How much money do I need to spend on a record player to get decent sound quality?
I just started getting into vinyls recently and decided to get something cheap because I figured it wouldn't be *that* big of a difference. I got a Jensen JTA 230, which has pretty good reviews, but it ended up being shit. Sound quality was mediocre, pitch control didn't work, speed was too fast by default but would slow down and speed back up randomly, etc.
So now I'm ready to spend a little more money. After doing some research though, it kind of seems like most people recommend turntables that are $200-$400 and sometimes even more, which is fucking ridiculous. Can I get something good for ~$100, preferably less, or should I just abandon my vinyl collection in it's youth?
Also, unrelated but why the fuck do so many reviews spend so much time talking about how the turntable looks?
People only give a shit about turntables for the sound quality, right? Why else would you drop so much money on music? You don't get a record player to stare at the player, you get it to play music
Cameron Martinez
>Can I get something good for ~$100 No, unless you get lucky at a junk shop.
William Kelly
You can get lucky in my shop ;)
Matthew Jenkins
Audiotechnica lp60 is pretty decent and reliable. Not the greatest quality ever but it won't damage your records like Crosley shit..
Julian James
So do I need to pay a month's rent just to be able to listen to my records?
My parents have an old record player that isn't in working condition right now. I think it just needs a new belt and needle. Will that end up bringing down the price so I don't have to pay hundreds of dollars to get good sound?
Jose Lopez
you're probably gonna still need a phono preamp and/or amplifier
or you could get this phono preamp with a headphone input and rca output to powered speakers
I already have all that taken care of, plus speakers, mixer, rca ins and outs, etc
Lucas Myers
yeah, then if its a decent turntable youre fixing up then go for it. or just buy a cheap technics from the 80s on craigslist
Nolan Bennett
unrelated but where do you guys get your vinyls from? everything i want is at least $20 if i'm lucky, i'm gonna go broke :(
James Jackson
yeah, it's an expensive hobby. usually get mine from discogs or ebay
Adrian Murphy
the price of records varies on your taste in music. If you're trying to buy old records then your best bet is a tiny, unorganized store in some hole in the wall that you can get sick from being in for too long. The selection is huge and each record is like 5 dollars.
Heres a pic of the place i go in Amityville, NY
Alexander Bell
only two places in my town sell vinyls: Barnes and Noble and a Bookman's that has maybe 1/10 of what your picture shows for their entire collection. Barnes and Noble is expensive and all the people that work and shop there are pretentious snobs and fags
phoenix is only like 1.5 hours away though. i guess i'll just have to find an excuse to go there every once in a while
Thomas James
make that 1/20, theres a whole other half to the store on the left haha its actually like a 40 minute commute for myself as well, but once you find a good store its really worth it
Thomas Young
>make that 1/20, theres a whole other half to the store on the left haha fuck are you on about
Connor Rivera
>and a Bookman's that has maybe 1/10 of what your picture shows for their entire collection
Aiden Morris
wait never mind, i thought you were referring to the store i shop at
David White
If people only gave a shit about the sound quality then nobody would still listen to vinyl or buy a turntable. The aesthetics are a big part, for some people even most of the appeal.
Austin Allen
turntable doesent mean shit, just get a 90s AIWA.
preamp is where you should sink your money if you are looking to play casettes, cd's and vinyl
Joshua Miller
Keep your eyes open for yard sales/flea markets in that case. I got a ton of good shit at a church yard sale just last week, the kind of shit I would pay $10 for in a normal shop I scored for $1 each (pic related). Just be patient. I've been collecting for over a year now and I only have like 60 records, 1/3 of which were my aunt's that she gave me. You won't get every record you want all at once, but that's sort of the appeal and why it's a good long-term hobby. Eventually one day you might stumble across that ONE you've always been looking for as you flick through the stacks. That moment is the payoff for me. Also like has been said, use discogs. You'll get a fair price, no bargain bin lucky gems or anything but you can see what each record usually sells for and gauge whether it's a good price. Try to find sellers that have multiple records you want and order them several at a time, then they'll all arrive together.
Owen Wood
The plural is just vinyl. You'll lose significant amounts of street cred saying "vinyls".
Leo Brooks
High fidelity in Amityville is one of my main stops for record shopping. Nice and cozy.
Carson Gonzalez
yeah! definitely my favorite record store in the area. I usually check it out first then stop by infinity on the way back
Easton Ramirez
I got mine for around 140 €
my dad has a shit ton of records, from folk to classical, rock and pop you can find most EPs from around 20 something
