Question Audio Technica LP60 or Marantz TT5005

MadsT

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Hi

I am new to vinyl and are looking for a cheap, but decent, turntable. After much research I have come down to the Audio Technica LP60 or Marantz TT5005. I am not interested in a used turntable.

Does anybody have any experience with these two?
 
If you look at the tonearm, there turntables are virtually identical -

Audio Technica ATLP60USB USB Turntable - Superfi

Sony PSLX300USB USB Turntable - Superfi

Denon DP200USB USB Turntable - Superfi

Marantz UK | TT5005

If that is the limit of your budget, then The Audio Technica LP60 is probably OK, but just OK. It is very much to your advantage to be able to raise you budget a bit.

For example, the Audio Technica LP120 is a massively better entry level turntable -

Audio Technica ATLP120USBC USB Turntable - Superfi

But at £250, they are not exactly giving them away.

For a similar price, a bit less, the Project Essential III should be very good -

Project Essential III Turntable - Superfi

Moving down just a bit -

Flexson VinylPlay Digital Turntable - Superfi

Dropping under £200, these are probably still good turntables, and better than the LP60. I'm basing this mostly on the apparent quality of the tonearm -

Project Essential II Turntable - Superfi

Project Essential II Turntable (Opened Box, Black) - Superfi

Lenco L90 USB Turntable with Built in Pre Amplifier - Superfi

Lenco L3807 Professional Turntable - Superfi

Reloop RP1000M DJ Turntable - Superfi

However, at rock bottom, a turntable like the LP60 would not damage your records, but that kind of money only buys you just so much.

If you can push up to the Project Essential II, that is probably your best turntable for the money.

There is nothing wrong with the LP60 and similar, but it is about the lowest standard in a still acceptable turntable.

Steve/bluewizard
 
Hi Steve,

That's an excellent answer :) Thank you. I really appriciate your input. I am able to find these as well within my budget:

Reloop RP1000M
Reloop RP2000M
Stanton T.52
Stanton T.62
Numark TT-USB
Lenco L-85
Akai BT-100
Pioneer PL-990
PROJECT - ELEMENTAL

Which of these would you prefer?
 
The Reloop are probably good. But I suspect the Stanton have short straight tonearms, which is good for a DJ but bad for HiFi.

There are some low cost Lenco, but I don't think the L85 tonearm makes the grade. That is my complaint about the LP60 and similar. The tonearm is inadequate, but it does not meet a true HiFi standard.

The Project Elemental has a better tonearm than the LP60, but not by much, and the non-rectangular form is not going to serve you well. You need a rectangular turntable. These usually come with a cover to help keep dust off of them.

The Pioneer PL-990 has essentially the same tonearm as the LP60.

Though certainly the quality of the motor and the drive are important, for me, the measure of the turntable in in the Tonearm.

If you look at the tonearm on the Reloop 1000 or the 2000, you can see it is much more sophisticated than the other turntables mentioned.

Here is the Reloop 2000 -

Legacy Products : Reloop (Legacy) : RP-2000 MK3 Turntable

Same with the Reloop 1000 -

Legacy Products : Reloop (Legacy) : RP-1000 MK3 Turntable

These would be very rugged for home use, and while rugged I'm not sure how well they would hold up for a traveling DJ.

The Stanton T.52 has a very short tonearm, good, but strictly for DJ use -

Stanton T52 Turntable (Belt Drive, Analogue)

Same with the Stanton T.62, short straight tonearm -

Stanton T.62 Direct-Drive Turntable with Stanton 500 cartridges

You should be able to find review of the Reloop 1000 and Reloop 2000. Try YouTube. I think they are generally good, but they are primarily DJ turntables, and you need to make sure they come with a cartridge. Many DJ Turntables do not come with a cartridge.

My reluctance to recommend something like the Audio Technica LP60 is that I think it is going to give you just enough of a taste of what it is like to have a turntable, that you are going to want to quickly upgrade, and that means spending money twice. Though I understand that budgets can be tight, I think if you can move up to one of the models I suggested, it is going to be a satisfying turntable that is going to last a long time.

In my mind, of those you listed, the Reloop 1000 and 2000 seem to stand above the rest. But remember to find out if the Reloop turntables come with a cartridge. If not, that is an added expense.


Steve/bluewizard
 
Hi Again

I am torn between those Reloop products. The price is the same, so should I prefer the 2000 which is direct driv to the 1000 which has belt?
 
Hi Again

I am torn between those Reloop products. The price is the same, so should I prefer the 2000 which is direct driv to the 1000 which has belt?


Something of a tie. Most HiFi Turntables are Belt Drive, so this is no big deal. Most DJ Turntables are Direct Drive, and for DJs and for ruggedness and reliability, Direct Drive has its advantages.

But DJ turntable are treated pretty roughly. With slipping and stalling and other DJ technics, a belt simply can not stand up. But for a normal HiFi where you are simply playing records, some of the very best turntables made are belt drive, so this is not a problem.

Another factor, though I can't say about these specific turntable is motor noise. With belt drive the soft belt isolated the motor from the Platter, and the extension is that also isloates the motor from the stylus. With Direct Driver, the Platter is, in essence, the motor, so any motor vibration can be transmitted to the stylus.

While I can't specifically say about the Reloop, most Direct Drive motors are brush-less multi-pole motors, so they are pretty smooth.

I don't think you can go wrong either way. Reloop seems to have a pretty strong foot hold in the DJ market, so I don't imagine you will have a problem getting replacement Belts for them. I've had my turntable about 30 years, and on average I've needed to replace the belt about every 10 years. And, yes, even with a 30 year old turntable, I can still get belts for it. (Pioneer)

So, the drawback to belts is, they wear out. They stretch and the can dry out and get brittle, but they are easy enough to replace. The advantage is they isolate the motor from the platter

The advantage to Direct Driver is - no belts to break or wear out. The disadvantage is the slight possibility of motor noise leaking into the platter and by extension the stylus.

It seems something of a toss up. Advantages and disadvantages both ways.

Steve/bluewizard
 
I thought I might find some Video Reviews of the RP1000 and RP2000 on Youtube, but most videos are just people playing music on their system.

Here is one video, that is useless relative to the sound, but you can get a nice close up view of the turntable -



You can see all the switches and features, and get a reasonably good close up of the Tonearm, which I assure you is massively above that of the LP60.

The Video linked above is of the RP1000.

Steve/bluewizard
 
If you need a cartridge, here are some common low cost cartridges, though note, they are not all that low cost -

Audio Technica AT95E Moving Magnet Cartridge - Superfi

The Audio Technica AT95 is commonly the generic cartridge included on many turntables. It is a place to start, but it is in essence just a generic cartridge.

Audio Technica AT100E Moving Magnet cartridge - Superfi

Audio Technica AT120E Moving Magnet Cartridge - Superfi

This last Audio Technica (AT120) is pretty good.

Ortofon OM5E Moving Magnet Cartridge - Superfi

This Project OM5E is also the common generic cartridge included in a lot of turntables. Not my choice, but perfectly functional

Ortofon 2M Red Moving Magnet Cartridge - Superfi

The Ortofon 2M RED is an extremely popular cartridge and is generally considered an upgrade to the other cartridges listed.

If you are forced by circumstances, the Audio Technica AT95 at £25 is not that bad. However, if you can move up to the AT120 or the 2M Red, it is to your advantage, but that pushes the price up near £90.

Your money, but I would say you want to be in the ~£50 or more range for a quality cartridge.

But again, of you are short on money, the Audio Technica AT95 at £25 is probably fine.

Also, if you buy a Turntable and a Cartridge from the same dealer, they will usually fit the cartridge to the turntable for free.

Steve/bluewizard
 

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