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FEATURE - TURNTABLE ROUNDUP
(Prices shown are those at the time of the feature - January 1998) 
VINYL TO GO!

David Price points the cheapest way to high-quality vinyl replay.

People who've grown up with CD could be forgiven for not wanting to get into vinyl. After all, isn't it the preserve of snobbish, backward-looking old fogeys, with more money than sense? Well, no. There are still plenty of affordable, sub-£500 turntables on sale that will eat most CD players for breakfast.

Despite their clicks, pops and dirty styli, they'll give you more passion, more life, more music than any silver-disc spinner. So we thought we'd give you a Get Going In Vinyl guide, a no-nonsense look at the best budget vinyl hardware. Go on, get yourself a turntable, you know you want to!


TURNTABLES

PRO-JECT .5 £159
Very much a starter turntable, the Project .5 comes complete with an Ortofon OM10 Moving Magnet cartridge (worth £30) and basic automation - the deck starts revolving when you move the tone-arm over the record. Although a touch rough around the edges, the Pro-ject manages an enjoyably musical performance and represents excellent value for vinyl virgins.

PRO-JECT 1 £199
A proper hi-fi deck, the 1 is completely devoid of facilities, preferring to put the emphasis on sound. Features include a precision bearing supporting a dynamically-balanced alloy platter and a good basic arm with adjustable height - an unusual but highly worthwhile feature. The sound is fast and punchy, with more life and sparkle than its more expensive Rega rival. Factor in the fitted Ortofon 510 cartridge and it's a tempting proposition.

REGA PLANAR 2 £214
Despite fierce competition from Pro-ject, this evergreen remains highly competitive. Cunningly simple, it consists of a black fibreboard plinth into which a decent motor and bearing are set, with a thin glass platter and felt mat on top. The RB250 arm is a remarkably polished performer for the money with decent bearings and a quality, one-piece cast arm tube.

A refined and musical design, the Planar 2 sounds more mature than the Pro-ject 1 but lacks a little of its brio. By absolute standards the 2's rather limited at frequency extremes and has mediocre speed stability but you'd be surprised at how good it can still sound. The 2 has also appeared slightly modified under Akai and NAD 533 guises.


REGA PLANAR 3 £274
A grown-up version of the Planar 2, this classic deck has sold in vast quantities since its inception way back in 1978. Although it gets an improved plinth, platter and bearing, its most distinguishing feature is the RB300 arm - a budget classic if ever there was one. Given a good cartridge and proper siting on a vibration-free support, the Planar 3 will embarrass many far more expensive CD players. Its civilised yet musical performance is soft and subtle yet detailed and engaging. 

Although bettered by slightly more expensive separate turntable/arm combinations, as a 'plug in and play' solution it's superb. And it's also the only turntable available in purple - an extra £15 buys you a choice of seven pretty colours!


PRO-JECT 2  £299
A souped-up Pro-ject 1, the 2 has an improved alloy, glass and felt platter and a standard record clamp - usually the province of high-end Michells and SMEs. The tone-arm also gets a few mods, but it still can't really match the Rega RB300.

The sound gains refinement and poise, sounding faster, cleaner and better focused, making the deck a truly enjoyable listen. The cartridge is improved too, with either an Ortofon 520 or an MC1 moving coil for those with suitable phono stages. A lot of turntable for very little money.


MICHELL MYCRO £435
An unconventional design, the Mycro is basically a paired-down GyroDec, itself one of the best sub-£1000 turntables. Hand-built from the best materials, it features a sprung sub-chassis on which sits a superb inverted bearing and heavy acrylic platter, driven by a long rubber belt from a low-noise motor. The base is also acrylic, chosen for its excellent resonance damping properties as much as its striking looks. Numerous armboards are available but the Mycro usually comes with the ubiquitous Rega for £577.

Sound is very solid, detailed and open with particularly strong stereo imaging. Bass is deep and controlled, if a little dry. Although more cerebral sounding than most, the Mycro is a truly accomplished budget design and looks superb to boot.


PRO-JECT 6  £459
This is value - a three-point suspended sub-chassis deck with a decent arm and groove-tastic Ortofon MC15 Super 2 moving coil for under £500! It's also hard to argue with its alloy and glass platter, silicon arm damping and highly adjustable suspension. Sound is strong and musically confident, with real bass and smooth treble - a major step up from the Rega class. 

The Project isn't quite up there with the Michell and Systemdek, but then it's far cheaper when you remember you need an arm and cartridge for the latter pair. This is the one to go for if you want a top notch, fuss-free turntable package.


ROKSAN RADIUS £470
An unusual but attractive deck, the Radius brings some exotic features to the budget end of the market. An independently-sprung sub-chassis does a good job of isolating the deck from its surroundings, while a decent bearing, motor and belt drive give a stable ride for the record.

The Radius comes without an arm, but when partnered with Roksan's excellent £320 Tabriz it gives an impressively fast and dynamic sound. Best used with warm ancillaries, this deck is for those who prefer power and involvement to subtlety and warmth.


SYSTEMDEK 2X2 £500
The 2X2 straddles the gap between budget and high end. Its independently sprung sub-chassis offers near immunity to acoustic feedback, while the expensive acrylic platter is a superb way to support records. Although usually sold with the Rega RB300 arm, various armboards are available and the 2X2 is quite capable of accepting arm designs costing twice its price. 

Sonically it's one of the best affordable turntables - clean and detailed yet highly musical and dynamic. Bass isn't particularly deep but it's fast and fluent, and the upper midrange and treble are pin-sharp - for the money it's little short of a bargain.


CARTRIDGES

ORTOFON OM10 £29.95
A quality budget cartridge with a smooth, refined, if slightly bass-light sound. Stylus can be easily upgraded to OM20 status, bringing bags of extra detail and polish.

GOLDRING 1042 £120
Beautifully deep, dark, rich analogue sound goes down a treat in Regas and super-decks alike. Secure tracking makes for excellent detail and poise.

PHONO STAGES

QED DISCSAVER £35
Cheap and cheerful starter powered by a mains adapter or direct from a PP3 battery - the latter brings a smoother, cleaner sound. Either way it's a fast, rhythmic performer that will extract plenty of music from inexpensive turntables and cartridges.

ROTEL RQ-970BX £129
The cheapest serious design, this full-width black box offers a fast and musical sound with a surprising amount of detail - for not much money. Also has a good moving coil input.

LFD MISTRAL PHONO STAGE £300
The Mistral is a super device with a rich, detailed and rhythmic sound that makes it the best at the price. It's also an excellent upgrade to virtually any integrated amp's internal phono stage, although the switchable Moving Coil stage can be a bit on the hissy side.

This feature was published in the January 1998 issue of Hi-Fi World. No material may be reproduced from this review without the written permission of the publisher. Copyright Audio Publishing Limited
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