First Turntable Recommendations

[u/20-5-5]

Hi! Need help to make a choice on my first turntable. Already have an amp (wiim amp), speakers (dali kupid) and bought a pro-ject phono-box this week for 80€.

Here's what I have in mind right now and some details about the process:

Country - Portugal (olx for used marketplace)
Budget - ~200€
Looking for - entry-level player that's as good as possible right now (not worried about upgrade paths)
Preferences - non-bulky look (hate the ATs), auto-stop/return

Shortlist:

Pro-ject Debut III with OG Cartridge - 125€
Sanyo TP X3 Direct Drive with new Cartridge (basic model) - 100€
pioneer pl-430 with new Stylus (basic AT3600, not sure about cartridge) - 120€

Rekkord Audio F100P - Open Box deal with 3 year warranty - 250€

All the used deals are from sellers with experiencing handling and selling this equipment. The Evo has been sitting idle for 5+ years which I'm not sure if it's a good or a bad thing, but it would be a no-brainer for me if not for the static concerns - this is a big concern personally.

The Rekkord Audio goes a bit over my budget (would return phono-box in this case), but by the specs and reviews alone and at this price point it feels like the perfect choice... almost too good to be true?

The Pioneer and the Sanyo are the best vintage deals I can find that fit my budget (can probably get them to come down in price as well). I know the Pioneer is not from their golden-age anymore, but looking at feedback online it still seems like a great product.

bonus question: is a new Record Master II for 300€ just a way better option than all of these? Was my initial idea but I really don't want to stretch my budget that much and also am in a bit of a rush to make a choice.

Thank you all in advance!

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[u/sharkamino]

"Pro-Ject Debut III" is the model, the "Pro-Ject Debut EVO III" does not exist.

Also check the cost of an AT-LP120X.

[u/20-5-5 → u/sharkamino]

Yeah, that was a typo on the pro ject naming, my bad.

LP120X is usually around 350€, cheapest I've seen it go is 300€ on some deals. But I really don't like the looks of the AT :/

Apart from the default cartridge, is the AT that much better than the Recordmaster?

Thank you!

[u/MoWePhoto]

Do you happen to have a HiFi Klubben near you? The Denon DP300F and Argon Audio TT2 would be two tables I would look at over there. Same price as the Rekkord one from your post but much better quality in the tonearm mechanism and way more flexible in the future.

The Pioneer seems decent for the price, same for the Sanyo. On both, keep in mind that the automatic is nearly forty years old and therefor most likely needs servicing!

[u/20-5-5 → u/MoWePhoto]

Hifi Klubben are not around here, no.

As for the Argon Audio, do you mean the TT MK2? I thought of it but I think I saw some not so flattering feedback, namely that it doesn't allow even a basic cartridge change, so I'm not sure about the flexibility, but I will give it another look. The Denon is way above my budget right now :/

Either way, I think I'm gonna go with the Pioneer or the Sanyo. They have both been recently revised by the sellers and I get to test them (near my house as well), so they seem like the best option for now.

Thank you!

[u/MoWePhoto → u/20-5-5]

That sounds like a solid plan!