VINYL TO GO!
David Price points the cheapest way to high-quality vinyl replay.
People who've grown up with CD could be forgiven for not wanting to
get into vinyl. After all, isn't it the preserve of snobbish, backward-looking
old fogeys, with more money than sense? Well, no. There are still plenty
of affordable, sub-£500 turntables on sale that will eat most CD
players for breakfast.
Despite their clicks, pops and dirty styli, they'll give you more passion,
more life, more music than any silver-disc spinner. So we thought we'd
give you a Get Going In Vinyl guide, a no-nonsense look at the best budget
vinyl hardware. Go on, get yourself a turntable, you know you want to! |
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TURNTABLES |
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PRO-JECT .5 £159
Very
much a starter turntable, the Project .5 comes complete with an Ortofon
OM10 Moving Magnet cartridge (worth £30) and basic automation - the
deck starts revolving when you move the tone-arm over the record. Although
a touch rough around the edges, the Pro-ject manages an enjoyably musical
performance and represents excellent value for vinyl virgins. |
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PRO-JECT 1 £199
A
proper hi-fi deck, the 1 is completely devoid of facilities, preferring
to put the emphasis on sound. Features include a precision bearing supporting
a dynamically-balanced alloy platter and a good basic arm with adjustable
height - an unusual but highly worthwhile feature. The sound is fast and
punchy, with more life and sparkle than its more expensive Rega rival.
Factor in the fitted Ortofon 510 cartridge and it's a tempting proposition. |
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REGA PLANAR 2 £214
Despite
fierce competition from Pro-ject, this evergreen remains highly competitive.
Cunningly simple, it consists of a black fibreboard plinth into which a
decent motor and bearing are set, with a thin glass platter and felt mat
on top. The RB250 arm is a remarkably polished performer for the money
with decent bearings and a quality, one-piece cast arm tube.
A refined and musical design, the Planar 2 sounds more mature than the
Pro-ject 1 but lacks a little of its brio. By absolute standards the 2's
rather limited at frequency extremes and has mediocre speed stability but
you'd be surprised at how good it can still sound. The 2 has also appeared
slightly modified under Akai and NAD 533 guises. |
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REGA PLANAR 3 £274
A
grown-up version of the Planar 2, this classic deck has sold in vast quantities
since its inception way back in 1978. Although it gets an improved plinth,
platter and bearing, its most distinguishing feature is the RB300 arm -
a budget classic if ever there was one. Given a good cartridge and proper
siting on a vibration-free support, the Planar 3 will embarrass many far
more expensive CD players. Its civilised yet musical performance is soft
and subtle yet detailed and engaging.
Although bettered by slightly more expensive separate turntable/arm
combinations, as a 'plug in and play' solution it's superb. And it's also
the only turntable available in purple - an extra £15 buys you a
choice of seven pretty colours! |
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PRO-JECT 2 £299
A
souped-up Pro-ject 1, the 2 has an improved alloy, glass and felt platter
and a standard record clamp - usually the province of high-end Michells
and SMEs. The tone-arm also gets a few mods, but it still can't really
match the Rega RB300.
The sound gains refinement and poise, sounding faster, cleaner and better
focused, making the deck a truly enjoyable listen. The cartridge is improved
too, with either an Ortofon 520 or an MC1 moving coil for those with suitable
phono stages. A lot of turntable for very little money. |
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MICHELL MYCRO £435
An
unconventional design, the Mycro is basically a paired-down GyroDec, itself
one of the best sub-£1000 turntables. Hand-built from the best materials,
it features a sprung sub-chassis on which sits a superb inverted bearing
and heavy acrylic platter, driven by a long rubber belt from a low-noise
motor. The base is also acrylic, chosen for its excellent resonance damping
properties as much as its striking looks. Numerous armboards are available
but the Mycro usually comes with the ubiquitous Rega for £577.
Sound is very solid, detailed and open with particularly strong stereo
imaging. Bass is deep and controlled, if a little dry. Although more cerebral
sounding than most, the Mycro is a truly accomplished budget design and
looks superb to boot. |
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PRO-JECT 6 £459
This
is value - a three-point suspended sub-chassis deck with a decent arm and
groove-tastic Ortofon MC15 Super 2 moving coil for under £500! It's
also hard to argue with its alloy and glass platter, silicon arm damping
and highly adjustable suspension. Sound is strong and musically confident,
with real bass and smooth treble - a major step up from the Rega class.
The Project isn't quite up there with the Michell and Systemdek, but
then it's far cheaper when you remember you need an arm and cartridge for
the latter pair. This is the one to go for if you want a top notch, fuss-free
turntable package. |
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ROKSAN RADIUS £470
An
unusual but attractive deck, the Radius brings some exotic features to
the budget end of the market. An independently-sprung sub-chassis does
a good job of isolating the deck from its surroundings, while a decent
bearing, motor and belt drive give a stable ride for the record.
The Radius comes without an arm, but when partnered with Roksan's excellent
£320 Tabriz it gives an impressively fast and dynamic sound. Best
used with warm ancillaries, this deck is for those who prefer power and
involvement to subtlety and warmth. |
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SYSTEMDEK 2X2 £500
The
2X2 straddles the gap between budget and high end. Its independently sprung
sub-chassis offers near immunity to acoustic feedback, while the expensive
acrylic platter is a superb way to support records. Although usually sold
with the Rega RB300 arm, various armboards are available and the 2X2 is
quite capable of accepting arm designs costing twice its price.
Sonically it's one of the best affordable turntables - clean and detailed
yet highly musical and dynamic. Bass isn't particularly deep but it's fast
and fluent, and the upper midrange and treble are pin-sharp - for the money
it's little short of a bargain. |
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CARTRIDGES |
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ORTOFON OM10 £29.95
A
quality budget cartridge with a smooth, refined, if slightly bass-light
sound. Stylus can be easily upgraded to OM20 status, bringing bags of extra
detail and polish. |
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GOLDRING 1042 £120
Beautifully
deep, dark, rich analogue sound goes down a treat in Regas and super-decks
alike. Secure tracking makes for excellent detail and poise. |
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PHONO STAGES |
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QED DISCSAVER £35
Cheap
and cheerful starter powered by a mains adapter or direct from a PP3 battery
- the latter brings a smoother, cleaner sound. Either way it's a fast,
rhythmic performer that will extract plenty of music from inexpensive turntables
and cartridges. |
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ROTEL RQ-970BX £129
The
cheapest serious design, this full-width black box offers a fast and musical
sound with a surprising amount of detail - for not much money. Also has
a good moving coil input. |
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LFD MISTRAL PHONO STAGE £300
The
Mistral is a super device with a rich, detailed and rhythmic sound that
makes it the best at the price. It's also an excellent upgrade to virtually
any integrated amp's internal phono stage, although the switchable Moving
Coil stage can be a bit on the hissy side. |
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This feature was published in the January 1998 issue
of Hi-Fi World. No material may be reproduced from this review without
the written permission of the publisher. Copyright Audio Publishing Limited
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