In the market for a new turntable - any suggestions?

[jeffs11375]

My Technics turntable that has served me very well for close to 40 years is on its last legs and I am looking to replace it. My first thought is to get another Technics table and I see that there are a few choices in the thousand dollar range - which is not a problem for me. But I am wondering what else is on the market that people here have used. I want a fairly simple device, no USB, no pre-amp and no strobe to vary the speed.

Any suggestions?

 

[Rich Strauss]

I have a Rega P5 that I like a lot. It's about 10 years old.

The current Rega Planar 3 is very popular. It is $1,125 w/o cartridge & $1.395 with cartridge.

The Rega Planar 6 is $1,875 w/o cartridge.

What is your price range?

 

[jeffs11375]

I have a Rega P5 that I like a lot. It's about 10 years old.

The current Rega Planar 3 is very popular. It is $1,125 w/o cartridge & $1.395 with cartridge.

The Rega Planar 6 is $1,875 w/o cartridge.

What is your price range?

Not that high. Amazon is selling the Technics SL-100 C turntable for $999. I will likely go with that. In my old table I have an Ortofon mono cartridge that I plan to mount in my new one.

 

[Rich Strauss]

Sounds good.

 

[nadorozny2001]

anybody ever had a lenco l70 turntable ?

 

[things to come]

A big bird portable

 

[Dave Baldwin]

I second the recommendation for the Rega Planar 3. Hypnotic audiophile sound for the money that enhances most LPs and 45s.
A few aftermarket mods like a 'Groove-Tracer' sub-patter make one sound indistinguishable from the pricier Rega Planar 6. But
I did keep my old Harmon-Kardon T55-C from the 80s as my main 45 rpm deck since it's a real workhorse with a high-torque
platter drive that will play even the most off-center and badly-pressed singles without a hitch. Also, the Grado cartridge lets
me swap out three or four different stylus variations to play just about any 7" disc that comes my way.

 

[masterbeat64]

Over the past 50 years I've had a Goldring Lenco GL-75, Thorens TD-124 and a Garrard 401, all with SME arm and all now gone to the audiofool marble orchard. Best was the 401 which had a very tight grip on the bass notes.

In 1996 in purchased a new Technics SL-1200 as a back-up to the 401. I tried it with the SME arm, but to be honest on mono 45s the sound was no different to the Technics arm. I did find that, on my deck, the 'cogging' problem common to Technics decks is cured by setting the pitch control a smidgen above the zero setting.

 

[MopTopMike]

I second the recommendation for the Rega Planar 3. Hypnotic audiophile sound for the money that enhances most LPs and 45s.
A few aftermarket mods like a 'Groove-Tracer' sub-patter make one sound indistinguishable from the pricier Rega Planar 6. But
I did keep my old Harmon-Kardon T55-C from the 80s as my main 45 rpm deck since it's a real workhorse with a high-torque
platter drive that will play even the most off-center and badly-pressed singles without a hitch. Also, the Grado cartridge lets
me swap out three or four different stylus variations to play just about any 7" disc that comes my way.

What have you found to track best on those slushy TSS pressings?

 

[Dave Baldwin]

What have you found to track best on those slushy TSS pressings?

I've used a '90s conical Grado stylus on the Harmon-Kardon. It also tracked some 'hot-mastered' 45s
decently that normally skipped like a South Texas bail-jumper. Notably, Kack Klick (House of Guitars),
George Torrence (Shout), The Chevell V (Askel) and a couple Living Legend 45s (Kim Fowley's label).