Entry Level Turntable - Advice Needed!

JakeHughes001

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Hi everyone.

I am looking to get an entry level Turntable and require a bit of assistance, I am new to the world so need some guidance.

I have spoken to a friend who has recommended me the Pro-Ject T1 as a good starter. I have few questions based on my current setup and future setup.

  • Turntable will initially be plugged into a Bose speaker via AUX as a short term solution (will eventually be plugged into an amp and proper speakers when I move house) - Do I need a special AUX cable to plug into the Bose (just has a 3.5mm connection)? If so which one?
  • How easy is the T1 to use for a novice? Anything I need to be mindful of or take into account?
  • Are there any other Turntables that are just as good/better in the same price range that I should be looking at?
Thanks for the help!

 
I am looking to get an entry level Turntable and require a bit of assistance,

Turntables as so last year. You should get a cassette deck!

...but if you stick with the turntable idea, the Pro-Ject T1 seems a fine starter example. Personally, I'd pay the extra £40 or £50 and opt for the Phono SB version which has a phono-stage amplifier built in. This means that the TT can output a line-level signal rather than the very low level output that TT's without built-in phono stage amps do. TT's with an in-built phono amp stage have more flexibility in connecting to active/powered speakers or amplifiers (many amps these days only have line-level and/or digital inputs).

If you purchase a TT with in-built phono amp then you should be able to connect the TT directly to the Bose speakers AUX input, assuming you use the required cable or connector. I can't find a good pic of the Pro-Ject T1 phono SB so I can't see if it has male or female RCA/phono connectors. Either way though, there are plenty of suitable cables freely available. One of these would probably do the trick but check TT connections before purchase:

or
Amazon product ASIN B00XCL9YYM
(I'm not recommending these particular cables - they're just examples of type.)

Buy a TT without an in-built phono stage amp and the TT won't output enough power to feed the Bose speaker's AUX input so the combination won't work.

How easy is the T1 to use for a novice?

Thirty years ago I would have been more confident in answering 'relatively easy' to that question. Nowdays, when some of the (relative) youngsters I know can't wire a 13 amp plug, I'm unsure that TT's are a mass market consumer product.

Some TT manufacturers have made setup as simple as possible but even so, the purchase of a TT is best done after a little research so that the prospective TT owner appreciates the setup process, the operation and maintenance of, and the extreme vulnerability of the cartridge needle to physical damage. Not to mention the vulnerability of the vinyl itself. Some TTs are automatic and semi-automatic which may be worth a look if you're concerned about manhandling delicate hardware. Audio Technica make a few decent budget auto TT's but I doubt they'd sound as good as the fully manual models from Pro-Ject.

Viable alternative manual TTs at about the same price point would be other Pro-Ject designs such as the Essential range and the excellent Rega Planar 1 Plus. IMO, choose a TT with in-built phono amp stage.
 
Thanks a lot for the reply. If I buy the version with the Phono SB, will I have any issues using it with an external amp in the future? Just want to make sure I am getting something I can use now, and in the future.
 
Thanks a lot for the reply. If I buy the version with the Phono SB, will I have any issues using it with an external amp in the future? Just want to make sure I am getting something I can use now, and in the future.

Not at all - quite the opposite. The in-built phono/RCA amp on the Phono SB version gives more flexibility and is more future proof.

Many amps these days don't have a dedicated TT input (i.e. an input where you can plug in a standard TT, i.e. one without in-built phono/RCA amp).

All current amps that I'm aware of have what's called 'line-level' inputs. These inputs can be used to plug in TTs that have in-built phono/RCA amps, like the Phono SB version. Other sources with analogue signal output can also be plugged into these same amp inputs. If you wished to connect a standard TT to a modern amp, you'd need to add a separate phono/RCA preamp and they're often quite expensive.
 
Great, future proof is definitely what I'm after! The friend who recommended the TT to me also mentioned that I might need a grounded 3.5mm cable. Is that something you think I'd need or would an RCA to 3.5mm be fine on its own?
 
One of the three connections on a 3.5mm jack is earth (or ground). True that some TT setups are prone to earth loop hum but the likelyhood of that is difficult to predict and is nearly always solvable anyway. Some TTs have a separate single conductor cable that is intended to connect to the amplifiers earth post - if the amp has one. Best wait and see.
 

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