I just had my old Pioneer SX 1010 refurbished and need a turntable. Any recommendations? I'm

[dem4decades]

leaning towards an Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB-SV. I first thought of buying a vintage Technics but I'm thinking of going with a newer turntable. Thanks

[mr_lebowski]

1. Naw ... find an older one that's been well cared for, esp. if you don't care about USB

That AT one is meh, honestly. Nice features and all, but not that great a deck sound-wise.

If you really want a new one, for not too much money, I'd recommend one of these, outfitted as nice as you can afford

https://uturnaudio.com/products/orbit-basic-turntable?variant=33393451658

[dem4decades]

2. How do you find an older one you know how it was cared for? EBAY? Funny I found an

owners manual to a Technics SL 220 in my files, I was really excited until I found out I no longer had the turntable.

[mr_lebowski]

4. What's the nearest large city to you and is it a reasonable drive away? (nt)

[dem4decades]

5. I live in CT but really don't want to drive to Boston or NY. Actually until I get my 2 vaccines I

don't want to go anywhere to be honest.

[mr_lebowski]

8. I would check CL for people who are selling multiple vintage pieces

Like, the sort that own a small/local vintage gear business, even if just run out of their homes. Use the 'see other ads from this user' feature to help find such people. There's 5 or 6 such people I know of here in PHX.

They're likely to have decks that they've inspected/fixed up for sale, and since they do this as a business, they'll be likely to be honest so as not to hurt their reputations.

One TT that's known to be really bulletproof are the Technics SL-D2 and SL-Q2. They are common, nice-sounding, hardy, and simple to repair.

The later replacements SL-D202 and Q202 are also solid, not quite as nice but should be cheaper.

[gohuskies]

3. What is your budget? There are good options..

Just depends on how much you can afford. Also can find good tt decks on the used market. Names i would consider at the $100.00 to $400 range are Audio Technica, Pro-ject, U-turn, Fluance, Music Hall, Denon and Sony. If you have a larger budget, consider Pioneer PL1000, Rega, Technics and Schiit.

[dem4decades]

6. How do you know what is a good deck on the used market?

[gohuskies]

10. Any of the brand names noted are worth checking in person

But bear in mind some of these turntables brand new are incredibly affordable. I can recommend any of the U-turn models as they can be customised to suit your needs, i.e., better plinths, platter (acrylic vs mdf), damped cuing lever with or without a phono pre-amp and of course the phono cartridge. I think their basic model starts at $179. My only beef is the belt drive system to switch from 33.3 to 45rpm is fiddly and i struggle with getting the belt back on the pulley after i change playback speed. With your pioneer receiver it has a built-in phono stage so you will not need a standalone phono pre-amp.

I prefer my Pro-ject debut carbon which comes in at around $400. It has an Ortofon 2m Red cartridge which is a nice feature as you can easily upgrade by swapping the stylus for a 2m blue with even better sound.

Btw most turntables are manual rather than automatic, meaning they do not raise the tonearm and return it to the home position when it reaches the end of a side.

A Denon DP300f is a decent table for around $300 that is fully automatic and is easy to change playback speeds between 33.3 and 45 rpm. It also allows you to swap phono cartridges with detachable headshells if you want to experiment with different cartridges.

I have all three tables in different listening rooms and use them regularly. They all suit my needs without breaking the bank.

If you can find any used and can audition them i am sure ypu can find them on Craigslist or a local audio shop that sells used gear often with a warranty. Hope this helps you in your search.

Ps i would steer you away from Crossleys or ION turntables.

[marble falls]

7. Yeah, a Thorens turntable with a Shure SME tonearm, and an Ordefon cartridge ...

When you find that set up, let me know: it was stolen from me in 1975.

[bobalew]

9. look on the ShopGoodwill.com site

They have many turntables , used at a reasonable price. Just stay away from South Florida. They have no clue on how to pack up & ship things. the easiest Pioneer turntable is the PL-990, it has an internal pre-amp.