I am looking at purchasing a turntable. I was thinking about the $200-$500 range. Does anyone have any experience on a nice model?

I have no idea how much they cost but I know some makers that make very pretty ones.

http://www.rega.co.uk/
http://www.project-audio.com/en/index.html

turntables, wow, haven't owned one in years, kinda wish I did again as I have many old records I'd like to break out again

ps lomb7, I'm sure your aware of this but your picture avatar has not been working recently...

later

the Technics 1200 series are about the most reliable on the market. they run about $400. other brands to look into, Numark, Gemini, Stanton..

bigjohn

Take a look at Music hall too.

I can second the Technics 1200 for longevity. They are among the top turntables used by professional DJs and withstand the abuse they go through in that industry quite well. For standard home audio purposes I would expect they'd last a lifetime. They can also be purchased used with some frequency, although you can never be quite sure how much abuse the motors have seen.

Of the models mentioned, I would recommend the Rega, and then the Music Hall.

I have owned a Rega for many years, and it is very good. It is the table that is recommended by Linn, the Scottish company that makes the worlds most acclaimed table - the LP12 - one of which I also own

I've had a Rega Planar 3, RB200 arm, and Sumiko Blue Point Special setup for ten years now. All have been highly acclaimed by all kinds of people, including some who supposedly know what they are talking about and have degrees from Wal-Mart to prove it. I've seen planar 3's with rb200 arms on ebay pretty darned cheap. Don't recall cartridges on the ones I saw. I think you can find good cartridges that are a much better value than the Sumikos and sound really good. I have an Audio Technica cartridge that I used to love and have been curious to see how it sounds on the planar. It was only about $100, whereas the Sumiko was $300 ten years ago. I haven't been in the market for a new table or cartridge lately, so that's the best I can tell you. I will tell you that the dj tables mentioned above will color the sound, particularly in the bass, which you may find more pleasing. Also, the cartridges for them require higher tracking weights, which may wear your vinyl faster if that's a concern. I looked at some Gemini tables a few years ago, and the construction was absolute crap. Actually, it was the wiring in the head of the arm. There used to be a mailing list I subscribed to that was quite good for info on tables. The name is "analogue addicts", if it still exists. It was actually dedicated to turntables. It may turn up in a web search.

Hope that helps a little.

I love those P3's. If I ever get around to building a 2nd "analog" system, I hope to use my M22's, tube amp, and a colored P3. They just look cool too...