Turntable recommendation required herein

Thorens are, indeed, overpriced, usually.

For sonic accuracy, get something like the Kenwood KD-2055. In the hierarchy of nature/record players, it's a step right below a quality Thorens that you can usually find at a cheap price. Make sure it's clean and fixed up, though.

so is there anything in the entry-level Rega/Project/Music Hall range that has auto-return? I realize it degrades sound quality, but I need a turntable just to play cheaper records on, and I hate having to pick the needle up.

right here:

http://www.needledoctor.com/Denon-DP300F-with-2M-Red-Package?sc=2&category=1143

sweet, thanks UMS

that's a nice cartridge too, good deal on the package

i'm in the market for a new turntable, and was hoping to turn to the sensible but rigorous ILM hive mind to help me out. (i have a lot of records, but i've never invested enough money in a good turntable.) there seem to be as many opinions about turntables as there are people with records. the same deck that some people swear by is the devil incarnate to other folks.

basically, I'm looking for something

- in the range of $450–$700
- w/ belt drive
- fully- or semi-automatic (basically one that has auto shut-off at the end of a side)
- preferably 3-speed
- w/ good speed control
- solidly built (won't blow over in a stiff breeze; will last if i take care of it)
- has a dust cover

I don't need one w/ a built-in pre-amp since I have a receiver w/ a phono input (though I do wonder if I should buy a standalone preamp which might sound better than the amp in my 20-yr-old receiver)

I don't give a shit about USB ports or other digital accoutrements (though if a turntable had a USB output I guess I could use it for copying to digital files for sharing)

i'm happy to get a refurbished table / a vintage one from a reputable dealer (as long as replacing the cartridge isn't a huge pain). but it's easier to look for a new one simply because the options are more limited; you don't have to consider a million options.

do semi- and fully-automatic turntables suck compared to manual ones? does the automatic aspect (or auto-return, whatever you call it) really compromise the quality of sound or engineering?

anyway, I was considering this Thorens TD-170: https://www.turntablelab.com/products/thorens-td-170-1-ev-turntable-black

also open to the Denon linked above, but it is on the cheap side, even with an improved cartridge, which makes me wonder...

Qualify your need for 3-speed; playing 78s or half-speed masters? If 78s -- you should use a different stylus/cartridge when playing that format because they can be a bit rough if you primarily play newer/cleaner platters.

The used market appears to be in a bubble, so if you're buying a turntable-for-life make sure your brand choice is one that has established 3rd-party parts outlets.

I prefer semi-auto so you don't have to babysit the unit, and you can go to sleep with a record playing without adding excess wear-and-tear to your needle.

Personally, i have a second-hand Technics that i payed $40 for (20 years ago) and have subsequently outfitted it with a $80 cartridge -- i'd do the same if i had to replace it today (squirreling-away any savings towards better loudspeakers and a higher wattage amp).

...also, since i added better cartridges along the way, i can quickly change to my lesser quality ones when playing ratty vinyl.

do semi- and fully-automatic turntables suck compared to manual ones? does the automatic aspect (or auto-return, whatever you call it) really compromise the quality of sound or engineering?

The auto stuff seems to be well isolated in my old technics 1600 mkII, but I imagine it can be a problem if not done correctly. The mechanical stuff that lifts/lowers the tonearm is also the only thing I've ever had to service on the turntable. A belt connecting the motor pulley to the tone-arm lifting pulley eventually breaks. An o-ring is the cheap replacement. But the o-ring rubs up against some metal in the assembly and probably has shorter lifetime than the original belt. So auto stuff will probably cause at least some issues at some point.

I also generally place the needle manually because I don't have patience for auto-start. But bodacious is otm about auto-return being great to have.

always been very happy with my Rega P1

https://www.musicdirect.com/Store/rega-rp1-turntable-aregattrp1cg?utm_source=googlepepla&utm_medium=adwords&id=63027564162&gclid=CjwKEAjwrvq9BRD5gLyrufTqg0YSJACcuF817u663mSZDX8aaO8pPa5X_3wHK8JrtI-hE8ipFmf_phoCJR3w_wcB

would upgrade cart to Ortofon 2M blue

http://www.needledoctor.com/Ortofon-2M-Blue-Phono-Cartridge

or Denon DL 110

http://www.needledoctor.com/Denon-DL-110-Cartridge

... agree with Sufjan -- i've never had an auto-start that i could trust; either too fast or poorly aligned... likely to my experience with them on cheap units.

a friend who is a casual vinyl listener asked me for a <$200 turntable recommendation . i've had the same technics 1200 for 10 years and have no clue about other turntables so i don't know what to tell him ... any suggestions? are those basic audio technica tables worth anything?

I have this and it's pretty good for $179:

https://store.uturnaudio.com/products/orbit-basic-turntable

i'm in the market for a home-listening table. i'd previously had a technics SL-QD35 (passed down from my dad years and years ago), which was a p-mount so that always kind of limited my shopping but i liked the darned simplicity of it, and it's the table i grew up with so i was always very attached to the look and feel. it was lost in a fire. farewell; i got many, many, many great years of listening out of that thing, more than my dad ever did.

https://discogslabs.imgix.net/gear/56f9f4dc3e393c001b2f0b6b.jpg?auto=compress&s=4c5998a0cab64cb74d6e83bc7e81ae13

aesthetically it seems like say the audio-technica LP-120 kinda fits that vibe (why must it have a USB though?!). though with my decor it might make sense to get something a little woodier. but none of your "flat floating slab of glossy-painted fiberboard with abstract minimalist controls type stuff. listening-wise: i had a grado red on the technics and it sounded great for most of my listening (generally 60s-80s rock-pop-and-soul and 90s-00s indie, with a growing jazz selection).

i haven't seriously thought about budget but it's hard for me to comprehend spending over idk $500, and really over $300 unless it's seriously like, this is THE turntable that i'm going to listen to and love for the rest of my life. not trying to make y'all do my shopping for me but are there any acknowledged canonical starting-point classics on the market right now? i've never had to buy a turntable before! it's weird!

why not just get another SL-QD35?

otherwise I'd recommend the SL-1200 / 1210 - now there's a turntable for life! No other turntable is as much fun to use or as sturdy + easily repairable

it's not cheap, but it's a solid investment (if you're ever broke it's easy to sell, it's like buying gold imo)

only reason (for me) to get anything else would be audiophile aspirations

I have the SL-1200 but aesthetically maybe the 1210 is even cooler

https://www.thedjshop.co.uk/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/t/e/technics-1210-mk5.jpg

why not just get another SL-QD35?

Good question! I guess some mixture of, they're thirty years old and P-mount cartridges may not always be available to hand, and it seeming somehow a falsification to get an exact duplicate of this thing that was a family item. But that's kinda silly cause it WAS the right turntable for me for so long. Seems like they can be had for not too much dough, either!

The 1200s are gorgeous, I'll give you that. And the used prices don't seem bonkers (though the ones being manufactured and sold now, holy shit). I have been envious of people with a super clean pushbutton start-stop, which the QD35 did not have. HmmmmmmmMMMMM!