Stayed at a house this past winter that had a record player and I enjoyed rifling through their albums while we were there. It's been eating at me since.

For someone who has no prior experience, what would be a good first kit for a living room or game room that doesn't break the bank? I've already read that I should stay away front the all in one suitcase kits, so looking for what is between those and something with a comma.

For existing equipment, I do have a Roku soundbar hooked up to my TV and a really old pair of Bose bookshelf speakers, but I expect that neither of those is particularly useful for this exercise.

Cliff.Booth said:

---

There is still time to realize you have every song ever recorded in your pocket right now and think of the top 10 other ways you could burn through $5,000 in the next couple of years...

---

This, lets this momentary urge pass. You'll regret the investment once you tire of it

Cliff.Booth said:

---

There is still time to realize you have every song ever recorded in your pocket right now and think of the top 10 other ways you could burn through $5,000 in the next couple of years...

---

Yes, we need more NIL money for the team. Think of the championships you should be funding.

I think vinyl as a hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want. This list has a pretty good breakdown of different turntables at different price levels:

https://www.turntablelab.com/collections/best-turntables-by-price-ttl-levels?srsltid=AfmBOopOCplKdxRYw5m8htez-1oLu_EjegyhpWDuO3cWZQmy6obIdgI7

I pretty much do it on the cheap and generally only buy reissues and cheap vintage vinyls for a few bucks.

Dekker_Lentz said:

---

I think vinyl as a hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

---

I actually almost went down this rabbit hole. I had the player and system, got some vintage stuff in really good shape for a good price and had a decent setup, but once I'd bought a handful of albums, I realized I was getting myself into a real money pit. As a huge music fan I'd want to both get hundreds of my favorite albums as well as buy new releases, all of which I'd realize are literally being damaged with each listen. FB marketplaced the gear and happily went back to being an uncool streaming music fan. Somewhere in another universe there is a hipper and far broker me listening to something on vinyl, utterly convinced that "the sound quality really just can't be beat".

Cliff.Booth said:

---

Dekker_Lentz said:

---

I think vinyl as a hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

---

I actually almost went down this rabbit hole. I had the player and system, got some vintage stuff in really good shape for a good price and had a decent setup, but once I'd bought a handful of albums, I realized I was getting myself into a real money pit. As a huge music fan I'd want to both get hundreds of my favorite albums as well as buy new releases, all of which I'd realize are literally being damaged with each listen. FB marketplaced the gear and happily went back to being an uncool streaming music fan. Somewhere in another universe there is a hipper and far broker me listening to something on vinyl, utterly convinced that "the sound quality really just can't be beat".

---

Sure it can get very expensive, very fast.

I am very very casual music fan. And do 95% of my music listening through streaming.

That said, I spent a few hundred bucks on a player. Collected 75ish records the vast majority under 10 bucks and perfectly content to add 2-5 a year. More if we end up at an antique fair or something.

I use the cover art as decorations and occasionally put them on to enjoy a different listening experience. I have a pretty eclectic mix of things and will get something for a few bucks. Half Priced books has some good finds along with antique shops and markets.

So, you can do it pretty cheaply if you want.

That said I had a co-worker who told me he put in 5 figures into his collection.

But it sounded like OP just wanted to know if he could get a decent player and 25-100 records under $1,000 bucks and I think the answer is yes.

No releases matter in the slightest if you are using an insufficient player. A vintage turntable is an absolute must. I recommend a Pink Triangle deck.

The most authentic equipment can be found in Scotland's rural antique shoppes, a trip far beyond even the imagination of your average American "music" consumer.

A minimum rig would be something like:

Linn Sondek LP 12 - Adikt cartridge
Naim Stageline
Naim Supernait II
Klipsch Cornwall IIIs
REL S/5 SHO

However, to listen properly a higher-level set-up is recommended. For example:
- TechDas Air Force One
- Clearaudio Statement v2
- La Platine Magnum
- Goldmund Reference II

Obviously people's opinions can vary slightly here, and few appreciate a liquid nitrogen-rectified belt, or some other "non-essential" features. Which is … Fine. But it's amusing how few appreciate the player, and focus on music. Well, hardware matters.

Truly the only way to properly enjoy vinyl is with a worthy player.

Cliff.Booth said:

---

Dekker_Lentz said:

---

I think vinyl as a hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

---

I actually almost went down this rabbit hole. I had the player and system, got some vintage stuff in really good shape for a good price and had a decent setup, but once I'd bought a handful of albums, I realized I was getting myself into a real money pit. As a huge music fan I'd want to both get hundreds of my favorite albums as well as buy new releases, all of which I'd realize are literally being damaged with each listen. FB marketplaced the gear and happily went back to being an uncool streaming music fan. Somewhere in another universe there is a hipper and far broker me listening to something on vinyl, utterly convinced that "the sound quality really just can't be beat".

---

I'm not an audiophile so its not about sound quality for me. Its almost as much about the process as the music itself. Digging through the bins and finally finding what you have been hunting for, or stumbling on something unexpected is great fun. Just listening to a vinyl album is way more fun for me than streaming the same.

With the price of new releases, cost can get out of control for sure. Just establish some guidelines. When I flirted with sports cards years ago a shop owner told me "there is too much out there to get everything, decide what you want to focus on". After I got my turntable, I realized I didn't need to acquire all my favorites, too many, too expensive. I decided to explore "new" music like genres that I was too cool for in high school or artists who I was only familiar with the hits. Don't need every album, I just focus on the top 2 or 3 they put out. I pretty much stay in the used vinyl universe of 70's R&B/Soul, 80s New Wave, classic country then pick and choose my new releases which keeps the cost manageable.

this guy just copy and paste this reply every time a turntable thread comes around?


https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3519778/replies/69638682

Walton91 described what I was trying to say so much better. You can have a very reasonable budget and end up with a collection you enjoy.

The hunt and the collecting is a lot of the fun to me as well.

62strat said:

---

this guy just copy and paste this reply every time a turntable thread comes around?


https://texags.com/forums/13/topics/3519778/replies/69638682

---

Are you not familiar with Redstone?

TechDas Air Force One: highly recommend

Dekker_Lentz said:

---

Cliff.Booth said:

---

Dekker_Lentz said:

---

I think vinyl as a hobby can be as cheap or expensive as you want.

---

I actually almost went down this rabbit hole. I had the player and system, got some vintage stuff in really good shape for a good price and had a decent setup, but once I'd bought a handful of albums, I realized I was getting myself into a real money pit. As a huge music fan I'd want to both get hundreds of my favorite albums as well as buy new releases, all of which I'd realize are literally being damaged with each listen. FB marketplaced the gear and happily went back to being an uncool streaming music fan. Somewhere in another universe there is a hipper and far broker me listening to something on vinyl, utterly convinced that "the sound quality really just can't be beat".

---

Sure it can get very expensive, very fast.

I am very very casual music fan. And do 95% of my music listening through streaming.

That said, I spent a few hundred bucks on a player. Collected 75ish records the vast majority under 10 bucks and perfectly content to add 2-5 a year. More if we end up at an antique fair or something.

I use the cover art as decorations and occasionally put them on to enjoy a different listening experience. I have a pretty eclectic mix of things and will get something for a few bucks. Half Priced books has some good finds along with antique shops and markets.

So, you can do it pretty cheaply if you want.

That said I had a co-worker who told me he put in 5 figures into his collection.

But it sounded like OP just wanted to know if he could get a decent player and 25-100 records under $1,000 bucks and I think the answer is yes.

---

While I appreciate the clowning and the Redstone post, this is really what I'm after. Still would like suggestions before I just go to Target and get the suitcase turntable.

Whatever you buy, make sure you have some way of verifying / modifying the speed to be exactly 33-1/3 RPMs or you'll get some 'off' sounding music.

I had a belt driven Pioneer high (ish) end turntable and things sounded to my ears to be a bit fast. I got one of those timing pattern charts that you place on the platter and use with a light bulb and ended up having to make some changes (that I won't go into here) to get the speed correct, as there was no simple speed adjustment.

As an aside -- as mentioned above, every time you listen to an LP you degrade it. Knowing that, I'd always play the thing once while transferring it to reel-to-reel (or casette) tape and never played the LP again.

Yes, that's extreme, and I've still got a couple hundred of played-once LP's.

There is no reason at all to go the cheap route. To get anywhere near the warmth and volume of vinyl that people crave, you need to spend money.

To easily answer a question

I got an Angel Horn for about 175. Decent quality. Hooked into a Sony 7.2 from about 15 years ago.

An Audio Technica LP60 and a pair of Edifer bookshelf speakers is an excellent entry level record player setup. This is what I started with and since upgraded to the LP120. The 120 can get expensive when you start swapping out mounts and headshells, but it's easily customizable and fun.

An LP60 and a pair of Edifer bookshelf speakers should cost you around $300.

I regret that I have only one star to give

jah003 said:

---

An LP60 and a pair of Edifer bookshelf speakers should cost you around $300.

---

That's what I'm going to recommend to my dad whom has country vinyl dating back to the early 60s. It may not play the best but he'll enjoy music he got when he was young.

I searched for that LP60 and this popped up. Looks to cover it all right there.
https://www.turntablelab.com/collections/turntable-listening-packages-alpha/products/audio-technica-at-lp60xusb-edifier-r1280db-turntable-package-ttl-setup

Certain music just sounds better on vinyl. 70s rock, and weirdly enough, anything with Eddie Vedder.

Pretty much my exact setup. Works like a champ and has proven very durable. My 2 and 4 year olds love pressing buttons and screwing with it, and they haven't managed to break it yet.

CivilEng08 said:

---

I searched for that LP60 and this popped up. Looks to cover it all right there.
https://www.turntablelab.com/collections/turntable-listening-packages-alpha/products/audio-technica-at-lp60xusb-edifier-r1280db-turntable-package-ttl-setup

---

Yep, that a great entry level setup. It also has auto start and auto return. Don't have to worry about manually dropping the needle or bringing it back when you are done.