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Very good advice Rick. I’m 64 and vinyl has been a constant in my life. Turntables are definitely one of those things that you get what you pay for. I had a friend that bought a Crosley “suitcase “ record player (not turntable). He then bought a new copy of Dark Side of the Moon and played it. Next time he put it on it skipped in a few places. Luckily the record store returned both for him. And he started over. Crosley to me is one of the last that should be considered.

Great way to break down the Dos and Don'ts.... Balanced and Fair advice.. That's more or less the same advice you gave me when I was shopping for my last turntable and I am still extremely happy with the purchase I made, even if I'm always looking at the next thing to buy. ;-)

Good advice, Rick. I started off with a Pro-ject Debut Carbon EVO and the Schiit Mani 2 phono stage with the Sumiko Ranier. Upgraded to the Pro-ject aluminum sub platter and Project acrylic platter. Then upgraded to Pro-ject TubeBox S3 (from your advice) with Pro-ject PowerBox S2 to power the turntable and phono stage. Then upgraded the Sumiko to the Olympic cartridge. Could not be happier with the sound connected to my 90s Adcom 5800 and Adcom preamp and Bowers and Wilkins 801 matrix S2 speakers. At 65 my ears can only hear so much. Seems like a lot of upgrading, but I am very happy with the result. Drop that needle!!! 9:22

Great advice, Rick. I have not owned a turntable in...decades. Right now, I don't have room. (Or rather, I'm not willing to make the room.) But I still love your channel because it keeps me thinking about it and vinyl for the day I get back to it.

Just saw your review of that Mark Levinson amp on The Music Room site!

I took into account all the same things you said about 4 years ago now like upgrading stylus and preamps built in, head shell upgrades etc., and waited until I had about $1000 saved up and brought an Audio Technica LP-120, upgraded stylus to Oroton 2m red and a vintage Onkyo Amp and speakers and haven't looked back.

I have a byron statics turntable suitcase. I find it really good. The built in speakers work fine along with by the turntable. I do not know why they say turntable suitcase are no good. I b have mine since December 20th, witch I got for my birthday.

First! Great video! 😊

this is a serious question( not a challenge). I am asking about your comments about resonance with the plinth. I have a solid plinth on one of my TT's. That plinth weighs about 25kgs and is made out of MDF. If I knock on it when playing a record i can hear that knock in the speakers. However I can't see how that = resonance( I can't see how resonance in that plinth is possible). I interpreted the knock transference as showing that the Tone arm is not isolated from the plinth( which is different from my TD 160). That particular plinth ( I am building a new one to replace it). Sits on Gaia III speaker feet ( the only isolation feet, that I could find, that were rated for the fully loaded weight of the TT; total weight is 34kg). I had assumed that what was more important was to ensure external vibration( particularly from the speakers) do not feedback through the plinth. Hence the Isolation feet. Have I been looking at this issue wrong? Edit: If I jump on the floor(parquet) next to the turntable , or knock on the hifi rack absolutely nothing ( other than the music) is heard in the speakers.

I think this is very "sound" advice. Pun intended. To me, upgrade ability is huge. If you can change the cartridge, the tone arm, and or the platter, plus add or change the phono stage, you give yourself a long life with the turntable. Without upgrade ability, you are constantly replacing to improve. Since turntables have many elements to them, getting one that you can grow with makes sense. Of course, eventually, you will max out with upgrades and have to buy a better one. But, if done right, that could be far down the road.

The thing is people who buy those suitcase record players don't have a hifi system so they can't just buy a separate turntable. If you've ever gotten on the Drop website they have an Audio-Technica turntable made to their specs called the Carbon VTA that has all of the necessary features and is only $329. Looks like a good one. Oh, and they also have my Cayin MT-12N tube amp back in stock for only $479. I consider it a real bargain.

I believe that what you can afford, even if it means putting off your purchase. People are too interested in the "here and now" mentality. It's just like making love. You have to have a bit of foreplay before you get down to business! Have a good week.

Great advice…you left out one thing tho …are you inheriting a “large” vinyl collection or are you buying in the used market or ..are you starting from scratch. Inheriting a collection of let’s say 500-1000 records may give you the opportunity to go for an upgraded turntable like an AudioTecnica,ProJect,Rega or a Technics …with a decent arm and cartridge. Buying used ..if you’re not willing to deep dive into vinyl..you have to be educated to understand what you’re buying..that’s more background in the hobby… The last ,buying new …that’s going to get pricey ..new vinyl isn’t analog as it really is an analog rip of the original digital files ..some are poor and some are premium UHQR ..but not cheap. Also ,if you’re not going to have a decent mid tier set up.. gear ⚙️ great room treatment and isolation ..to get the benefits of vinyl..again an education is next. Have a great week.

you should watch the show Loudermilk in which they walk around with the suitcase turntable like they are looking for a missing sock! It's hilarious. On the topic, great video as always. Do you know of any web site that lists turntable brands and models with prices and features, pros and cons? When one starts out, they will definitely miss one of the criteria you mention, especially upgradability. Also, one thing I would add is buying used. Vintage turntables may be a good way to start if they have a decent plinth ad tonearm, the cartridge has to be replaced anyway. I bought a Dual for my daughter - 30 years old, and it works great.

i bought an sl23 for50 bucks

I’m seeing some videos online which are recommending that you only play a record once, and then let the vinyl recover for 24 hours which in turn result in less wear. Is this a good practice or a wives tale.

@0:00 "Are you buying your first turntable, or looking to upgrade?" The latter... ...in perpetuity.

Rick, i'd like your opinion on an amplifier that has an OPTICAL input for cd player, rather than RCA connectors[normal].Which is the better of the 2...?

why ddont buy a 70ies te hnics

Do NOT buy a suitcase type turntable under any circumstances. Once you play a record on one of those it will be ruined forever. If your budget is low and you can’t afford anything else then don’t bother with vinyl. Against my advice my son bought a crossly type but I bought him an AT120 a couple of weeks later. Those records that had been played on it sound terrible, completely ruined

Always Great advice !!! watching take me back to being allowed at 5 to put the needle on the record and cleaning records with rubbing Alcohol. Hopefully in the next 5 years I can start to rebuild at the moment my SPL playback preference is to high for Vinyl. I've got to connect with my MELLOW side like you have absolutely MASTERED!!

Start by learning what makes a piece of equipment good, then step your sights well up from the minimum requirements before you spend even one cent. These days, a person's first turntable, if bought new, should cost no less than $1,500, or at least $2,000 if the cartridge is included. Yes, you can spend a lot less than that... but you should not.

Hello - I’m trying to determine the best way to decide on what needle to buy from my turntable. Any advice? I have an audio technica lp 120.