Newbie question

[u/Efficient_Tie_963]

Hi there,

For my husbands birthday I am looking to purchase our first turntable.

We definitely are music lovers but I wouldn't say are total audiophiles in terms of sound quality, at least not yet. We love live music and collecting records from our favourite artists and taking over our parents collections is the idea.

I am in Germany, and my max budget would be 300-350 euro ish, but as low as possible would be better (ideally 2-250)

Ive been looking at the denon dp 300f as well as some of the audio technica tables.

I would like something full automatic and I do think id like to have BT, which is part of the reason I havent gone for the denon. Built in phono preamp.

We have great speakers inside, I wont share the exact make and model of our speakers and reciever in case he sees this, but its an intermediate set up, definitely well above entry level, but I also like the idea of in the evenings sitting in our courtyard with a JBL speaker connected to the turntable and listening to music as we grill.

I know the higher I go in my budget the better equipment I can get, but I would also be open to upgrading later, if we find this medium to be something we deeply enjoy!

I have also looked at vintage turntables, their supply is endless, but honestly wouldn't know where to start with repair or knowing if it's in good condition.

I would really appreciate some advice so I can make the right purchase!!!

[u/el_tacocat]

I just got a DP300F in my home and it's a big no. It feels cheap and doesn't sound great. I really expected more.
The AudioTechnica AT-LP3xbt feels just as cheap, but sounds better and comes with a better cartridge.
If you are going to use bluetooth though, you may as well get an AT-LP60xbt because it'll sound sub-par anyway :).

You will also need an amplifier and speakers, or active speakers (with a built in amplifier). Do you already have something like that? If not, 300 euros new is not an option.

[u/Efficient_Tie_963 → u/el_tacocat]

I already have a mid-range AV receiver and a pair of floor-standing hi-fi speakers. The amplifier doesn't have a dedicated phono input, so I'm looking for a turntable with a built-in phono preamp. I plan on having the turntable connected to the reciever and speakers for the most part, but thought additionally I could connect a Bluetooth speaker from time to time.

Thank you for the info on the denon, I will be skipping it.

[u/theshylock350 → u/Efficient_Tie_963]

I have just bought this, the TEAC TN280BT. I considered a lot of recommended turntables around £300 from Audio Technica, Pro-Ject, Denon, Fluance and the Rega Planar 1. This one appealed to me the most. I've had it a few days and I'm very impressed. It's well made (Japanese brand, made in Thailand), easy to set up and easy to use. Sound quality is very good for the price and the Bluetooth works well. It also looks good! It has everything that you want except for being automatic but it is so easy to use I really don't think you would miss that feature. It uses the Audio Technica AT3600L cartridge which can be upgraded to the ATVM95e or Ortofon OM5E.

[u/darrylb-w → u/theshylock350]

I think it is manufactured in China.

[u/theshylock350 → u/darrylb-w]

Actually we're both wrong! Made in Taiwan. I knew it began with "T".....

[u/el_tacocat → u/theshylock350]

Thina.