garyc
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The best place to look for good used turntables is the classifieds at http://www.avsa.co.za/smalls.php?type=1.
As already mentioned the brands to look for are Linn, Rega and Pro-Ject. A couple of notes on this:
- A good turntable will need a good cartridge and stylus and the stylus replacement can be expensive. Make sure that the turntable has a moving magnet cartridge and is not a moving coil type. The moving coil is the best for quality but you will have to sell the car or children to fund the replacement when the stylus wears out.
- You will also need a decent phono pre-amp to get the advantage of a good turntable. The cheap add-on phono input on a home theatre amp does not count. If you are not going to get this then simply buy an OK turntable to avoid wasting money.
- Most of the good turntables have a suspension system. You may need to have someone set this up or else be prepared to do some learning via Google.
It may be better to get a cheaper used turntable in case you decide not to go any further with the idea. Personally I used a turntable for a long time (Linn LP12 / Ittok / Asaka / Valhalla combination). This was replaced a while back by FLAC files and a good DAC. Vinyl does have some definite advantages, particularly in bass definition, but digital has some strong advantages as well.
As already mentioned the brands to look for are Linn, Rega and Pro-Ject. A couple of notes on this:
- A good turntable will need a good cartridge and stylus and the stylus replacement can be expensive. Make sure that the turntable has a moving magnet cartridge and is not a moving coil type. The moving coil is the best for quality but you will have to sell the car or children to fund the replacement when the stylus wears out.
- You will also need a decent phono pre-amp to get the advantage of a good turntable. The cheap add-on phono input on a home theatre amp does not count. If you are not going to get this then simply buy an OK turntable to avoid wasting money.
- Most of the good turntables have a suspension system. You may need to have someone set this up or else be prepared to do some learning via Google.
It may be better to get a cheaper used turntable in case you decide not to go any further with the idea. Personally I used a turntable for a long time (Linn LP12 / Ittok / Asaka / Valhalla combination). This was replaced a while back by FLAC files and a good DAC. Vinyl does have some definite advantages, particularly in bass definition, but digital has some strong advantages as well.