't live near anything and have still gathered a few gems, and a lot of weird curiosities for about a dollar a pop.

>dee
ma nigga

nigga, how does this look ridiculous

I own this pro-ject, and it just looks simple and classy.

My receiver and speakers are already too notch. Just want a turntable to finish it off

>Marantz 2325
>Klipsch Cornwall

>no dust cover
why?

Rad! In that case, you're super close, duder. Would you be able or willing to drop over $200 on a table? What's your (theoretical) price range?

Happy birthday to JD. His uncles donut place is like an hour south of me, I've been meaning to check it out. He was giving out Talib Kweli tickets recently.

I don't hate it, but I really don't like it. I feel like it's hyper-modern in a way that looks silly and flat already. Like, I feel like just by looking at this, I know exactly who owns it.

However, I'm sure it's a quality product. I've read as much.

>What's your (theoretical) price range?
Somewhere between 500 and 1000. I don't see myself spending less than 500 unless it was something or a literal steal

>Unless it was used or a literal steal.
Not sure how I messed that up

Thats just the image online. Mine has the dustcover on obviously

Well you're already in a kind of a different league than I am. Though personally I am extremely happy with my AT-LP120, you would even be able to swing a Technics refurb from Turntable Lab, if that's your jam.

But for reference the AT-LP120 runs between $250 and $300, and I looooove it to death.

>I know I should have the speakers on stands--miss me.

Forget fucking stands, they shouldn't even be that fuckin close--

--know what? none of my business. If your setup starts humming like a dump truck when you turn the bass up past 0, you'll know why.

Total?

Because you should spend more on your speakers and amp than you spend on your turntable.

Like people have said before, a turntable spins records. If your turntable has a counterweight, it will spin records just fine. Your receiver and speakers will determine how good your records sound.

There's a lot of people out there with $400 turntables, $100 receivers, and $80 speakers.

It's like running a $1200 guitar through a $200 amp. It's fuckin dump.

My advice is buy used, use craigslist if you can, and put your money where it matters: the receiver and the speakers.

Also: expect getting started to cost at least 1.2x what you estimate. There are lots of little costs--wires, cables, cartridges...

Oh, alright. That makes more sense.

>Total?
Receiver is about 900+ and speakers are easily 800+. About to spend 700 getting the receiver recapped and brought back to new and 1100 on upgrades for the speakers

You just couldn't resist, could you, you fucking turd? You guys are the worst, and your bullshit keeps people out of vinyl.

I don't need to explain myself, BUT, I didn't get a standard power cord with this set by mistake and had to order one, so they're close because the cable that keeps them plugged in is like ten inches long. I ordered one and it'll be here tomorrow. Still not exactly sure what I'll do for stands, although I live in an apartment, so I'll never really have it cranked where the stylus is going to be bouncing around.

But I used to have these little vertical mounts that screwed into the wall that were meant for books. If I had the speakers floating above the table, would that solve my issue?

Don't listen to these fucking music bridge trolls. You can get rolling and you'll be incredibly impressed out of the gate. Save the big spending for when you turn into a dickhead weirdo like these guys. Man I can't figure out why all vinylfags are like this.

post full collection (take shelf pic)

Stuff on the left are records I've been scooping up secondhand. Mostly weird curiosity stuff, but a few cool things. Middle shelf are new or very good quality records that I care about the most right now. Just trying to keep the nice stuff away from the dustier Goodwill shit. Weird shelf on the left is dumb box sets (think Lawrence Welk) or things that I don't want to sort into left shelf. Like a fitness record, children's stories narrated, or a bible stories record.

WHOOPS

Shelf on the right is weird shelf*