New Turntable... New or secondhand?

ubercooldave

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Hey, say i have a budget of about £200 - £300 for a new turntable, what is the best thing to do, buy a new one (i see some sparkling reviews in that price range on whathifi) or a second hand one of ebay, perhaps quite an old model therefore cheap but still pretty good? are the ones made in that price range superior to the older ones i'll find for about that price or vice versa?

i need something that'll be much better than my Dual 505 (which just stopped working at 45rpm, a good excuse to get a better turntable (shh i know i could fix it))

many thanks
 
Turntables rely on build quality and engineering to sound good. You can never really be certain of turntables past, as bearings, suspensions etc can wear out. Using a well used, unserviced turntable can wear your vinyl out prematurely, so with something completely mechanical, we'd recommend buying new, unless you can be certain of it's history.
 
Do your homework before buying second hand. A seller on ebay with nothing to hide and who has looked after their kit is usually obvious, i.e. their advert wording and lots of pictures.
Also look that seller has original box, this will minimize issues and potential damage in transit, obvious I know.

Better if you can see the gear as well as with HIFI its good to listen to your purchase you may not like it.

Having 2nd hand is fine if you take care in sourcing the right seller and kit.
 
As has been said above,buying used is fine providing you do your homework properly,and find the faults and problems of anything you plan on looking at,plus any manufacturer revisions etc,so that when you go to look at it,you know exactly what to check.
 
I will be honest and say I don't think there is too much out there that will come under budget and be significantly better than a 505 if you buy new. A Rega P2 has the potential to be better. Get rid of that Rega cartridge, do a structural upgrade on the arm and put it on the right support and you will have a very good table, but price up those mods and you will find yourself the wrong side of the budget. A decent compromise may be second hand via a dealer or ex demo. That might win you a P3 2000, perhaps a 24 if you are lucky and from a dealer you are not playing the 'second hand lottery'. However there are some very nice decks around that represent a higher risk but with the potential of a higher return. Do your homework and the results might be worthwhile.
 

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