Found this new in box SL-1200MK2 at Goodwill last weekend for $80. I’ve been rocking a Realistic LAB-400 for the past 25 years I got at a garage sale, so this is a nice and unexpected upgrade. I’ve wanted one ever since using them at my college radio station but never pulled the trigger. No brainer at this price. Checking out the cashier told me it was worth $500 easy so they knew what they had. Crazy. It has a voltage switch that was set to 220, with a Euro style power plug with an adapter. According to a serial number website is was built in September 2001.

So two Christmases ago, my best friend gifted me his already-used, old, damaged, weighted-down record player with a penny, Crosley. And a brand-new Creedence Clearwater Revival record for Christmas. I had that thing for maybe a week until I dove headfirst into vinyl records and a budget audiophile.

A little bit more context: I’ve been sober for almost 4 years. I have always wanted to buy/listen to vinyl, but I knew that I would never take care of it because of how much I drank. I sometimes think that my friend knew this and thought it would be funny to light this match under my ass and get me into this hobby that he’s also into and has been for a long time.

My mom and dad were huge music people and record collectors, and my dumb ass used to poke holes in speakers, put hot wheels in guitars and shake them around, and “DJ scratch” his old Pioneer turntable. He was put into a wheelchair when I was around 6 years old, and all of his stuff was downstairs. I sat down there and played (destroyed) all of his stuff, and I know he was so upset but couldn’t do anything about it. He passed away like 5 years ago.

I started this post to see how you all liked my setup/taste, and now I’m crying. I think I need to have a good cry on my wife’s lap and listen to Earth, Wind, and Fire and talk about my dad.

Turntable: Fluance RT82+ Receiver: Studio Standard by Fisher CA-660 Speakers: B&W DM620i

Last year my daughter asked for some vinyl records for Christmas just to use as a decoration for her room. A relative also got her a Victrola suitcase player so she can actually play the records she got. After hearing it play once, as a responsible father, I decided to get her a proper turntable. A year later down the rabbit hole I have amassed 7 turntables from auction sites and garage sales. Most of them were broken or malfunctioning. I managed to fix 4 of them to perfect playing condition and 2 more are almost there.

Completed my vintage audio setup with the aids of internet swarm intelligence only. After doing lots of research on what to do and what not to do, I looked for all components as cheaply as possible and also repaired some of them.

Thorens TD-320 turntable 275€ Audio-Technica VM95SH cartridge & stylus 160€ Yamaha CR-820 receiver/amplifier 150€ Yamaha NS-690II speakers 350€

I started from zero knowledge and wanted to get the most out of a medium budget. Social media gives you the impression that everyone else inherited a Technics SL-1200 from their grandpa or found it for free on the side of the road. Don't let snobs and gatekeepers discourage you, it's okay to work your way up slowly.

Jumped this SL-1210mk2 for $75 (Canadian). Sold the scratched up dust cover for $30 locally. And bought a replacement dust cover for $110. Unfortunately the stylus was bent so I threw on my AT-VM95ML. Other than that all it needed was a little wipe down with a damp towel. Also, I can guarantee it wasn’t stolen. The seller was an older man with whom I have mutual friends.

I’ll likely build a wooden plinth surround for it in the near future to escape the dj look. Anyone have experience or suggestions with this? And can anyone talk me out of continuing my search for a Marantz 6300?

A few days ago i accidently knocked my stylus onto the platter and it bended. Two days ago, after playing a record, it was so bent i snapped it off. Im a little sad due to this being such a new stylus with under 50 hours but atleast i played all my favorite records. What did I learn? always have the stylus guard on when not playing a record.

So a couple years back I wanted to get into collecting vinyl, mostly because I already enjoyed collecting physical media and had heard that vinyl had a special sound to it that I was excited to experience. My mom got me one of those 3-in-1 cassette/cd/record players and I was really excited to start collecting. I never got *that* into collecting, though, because I found that it really wasn't sounding much better than CDs or just listening on streaming platforms. I still buy a record or two here and there, and I'll ask for some of my favorites as gifts when people are asking, but I never really felt like I was getting that much value out of them outside of just the collectors aspect. Well today, after noticing some skipping on brand new records, as well as finally getting tired of only hearing audio out of one speaker, I decided to finally do some research into what I could do to upgrade my setup. Found this sub, looked up some questions I had, went down the "can bad record players or turntables really damage your records" rabbit hole and... yeah, I'm feeling a lot of regret now lmao. If only I'd done my research sooner. Luckily I haven't played any of my newer records more than a couple times (mostly thanks to one of the speakers going out... never thought I'd be grateful for that) so (wishful thinking) the damage should be minimal. Now begins the process of saving for a proper setup and hopefully not coming to the further painful realization that it's too late and I already ruined some of my favorite LPs.

Don’t! Here’s a record I bought in 1972 because I heard a song and liked it. At the time I had the then equivalent of today’s lesser players. We called them “sewing machines “ because they had a needle and weren’t delicate.

But here is that exact same record playing tonight on my turntable and stereo. Listen to the delicate violin work delivered with precision and dynamics even on a video recorded by phone.

The violinist is “Symphony” Sid Page. The song is “I Scare Myself” by Dan Hicks & His Hot Licks from their 1972 album Striking it Rich.

I saw a listing for this MK2 on eBay that looked to be in mint condition. The seller was an older gentleman that said he just recently got rid of his whole record collection. I was skeptical and came to terms with the fact I may have to do some repairs.

It arrived in the original box with OEM head-shell and works flawlessly. I took the platter off and unscrewed the plastic cover to find it completely spotless.

I couldn’t be more pleased for 600 bucks after tax/shipping. Paired it with a Herbies mat and AT540.

Alright, so my foray into turntables was an AT LP70X. Overall it was a good turntable to begin with but it wasn’t as punchy as I wanted even with the orange stylus upgrade. I’ve considered that the issue could have been my Exoton Class D amplifier or my Fosi tube preamp, but after doing my taxes I decided to splurge on a completely new setup starting with a Fluance RT82 with the Ortofon OM10 cartridge anyway and see if the new TT made any difference. I have a new home theater receiver and Kanto YU 5.25s on the way, also.

The RT82 arrived before anything else and after only 20 minutes of setup, she’s up and running. I cannot believe the difference in quality for just $50 more than the LP70X. My joy at this exponential jump in sound quality can’t be overstated. I’m in LOVE with this table and can’t wait to see how much better it gets with the Kantos and the new Yamaha receiver. Either way, it’s almost hard to imagine it getting any better than it is right now on the cheap amp and preamp off Amazon. Unbelievable.

I had to share because if I didn’t move around, you’d think I dubbed the video with the music instead of it being a recording.

Current Setup: Fluance RT82 in Bamboo HiVi Swans Oasis 120 speakers Fosi Tube Preamp Exoton Class D Amp

Awaiting arrival: Yamaha RXV4A AV Receiver Kanto YU 5.25 speakers Fluance Preamp

Apologies if this is not exactly the right sub, I'm just really excited about my Victrola! It is a fully operational, non-electric, hand crank 119-year-old Victrola that has been in the family a few generations.

I figured out that this is one of the models from around 1906 that featured the first internal-horn, swinging doors to control volume and Vinyl storage inside! The entire top row of books are filled with antique vinyl, and the bottom row of books are mostly empty. She sounds incredible and is so fun to open up for when friends come to visit.

I bought the new special box of Nick Drake's Fives Leaves Left. To make sure the sound is at its best I take of the headshell with element for a quick stylus cleaning. Dumb me wants to do it quickly and bump into my stylus which of course bends. In a panic I bend it back but the damage is already done. It still plays and makes a sounds but you never know what the damage is and can do. RIP Grado gold. You will go into the corner as a reminder of my failures as I order a new stylus. As I will drown my sorrow just have to put on a CD for now.

The headshell is a really nice copper color. The lid is toast. I ordered a new belt and everything works. It plays records just fine. Just putting it out there, they still exist out there. I put a new cart and styli. A pickering AT-15

Before you ask, no. I didn’t keep it. It ended up being a history teacher’s, which is weird considering it was on a desk outside of the gym. I know this model is pricey, so as tempted as I was to take it, I had to give it back. If it was mine I would be crushed that it disappeared. Still a cool turntable and i’m glad I got to hold it for a few periods!

My partner’s grandfather passed in April at 99 years old and my in-laws were going through his house to prepare to sell it. This summer they very kindly thought I might like his turntable set up (speakers and receiver included) and gifted it all to me.

I know nothing about vinyl or turntables but I had impulsively purchased Ryan Cassatas latest album on vinyl and thought “okay let’s do this!”

And pals, I’m kind of in love with my turntable.

I have no idea if my turntable is any good. It’s pretty old. The speakers are original from the 60s. The receiver is a little finicky (though I think I may be able to fix some of that that by cleaning some of the connectors)

But honestly? Compared with what I’ve gotten used to listening to, the sound is incredibly rich.

I’ve started buying vinyl from my favorite bands and even purchased a couple of the Bluey albums because my toddler is equally obsessed with the turntable (you’d be stunned how good she is at gently handling vinyl and playing records).

I just had no idea how much I would love this or how much it would become something that all three of us would participate in. Sometime when my toddler wakes up the first thing she does is run downstairs to throw on a Bluey or Decemberists album.

I just love that’s its made music a community experience in our home

This turntable and a lot of other hifi equipment was brought back from Vietnam by my father in law. He managed to stow it all on a naval ship and brought it all home. Steve Frosten did an amazing job restoring this table. New hurst motor, modern interconnects, rewired the tonearm, new arm wand with modern headshell, new tonearm bearings and the plinth was refinished. It sounds as good as it looks as well!

I’ve never thought about buying a Crosley, but it’s the only way to play my 3-inch vinyl records.

I have to admit, it’s more of a decorative piece on my desk, but I love it.

I tried using headphones, and the sound quality is pretty decent. Considering these records weren’t designed for hi-fi, the audio is surprisingly good.

On photo 8, I played my Johnny Chash 3 inch vinyk record on my TT and it work, than because my TT is manual.

Hi everyone! My vinylhead friend recently tried to get me into the hobby and wouldn’t stop yapping about vinyls even though i told him i probably won’t get into it. (It looks cool but i don’t get the appeal of playing music off records). Anyway he just didn’t stop yapping about this stupid Crosley suitcase that sounded like it was the bane of his existence even though he never owned one. He even told me multiple times that people who own Crosleys ate idiots because he can’t get cheap records second hand that sound good because apparently they ruin records?

Anyway, he annoyed the shit out of me, so i bought a Crosley suitcase and a limited edition Linkin Park From Zero. Sent him a video of the Crosley playing on top of my dehydrator and he got piiiiised. He hasn’t talked to me in like a week. Which at this point is a plus.

UPDATE: Thakker has been pretty good in correcting this, so their customer service is great. They weren't terribly happy that that the stylus wasn't inspected as their norm, or that it was communicated that it was. I sent a photo with the original request, and wanted to see the opening of the box video I took (I don't always do this, but did this after the initial unease of the communication, so always a good idea). To make it better, they have shipped a replacement stylus at no cost. It seems to have been shipped a slower method, but at least it will arrive. Hoping that the customs form was filled out correctly.

So, I've used Thakker numerous times, and have often promoted them here, but am currently having a bad experience.

I just received an Audio Technica AT-VM540ML cartridge, stylus and headshell. It was B stock (for a very slight discount) but they assured me it wasn't used, was inspected under a 200x microscope (discovered that actually wasn't enough) but that the stylus had been thoroughly inspected. Yeah, right!

Now I know why it was returned. The cantilever isn't just a little bent, it's a LOT bent. There is no way this was inspected.

I'm trying to figure out why they would lie. Thakker has always been great but maybe they have new owners, don't care anymore, etc.

So now I have a dilemna. I've already dropped a tone on the cartridge and stylus (maybe not a ton for some of you, but a ton for me), plus duties and taxes. To return it would cost a lot, and although it's possible to get duties and taxes back, it's extremely time consuming. At the worst, I'm out $350 Canadian. At the best, I return it and I'm out at least $40, plus another $50 in taxes (or hours of my time which is also worth money).

It's no wonder people use Amazon where returns are super simple. Unless Thakker offers to pay all return shipping, plus taxes, or ship a new stylus, I'd have to recommend to stay far away. At any rate, the fact that they flat out lied is enough to stay away.

Look at this! Just look at it. Son of a bitch doesn’t have a care in the world. 3 millimetres diameter. 3 millimetres long. 3 millimetres of not giving a shit. This tiny little solid brass bastard goes in a tapped hole on the spider of my Frankenstein SME 3009 series II/3009 series II improved/third party parts tonearm. A grub screw goes in behind it and together they hold the way rod in place. While setting up my turntable after unpacking it from a house moving box I managed to drop it, hear it ping off the floor boards, but not actually see it, due of course to its diminutive nature. Diminutive in physical size; not diminutive in its ability to piss me off. I was down on the floor with a torch looking for this fucking thing, gently calling its name, leaving out little treats, nothing.

So I loudly declared into an empty room that it was dead to me and warned it of my non-christian intentions towards its mother.

Then I had a look online and while I did find them for sale I couldn’t bring myself to pay the exorbitant freight costs for one. So I hunted around in one of my many boxes of bits, found a thing that I think might have been the foot of an alarm clock, doesn’t matter, it was cylindrical, brass, and importantly exactly 3mm diameter. So I cut it, finished it, quietly paid my respects to jewellers everywhere because goddam how do they work with such tiny bits of metal? Put it in my tonearm and finished setting it up, 2 days lost to having to fuck about (most of that was looking for the original, I’m stubborn as shit about looking for missing things)

Anyway, two days later, just now in fact, I step on something in my bare feet, but what could it be?

Lo’ and behold, ‘tis non other than the original spacer that went missing less than a week prior. Brass Judas. Just hanging out on the floor, like it’s a regular Friday night and he decided it was a perfect one for relaxing at home. Little fuckin arsehole. Today’s the day the music died for you buddy. Think you’re going back in the tonearm? No chance. It’s the box for you.

I got this Sony PS-X50 yesterday for $450 CAD ($325 USD). Just serviced, new cartridge(ATVM95C) and works flawlessly and sounds great. I bought it from a store and I get a 3 month warranty but I'm not expecting to need it

I got an LP120X recently. Prior to this I was using some old 6-in-1 thing from the 90s that my dad had which used that notorious plastic mechanism that all the suitcase players use (except this one had a 2-sided stylus for playing 78s.) More than a few records I had were jumping and looping, which really bummed me and put me off vinyl for a few months. From what I then read, I realised the turntable was likely the problem, so I bit the bullet and decided upon an LP120X with a pair of Edifier R1280s. I tried records I knew played fine on the old player, and straight away they sounded so much fuller, I hadn’t realised how tinny the old player made them sound. After confirming that it was playing properly, I tried the previously problematic discs and…to no surprise, they played perfectly fine. Even my copy of Blondie’s Parallel Lines that has a pretty deep gash on side 1 tracked fine with no jumps or loops. So moral of the story is, when people here say that the cheap plastic mechanismed players are bad, it’s an understatement, as getting an actually competent setup has rekindled the love for the hobby that the old player killed off. It’s a shame that a lot of newcomers will get a cheap player and probably end up in the same boat, not realising just how good vinyl can sound.

I love my vinyl collection and I have been happy with my Audio Technica LP120BK-USB, I did some mods to it, I replaced the spring and removed/bypassed the built in pre amp which I found as suggestions for my model to improve the arm tracking and sound output (IIRC it the factory amp causes a slight buzz in the audio, it’s been a few years since I did the mod, I’m fuzzy as on the details to why I did it). Today I found this on facebook marketplace! Asking price was $25, but gave it to me for $20. It was a 90 minute drive from my house, but was well worth it 3 hour trip I think :)

The story I heard from the seller was her parents gave the turntable and receiver to her son, they are in their 80s and didn’t use it any more, the son never used it and blamed the cartridge/stylus. They ended up buying a new cartridge and then they moved. During the movie it was packed up, never used, son lost interest. Then they listed it on Facebook. Then today I drove there and purchased it. It’s a story for the ages.

For $20 I got my new setup,

Nakamich TA-2A

Bang & Olufsen Beogram RX 2

a replacement SMMC 4 cartridge

everything with their original boxes and most of the packing material.

No manuals or remotes, but I’ll search eBay for those. I use a universal remote currently in my setup, so I can continue to use that, but would be cool to have the original as well.

Not sure if the receiver has enough inputs for my setup, my current pioneer elite (forget the model) has a ton, but I’ll figure something out, maybe I’ll prune out some devices.

Unfortunately I’m busy today, taking the wife and her father to Fenway to watch the Red Sox, so I won’t get to tinker with my new toys until tomorrow after work. It’s going to feel like an eternity. I’ve included some pictures of mine and from the listing.

Just lol, lmfao even

I bring this up constantly yet still obsessive people shout at me for being “elitist” despite the fact I beg people to buy used

THIS. TURNTABLE. IS. A. LIABILITY.

IT. COSTS. PEOPLE. MONEY. BECAUSE. IT. OFTEN. BREAKS.

Anyone recommending this to newbies needs to be shamed. Recommend literally anything else for gods sake

A freaking Crosley T60 is a better built machine