Urban Art Association

for a turntable your better off with some thing thats direct drive,instead of a belt driving the platter round its powered by magnets a lot more solid....speakers go mission 751's if can get them.....not that sure about an amp....would be easier if you told what your budget is.... ...like adamk said it all depends what you wanna do with it...

Too true!!

BTW - Does anyone know if TomTom audio (St. Albans) are anything to do with the TomTom that used to sell Banksy prints?

Get yourself the Technix sl-1200 mk ii

as good today as thay were 15 yr ago...

can you still pick up the Ariston RD40 deck...?...

If we're talking TTs first, here's a list of a few new decks I'd be considering (from entry level to mid-price):

1. Project Genie 2 - normally £180, but certain branches of Richer Sounds seem to have some clearance bargains at £70 (an absolute steal!) - www.richersounds.com/showclearanceproduct/PROJ-RPM1-GENIE/Project+Rpm1+Genie.html

2. Project Genie 3 - £185 - www.richersounds.com/product/turntables/project/genie-mk3/proj-genie-mk3

3. Rega RP1 - £225 - A list of stockists can be found on Rega's website - www.rega.co.uk/ (Rega are currently updating their TT range and you may find a bargain end of line R1 somewhere, with the RP1 only coming out this month)

4. Inspire Hi Fi i2 - £400 - www.inspirehifi.co.uk/inspirehifi/i2.html

5. Rega's P3/24 - circa £400 - www.rega.co.uk/

6. Project RPM5.1 - circa £500 - www.project-audio.com/main.php?list=rpmline&cat=turntables&lang=en

7. Michell TecnoDec - circa £800 (with arm and cart) - www.michell-engineering.co.uk/gyrodec_orbe_turntable.html

8. Funk firm vector - circa £1k www.thefunkfirm.co.uk/funkV.htm

9. Clearaudio Concept - circa £1K - www.clearaudio.de/eng/lw_concept.html

All are good TTs at their respective price points and most of them require fairly minimal set up and only relatively basic care. Though, set up and care is all part of the ritual of listening to records. It's worth bearing in mind that the TTs from around the £400 mark give better scope for further updgrades, e.g., can support better carts and so forth.

You'll note that I haven't included the Technics 1200/1210 in the list. It's an absolutely fantastic turntable, which is built like a tank (I have two, like a few folks on here I imagine). Though, unless you're looking to DJ or like the idea of tweaking/modding (there's a bit of a craze at the moment) and are prepared to spend some time and cash, there's much better sound to be had for your money.

Hi fi dealers often have ex-demo and end of line stock, which they sell at discounted prices with a warranty. It's worth doing some digging online (as the Project Genie 2 at Richer Sounds shows). When looking online at prices (I haven't checked for best deals), it's worth checking the spec carefully; particularly, if you start looking at decks over the £400mark. The nature of the tonearm and cart included has a big impact on price. Second-hand is definitely also worth considering and opens up your options further. Really depends on whether you want a warranty and are happy to take a bit of a risk. People who are into Hi Fi generally look after their equipment and there are real bargains to be had. Though, on a second-hand turntable you'll probably want to factor in the cost of a service, and possibly/probably a new belt and cart/stylus. If you're into the idea of second-hand, let me know and I can recommend some other TTs to think about.

Once you've had a think about how much you want to spend on the TT, it's easier to recommend a suitable amp and speakers (though, Jusdeep suggestions should be on the list of options).

strangersalmanac = topman.

Detailed advice like this is so helpful for a moron like me.

Sorry, that doesnt mean all other replies were shite. All appreciated and all replies have been researched e.g recommended TTs. (see ive learnt the slang already)