ls1987
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Joined: Aug 27 2011 - 9:36pm
turntable upgrade... help?
jackfish
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but will be more fussy regarding matching a cartridge than the others (low mass arm for high compliance MM cartridges). Grados are a good match. Usually brings $250-$325 in the used market. This table would likely not have the speed problems your cheap Technics exhibits.

The Technics SL-1200 MkII has a large following and would probably be the better choice over the Denon.

If all these are in similar condition I'd probably lean towards the T60.

catfell
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Joined: Aug 30 2011 - 2:10pm

Not knowing your turntable budget, it is hard to make a recommendation.  

In general, direct drive turntables will introduce noise from the motor, and this is a bad thing.  

Think about it like this, in a direct drive turntable, the motor is attached directly to the spindle/platter and that's what the record rests on.  If the record gets any vibration from the motor, the needle will get the vibration too.  

A belt driven turntable isolates the vibration from the motor via the belt.  A better turntable will have a heavier platter to increase rotational momentum (keeping the record spinning at a more constant speed), but does not need very powerful motor.  

DJ turntables like the famous Technics SL-1200 series are made to get up to speed quickly so that a DJ can have a spot cued up, and then when needed get the record moving at the correct speed to match beats with the other music.  SL-1200's and other popular DJ turntables are not about extracting every last bit of sound from the disc, they are about making a great mix at a club to get butts moving.  

You might look at a used Linn Basik or Axis turntable, or there is also a company called ProJect that makes some inexpensive (relatively speaking) turntables.  

Don't forget that the cartridge is equally important in your whole equation.  A crappy cartridge on a great turntable sounds a lousy as a great cartridge on a crappy turntable.  Grado make some great cartridges on a budget.

Hope this was helpful.

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