I'm looking for a relatively inexpensive but decent record player..

-'Cloudbusting?'
-Meh, too slow to build.
-True. 'Running Up That Hill,' then.
-Hell yes, then segue into 'West End Girls.'
-This is the Go! Team track I play when I DJ.
-Do it. But I gotta hear Robyn after that.
-We don't want to make her have to follow 'I Feel Love,' though.
- ...
- ...
- Are you on ILM?
- Got me.))

whoa. that's a lot more expensive that i was planning.

Project decks are good all rounders, which here (uk) will cost at about the £120+ mark. These are belt drive though.

The Rega Planar P2 goes for over £300 these days and that used to be the decent entry-level deck of choice about 10-15 years ago. (NAD used to do a rebadged version - the 533? - which Richer Sounds used to sell for under £150).

Oh, hang on - you're in the States. Music Hall might be the equivalent of Pro-Ject over there - in fact, I think they might be built by Pro-Ject in the Czech Republic.

This is kind of where the Pro-Jects have the edge - they're sold as a complete package, which I think is probably what most vinylheads would want, rather than the slightly tweaky mentality of Rega where you buy everything separately. Not that this is any reflection on the quality of the P2 (mind you, I always preferred the Systemdek IIX900 at that price point - but they went out of business years ago).

true, earwax does have some cleaned up used decks in the back, as do other record stores in nyc.

BUT, keep an eye on Craigslist. There are tons of bedroom DJs or rich teenagers who picked up a pair of Technics instead of a guitar and now they've completely lost interest and just want to get rid of them. I wanted a second turntable and was surprised to pick up a $300 Gemini w/ $90 Stanton cartridge for $60 total(!). The deals are there on Craigslist if you're patient enough and avoid shady people.

ihttp://www.needledoctor.com/core/media/media.nl?id=2996&c=ACCT106601&h=2f10a378af927830b8b0
http://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-PL50-Fully-Automatic-Turntable-with-Switchable-Phono-Pre-amp;jsessionid=ac112b2d1f43910ffc70a7d84e52b742f85276a1aebb.e3eTaxePaNqNe34LchiRbN0Naxv0n6jAmljGr5XDqQLvpAe?category=358

The Debut III looks great, but it's $299:

http://www.needledoctor.com/core/media/media.nl?id=5212&c=ACCT106601&h=2aaed48cff69953b35f0
http://www.needledoctor.com/Pro-Ject-Turntables-Debut-III-Basic-Black?sc=2&category=46

anyone ever played around on one of these? haha

http://www.needledoctor.com/core/media/media.nl?id=8221&c=ACCT106601&h=459147b61048c4164230
http://www.needledoctor.com/Vestax-Turntable-QFO?sc=2&category=44

i might stop by earwax after work.

ihttp://www.needledoctor.com/Audio-Technica-PL120-Turntable?sc=2&category=44

*COVETING*

http://www.thinkgeek.com/electronics/mp3/7c99/

Technics Quartz Direct Drive Turntable SL-1200 M3D - $250

Technics Quartz Direct Drive Turntable SL-1200 M3D with Cartridge/Stylus and slipmat. Great Condition! Total quartz locked continuous pitch adjustment +/-8% -- Precision moulded aluminium diecast cabinet and heavy rubber base material absorb unwanted vibrations -- Highly sensitive low mass tone-arm with gimbal suspension/helicoid tonearm height adjustment
-- Pitch reset button -- Cords in good condition -- Lights are working -- No cracks or discoloration, overall great condition. Come pick it up.

the pictures are great, too. if i can get her down to @ $200 (or not), is it worth it?

You could eBay it for a profit.

I just got a nice little phono preamp for under $20 for work to rip vinyl.

If I was going to just use it for playing records the 1200 is the last thing I'd choose. Of course you're talking to a guy with 6 decks, 3 of which are 1200s, one old Swiss number set up for 78s, a Technics studio deck, and a Rega Planar.

A nice old Dual or Philips might be good for day to day use with (as the man said above) a good stylus and cartridge. Grados used to be big bangs for the bucks and if the headphones are any guide, I'd say they still are. Still made in Brooklyn I think.

why do you say that? poor sound quality? or it's overkill if i'm just looking to have an appliance?

hm. i guess the question now is: am i ever really going to DJ with this thing, or just smokeread at my house and play records? i guess the latter is more likely (in which case i might as well get this, but if i end up really deciding to do the former, i might as well have something to start out on.

argh.

robert crumb had an entire bookshelf of them in his documentary (crumb.

Those Technics 1200 turntables are designed for DJing and personally I would not recommend them for domestic use.

Don't forget that if you buy a turntable, you will need a amplifier with phono inputs on it (or a pre-amp) (which all old amplifiers do, but most newer ones don't)

more questions:

-how often does one replace their stylus for home use? DJ use?
-does the cartridge ever have to be replaced?
-why wouldn't you use a DJs turntable for home use?
-how often do you buy those 180-gram vinyl re-issues? is there that much of a difference between those and the $2 copies in the bin? is it comparable to the difference between an un-re-mastered CD?

thanks, all.

http://www.audio-technica.com/cms/turntables/132996d8909f84e4/index.html

-does the cartridge ever have to be replaced?

I think a lot of newer models have cartidges that last for at least a couple years.

-why wouldn't you use a DJs turntable for home use?

No idea, but I'd guess some audiophile wants something that's optimized for best sound quality in their home.

-how often do you buy those 180-gram vinyl re-issues? is there that much of a difference between those and the $2 copies in the bin?

I haven't bought a lot of heavy gram vinyl (I think some of Aphex's analord is on heavy vinyl and it does sound fantastic) but I have noticed that the audio quality of vinyl is more variable/wide-ranging than I initially thought.

every few years for home use, depends on total hours of usage, etc., aka not that often

-does the cartridge ever have to be replaced?

not really, unless you "upgrade"

-why wouldn't you use a DJs turntable for home use?

I'm sure the more audiophile will tell you why. Thing are just as fucked up in my house as any club, so...

-how often do you buy those 180-gram vinyl re-issues? is there that much of a difference between those and the $2 copies in the bin? is it comparable to the difference between an un-re-mastered CD?

Vinyl wears out. Try buying Led Zep on vinyl and you'll see what heavy use does to it. Thicker vinyl allows for deeper grooves, louder sound and longer life. But you'll notice the real difference in mastering shifts in the seventies. It's hard to compare 60s vinyl to post 70s vinyl. This is the provebial "cat out of bag" in sound.

any new thoughts on this? i'm not an audiophile and i'm not crazy. i just want a regular, sturdy record player.