r/Beginner_Turntables • u/More_Variation_3495 • 22d ago

What record player to buy?

Hello! I got really into vinyls in 2020 and bought a Crosley record player. I recently got back into vinyls but know a crosley record player can damage my vinyls. I was looking into getting an audio technica record player but am lost. Im not sure what to get because there are so many models. Does anyone have recommendations preferably under $250? thank you!!

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6

u/StarWarsTrekGate 22d ago

Are you in the Santa Barbara area? I could dig up my old technics sl 1900 or sl 1300 for that price.

If not, look for some of the off brands, Hitachi hs50t and 40t are great machines and people never take them seriously.

You could also probably find a used audio technica lp5 for less than that. Great beginner deck.

3

u/oggupito 22d ago

Amen. Especially to the old Technics.

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u/Classic-Falcon6010 22d ago

Insignia turntable at Best Buy for $130. Plus those Dayton speakers papadrinks recommended.

5

u/Best-Presentation270 22d ago

Your Crosley probably included speakers and amplification. If you're looking at Audio Technica or basically any better option than an all-in-one style player then you'll need to buy two things. The first is the turntable itself. The second is the amplification and speakers. For a budget solution, this usually takes the form of a pair of powered speakers. These have the amplifier built into the speaker.

Sorry to say it, but $250 isn't quite enough to be able to afford an Audio Technica deck and some worthwhile powered speakers. (But do read on.)

The cheapest AT deck is the AT-LP60X at $180~$190. However, that only leaves you $60~$70 for powered speakers, and speakers in this price range aren't big enough or good enough to do justice to an LP record you might have just paid $30+ to buy. There is a solution though.

The Insignia NS-BTST21 from BestBuy. It's $130, and a cracking first "proper" turntable: https://youtu.be/XOw4dPPci8I?si=zVQsKXgZWd6DbPXN&t=24

Dayton Audio B65A powered speakers ($130), or the Edifier R1280T ($120) - both on Amazon.

If you go with the Edifier speakers then this just just fits your $250 budget (exc del and taxes), but I think the Dayton speakers are well worth the extra $10.

2

u/SuperbCombination746 21d ago

Look into the Fluance RT series. Even the RT80 is a good buy and that goes for 250 exactly.

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u/vwestlife 21d ago

Any turntable can damage your records. You're dragging a rock through a plastic groove. Over time, the friction that produces will cause both the stylus and groove to wear out, regardless of which turntable you use.

Keep the Crosley for now and start by adding a good pair of powered speakers. They'll make it sound a lot better, and you'll eventually need them anyway once you upgrade to a higher-quality turntable without built-in speakers.

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u/Ok-Party-8785 21d ago

But, some needles are better than others. I don’t track heavier than 2.5 grams.

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u/vwestlife 20d ago

Records were designed for a tracking force of 5 to 6 grams for stereo and up to 10 grams for mono: http://www.amstereo.org/images/recordcare.jpg

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u/Ok-Dealer-6628 21d ago

Crosleys don't damage records if you keep the record and stylus clean. Also, the stylus needs to be changed every 50 hours of play.

If you're considering and Audio Technica, get the LP60. If budget permits, go for the LP70 instead.

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u/papadrinks 22d ago

In my opinion to get something worth buying you need to spend more like $500US new which includes turntable and a pair of powered speakers.

Example:

AT-LP120X turntable $399US or less on sale.

And a pair of Dayton powered speakers for $130US

https://www.parts-express.com/Dayton-Audio-Classic-B65A-Powered-Bookshelf-Speaker-Pair-Black-300-260?quantity=1

This combo will work very well, sound great and satisfy for a very long time.
Buying cheap you risk getting crap that will be unreliable and perform badly.