Top 5... BUDGET TURNTABLES - Up to £500
There's nothing technical about this top 5 listing and I fully realise that there are loads that could have been here that aren't... but these are decks that I've bought, sometimes owned and sold over the years. They are all, in my humble opinion, great decks within their price range... for the reasons outlined below... Read on.
1. Rega Planar 2/3If you are looking for an affordable turntable that is robust, reliable, in plentiful supply and sounds great, then the Rega Planar 2 or 3 would be my top choice. While you should avoid the early R200 tonearms (silver and s-shaped, which suffer anti skate adjustment failure), either a Planar 2 with RB250 or Planar 3 with an RB300 is a no brainer purchase to get you into 'proper' turntables. It may not be the very best sounding within our budget, but the Rega is incredibly reliable, extremely good for the money and it is so easy to live with. Expect to pay... Planar 2 from £150. Planar 3 from £250.
2. AR LegendMuch under-rated deck (and therefore great value), but great build quality and a sub chassis design very much along conventional sprung belt-drive decks.
This example has an AR badged Jelco arm, but others came with Rega and Linn Basik arms. All are worth consideration and perform well. Look out for damage to the heavy wooden plinth and typical wear and tear to the lid. Lid hinges are, from memory, identical to the Linn LP12. Expect to pay... From £150 depending on tonearm. 3. Linn AxisIf you can't afford your Linn Sondek LP12, then an Axis is a worthy affordable alternative. These are a pretty simple design, so there's not a lot to go wrong with them. Tonearms will typically be either a Linn Basik or perhaps a Linn Akito (as here). Both can work well, with the Akito typically pushing prices a fraction higher. Pop a half decent cartridge on and you'll have a great vinyl spinner. Expect to pay... From £250
|
4. Thorens TD-160BWhile the Thoren TD124 and TD125 are classics, it's the later TD160 that you can consistently pick up for sensible money. Usually you'll find yourself looking at the TD160B Mk2 as shown here. It may come with Thorens' own tonearm or an aftermarket one - here with a Mayware Formula 4. If you can, look for one with an SME tonearm (probably a 3009 S2 Improved). It's a highly capable turntable which can snick within our budget. Difficulty will be finding one where the SME hasn't been removed to sell separately, but worth it if you can. Expect to pay... around £500 with an SME arm included. As little as £150 without an arm.
5. Technics SL-B2There are a myriad of Technics decks that you can choose from, from basic entry level to top end and in my experience they are usually reliable and easy to service and maintain. Here I've plumped for the belt drive SL-B2 but in honesty I could have chosen from any number of entry level Technics decks, both belt and direct driven. If you are looking for a basic way back into vinyl, then a Technics deck will usually do you proud for not a lot of money. Expect to pay...From £65.
Back to the Top 5 home page |