NickyJay Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Hi Guys and Gals, New to the community but looking forward to getting to know you all and contributing as I continue with this hobby. I'm looking to upgrade my turntable and looking at the four options in the title as my main options (based on research, threads on this board, etc) What matters to me: 1. The sound. 2. Durability (I'm going to be treating this with care but dont want to buy something that will crap out in a few years.) What doesn't matter to me: 1. "Convenient extra stuff" like USB port, built in pre-amp, etc 2. The aesthetics - the turntable itself isn't going to really be on display in my audio unit, so I really dont care about one turntable having a 'basic appearance' over the other I'm looking for opinions on the turntables, what you would do, or if there's any things I might not be aware of for any of these particular models that makes them uniquely desirable/undesirable? Thanks for any help you guys can provide, the models again are the Rega RP1, Fluance RT81, Orbit Plus, and Debut Carbon. Best, Nick Jay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Multiverse Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 I have the Obit Plus with the acrylic platter and the grado black--I dig it. My buddy got a debut carbon at the same time and his has crapped out 3x but I think it's an anomaly in terms of their build quality, he's just unlucky. With that being said, I've used his setup and have preferred his at times but there's a whole bunch of variables to that. The Debut Carbon definitely feels as if it's sturdier than my Orbit Plus. I've had mine for a little while now and I'm thinking about upgrading it, I just don't want to go through the hassle of selling this one off first. I'd probably opt for an alternative table if I were you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Highlite23 Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'm new here, like just walked in the door new I just got back into vinyl after a loooong time away and I'm working on building a new collection since my old one is gone. But on subject, I purchased an Orbit Custom just recently and I've had it for about a week and love everything about it. I know there are better turntables out there, but this suites my needs perfectly and delivers really nice sound quality. I added the acrylic platter, cue lever and the Grado Black 1 cartridge. Under $400 and I'm impressed with the quality. Good Luck on your quest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vinyl addict Posted May 26, 2017 Share Posted May 26, 2017 (edited) On 5/21/2017 at 5:22 PM, NickyJay said: I'm looking for opinions on the turntables, what you would do, or if there's any things I might not be aware of for any of these particular models that makes them uniquely desirable/undesirable? Thanks for any help you guys can provide, the models again are the Rega RP1, Fluance RT81, Orbit Plus, and Debut Carbon. Best, Nick Jay If I had to choose between just those models, I'd go with the Orbit. Check off all the boxes and pick yourself a nice cartridge. Their customer service is unbeatable, AND they are made in USA. (about 20 minutes from me) Rega RP-1 is their base model, and I always stay clear of base models from a big name. Fluance is just that, a Fluance and I would avoid. Comes with a cheap AT-91 cart. It also has a built in preamp which I would always steer clear of. No need to have it incorporated in the table. The speed on the Fluance is said to be unreliable, it doesn't play at a constant 33/45 rpm. The Pro-ject is also a base model from Pro-ject which has been known to have motor hum and/or buzzing. not sure if that's been remedied 100% yet. It's also comes with the Inner Groove Distortion magnet, which is commonly known as the Ortofon Red cart. If you end up going with the Debut Carbon, first thing I would do is toss that cart. Some can get it to sound great. Some claim it sounds great, only because they don't want to admit the table they just bought sounds terrible in the inner grooves of every album. Do a Google search for "Ortofon Red IGD". These are the first 3 links to pop up. https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=79800 http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/ortofon-2m-igd-issue.557479/ http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/ortofon-2m-red-pro-ject-debut-carbon-igd-and-sibilance-issue-and-the-cure.675016 Here's one from our very own site. Edited May 27, 2017 by vinyl addict Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
allenh Posted May 27, 2017 Share Posted May 27, 2017 I think most has been pretty well said here but just to add my two penneth. Either buy a new U Turn and preferably with the acrylic platter or buy a used Rega P3 or Planer 3. The rest in comparison are not worth the money for various reasons and avoid things like built in USB or phono stages (pre amps), at this level these things are added very cheaply to make the buyer think they are gaining something extra with an already cheap turntable when all they are getting is more cheap stuff. Good engineering costs money so on balance let someone else do the spending and buy a used Rega 3 or explore what other great used turntables are out there for the sort of money you'd need to spend on one of the ones in your list new. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NapalmBrain Posted June 8, 2017 Share Posted June 8, 2017 On 5/26/2017 at 8:59 AM, vinyl addict said: If I had to choose between just those models, I'd go with the Orbit. Check off all the boxes and pick yourself a nice cartridge. Their customer service is unbeatable, AND they are made in USA. (about 20 minutes from me) Rega RP-1 is their base model, and I always stay clear of base models from a big name. Fluance is just that, a Fluance and I would avoid. Comes with a cheap AT-91 cart. It also has a built in preamp which I would always steer clear of. No need to have it incorporated in the table. The speed on the Fluance is said to be unreliable, it doesn't play at a constant 33/45 rpm. The Pro-ject is also a base model from Pro-ject which has been known to have motor hum and/or buzzing. not sure if that's been remedied 100% yet. It's also comes with the Inner Groove Distortion magnet, which is commonly known as the Ortofon Red cart. If you end up going with the Debut Carbon, first thing I would do is toss that cart. Some can get it to sound great. Some claim it sounds great, only because they don't want to admit the table they just bought sounds terrible in the inner grooves of every album. Do a Google search for "Ortofon Red IGD". These are the first 3 links to pop up. https://www.vinylengine.com/turntable_forum/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=79800 http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/ortofon-2m-igd-issue.557479/ http://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/ortofon-2m-red-pro-ject-debut-carbon-igd-and-sibilance-issue-and-the-cure.675016 Here's one from our very own site. Just started noticing this with my speaker upgrade, am planning on upgrading to the blue. I talked to my owner about it since I get a discount, it's certainly more noticeable on certain albums than others but it seems to be recurring problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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