Vinyl record fans. Which record player to you recommend?
Discussion
Big fan of fluance turntables and speakers
Whatās the budget?
I don't know. I haven't owned a record player in 30 years.
Get the technics. The quality of the build is second to none. You can get a used one and every part on it is replaceable so it can be repaired/maintained properly. If you get a clean one it will last a lifetime.
That
I got into it a few years back and was surprised at all that goes into a setup. And the price range is pretty wide. Iād start with a budget and work backwards from there
i was not expecting to see the one that people were recommending costing as much as a shitty used card.
I went with the pro-ject (and later the one for sonos with integrated amp). https://www.sonos.com/en-us/shop/pro-ject-debut-carbon-esprit-turntable-walnut
Still have my Technics MK2ā¦ unbreakableā¦ just saw they are now at MK7ā¦
I have a mk2 too. Best!
If you've got the budget the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO has been pretty awesome. A bit spendy, though.
I had a Pro-Ject Xpression 2 and hated it. There was a buzzing noise I could never get rid of,which apparently is quite common with Pro-jects. I stuck with it though until one day it started playing my records backwards!š¹
If youāve got the money go for a Linn ā absolute classic.
Technics 1210 MK2
Itās not only the player.
You need to consider needles as well.
Ugh. š¤Æ
Why not just listen to Spotify or Apple Music?
I've never used those services. I'm more of a Google Music / Google Play Music / YouTube Music guy. Though, I did use Tidal for the past month.
I've had a couple friends over the years say that vinyl is superior. I see vinyl making a comeback in stores. And, I just attended a concert on Nostr Nests where the artist will be releasing his music on vinyl.
I would say vinyl is good for HiFi enthusiasts.
Also the needle is scratching the vinyl a little by little every play.
If it is live music, like the amazing concert by #[6]ā it makes a lot of sense, but I think listening digital music from vinyl is just hipster flexā¦
Ofc DJing is not listening but then the records wear off even faster. You need needles to stay on track on the booming bassā¦ also table advice makes sense too :)
it is analogue experienceā¦ everything mattersā¦
The reason that I like vinyl is the same reason that I like to take time making a great cup of coffee. Thereās a ritual to it that makes the listening experience more intentional. And it puts focus back on the album. I donāt skip around. Just let it play, flip it over and repeat.
I use streaming for music too but itās a different frame of mind. But I grew up with vinyl and cassettes.
Even when I am streaming I still play whole albums :)
But you are right about the ritual part. Itās an event. Not a soundscape.
Who is going to spend the money to lug all that crap around
Seems like a long climb for a very short slide
iād pick a decent table and go from there haha whatever table you get will likely only work with certain needles.
i guess you could shop a needle first and then pick a table that will work with it but idk feels off
Technics SL 1200 Mk2
fluance is a great brand for sure, had this table for a few years now with no issues and I use it at least once a day
Technics build quality is šš»Iām a 1210mk2 man. Bomb proof
Technic 1200
Technics 1200 if you have the $$$$
I ended up getting the Audio Technica LP-120XBT because layout wize it's the same as the Technics 1200.
Let us know what you end up with!
I don't know if I'm going to spend more than $200 on this š¤£
Also this graphic is interesting. It shows the most talked about record players on r/turntables
I had a Dual turntable in mid 70s
Technic 1210s are great but very industrial looking. If you like that laid back living-room real-wood HIGH-Fi aesthetic a vintage Thorens 125 / 150 / 160 is very nice.
Just look at this beauty 
it does look sweet. these things are very expensive though. i had no idea.
Got mine ages ago, just checked eBay prices and yeah theyāve gone up a fair bit. If you want a quality vinyl experience donāt go for those stupid cheapo suitcase ārecord playersā though. Youāll ruin your listening experience and probably your vinyls.
Depends on budget, Project Debut Carbon was the best bang/buck entry point when I was into it.
If youāre going to spend some money VPI is the best at every price range >1k imo. US made, great family company. Fāing amazing engineering nerds, the whole lot of them.
I had an Aries 3, my dad has a Classic 3. I gave it up, mainly because we moved a lot, turntable was like 60 lbs, vinyl collection was 1000lbs, needed a big empty room, just became a hassle.
FYI I have a pair of Silverline Sonata IIās, an Aragon 8008 amp and an Audio Research LS 15 preamp with upgraded tubes in my garage I need to disappear if anyoneās looking for discount gear.
You definitely donāt need Technics if youāre not DJing with them. Audio Technica make something close enough with the LP120 series (some with USB for ripping to digital).
Even their LP60 series (some with USB, some with Bluetooth) are more than enough for simply listening to records.
You only need to step up to the Technics 12 tier if youāre frequently nudging and adjusting tempo to blend songs in a DJ set. Theyāre workhorses but overkill in a lot of use cases.
audio technica for budget, technics for highest quality
Audio technica makes great turntables. Can easily save some money and not sacrifice quality and just upgrade the stylus
This one is solid. I also have a Sony I can connect to the computer for digitizing.
Technics 1210 MK2. There is no 2nd best!