Yosh303 Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 (edited) Hey all, first post here. My wife expressed a while back that she'd love to start collecting records and get a record player. I know next to nothing about this world so I've been researching options, but I'd love to get some opinions here from people with actual experience! (I did read the beginner's guide here and I'm looking through some of the recommended models) Really we just need a basic no-frills set up that plays with decent sound quality. An all-in-one record player is appealing because of their simplicity but the popular models seem too cheap to be good quality with all the features they pack in. I'm open to a turntable with a decent set of external speakers as well, but I'm unclear as to whether a receiver or external amp is also required. I'd like to keep it under $400 and get something that's pretty basic as far as features but good quality. We don't need lots of customization or features like USB, cassette player, etc. She also leans toward classic style as opposed to something that looks really sleek and modern. But she's only 32 so the really retro 50s-type styles would not be interesting to her either. I'm hoping there's just a good quality, nice-looking system out there for a person who loves music but isn't concerned with features or playing with equalizers and such. It also does not need to be portable since it'll stay in one place, but we don't have a good spot for anything large. What have you got for me, enthusiasts?! Thank you in advance! Edited November 12, 2019 by Yosh303 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buffbloom Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 U-Turn Orbit https://uturnaudio.com/collections/turntables monsterrod 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shelby Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 51 minutes ago, Buffbloom said: U-Turn Orbit https://uturnaudio.com/collections/turntables To piggyback on this, you need to make sure you get one with a preamp so you don't have to also buy a receiver. The preamp will let you just plug external speakers into the turntable and kills a lot of the cost (a good receiver is another 300 minimum unless you find a good used one.) So with a preamp table and 2 external bookshelf speakers she should have a very nice basic beginner setup. You can find a nice pair of speakers for around 200 but if you don't care there are even cheaper options to dip back down into that 400 dollar range overall including the table. Also get her a dust brush. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosh303 Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Thank you both! I wasn't totally sure if a receiver was required along with the preamp so thank you for clearing that up. Based on what I'm seeing I may push the budget up a bit so she hasn't decent speakers with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
museummouth Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Uturn with preamp is by far the best budget table. I’d recommend Audioengine A2 speakers as they’re powered and work great with a preamp table. Plus they’re small but loud and defined. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fowty Dollaz Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 Pretty much everything about a UTurn with a preamp and bookshelf speakers is on point. You're a fantastic spouse for doing this. Don't forget to grab a nice copy of a meaningful (to you both- first dance?) album or single to kick off her habit (that will inevitably result in horrific debt and possibly divorce). J/k, but she'll appreciate a relevant album. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yosh303 Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Thanks again, all! 31 minutes ago, Fowty Dollaz said: Pretty much everything about a UTurn with a preamp and bookshelf speakers is on point. You're a fantastic spouse for doing this. Don't forget to grab a nice copy of a meaningful (to you both- first dance?) album or single to kick off her habit (that will inevitably result in horrific debt and possibly divorce). J/k, but she'll appreciate a relevant album. Fowty, this is a gift for having our 3rd and final baby next month. She had The Lumineers playing while both other kiddos were born and we've seen them multiple times in person. She loves their music and the album she had playing will be the first to go with this! Fowty Dollaz 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fowty Dollaz Posted November 12, 2019 Share Posted November 12, 2019 13 minutes ago, Yosh303 said: Thanks again, all! Fowty, this is a gift for having our 3rd and final baby next month. She had The Lumineers playing while both other kiddos were born and we've seen them multiple times in person. She loves their music and the album she had playing will be the first to go with this! Absolutely solid choice, then! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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