Entry level turntable: rega vs. music hall vs. ??? (1 Viewer)

[Ted Lee]

hi all -
i did a search and it seems that both rega and music hall are pretty well regarded.
for the rega, it looks like the best i can do is used on ebay for about 200.00. i did see several rega planar 3 turntables for between 150-200 including cartridge.
for the music hall, i only saw one used (mmf 2.1) and it was out of my range. but i did see at audioadvisor.com a new one (mmf 1) for 200. that also seems like a pretty good deal?
this is only for occasional use with my older LP collection (started around early 80's). i don't imagine i'll be purchasing any significant amount of new vinyl - unless it's for comparison or goofing off purposes.
so i'm just wondering what you all think. any thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
thanks,
ted

 

[Michael_T]

All I can say is that I bought a Music Hall MMF5 in February and I am totally happy with it.
Generally new, the Music Hall TT's are less expensive than a Rega TT - and all Music Hall TT's come with a cartridge installed included in the price. With a new Rega TT you have to buy a cartridge which increases the overall price.
I think from what I have seen of my friends Rega 25, that Rega TT's are a bit better built than Music Hall, but that said, I feel my MMF-5 is built well enough for me and serves my purpose very well.
I also thought that I would purchase a new TT to play the thousands of old LPS I have that I haven't played in over 10 years. Well the bug bit me, and I find myself purchasing more vinyl than I thought. I have alot of Classic reissues, and when an album I want comes out on vinyl in addition to CD I buy the vinyl instead. Like the new Red Hot Chili Peppers album, I purchased the double vinyl set over the CD, even though the vinyl was a bit more expensive.
You many find yourself "goofing" off more than you expect if you get that Music Hall or Rega.

 

[Ted Lee]

thanks for the additional info michael -
that mmf5 looks suh-weet!!! unfortunately, that's way out of my league. bummer batman!
so, it looks the mmf1 may work for me. i'm gonna kick myself if i start goofing off too much...last thing i need to do is play catch-up with vinyl! ha!

 

[Frank_S]

If you can pick up a used Rega P3 for $200, give it a serious look. I have a P3 and love it, Saurav also has a P3 I believe. It will outperform the entry level Music Hall without a doubt. Good luck.
If you haven't checked out the "Vinyl Section" at www.audioasylum.com do so, there is a ton of info on these Turntables.

 

[Saurav]

I can wholeheartedly recommend the Rega P3. If you can get one for $200 then go for it, that's a steal. You can use something like the $40 Grado Black on it, until you're ready to invest more in a better cartridge. That's a great cart, and certainly won't be 'outclassed' by the table. FWIW, I bought my P3 for around $300.
If you're a complete beginner to vinyl, maybe you shouldn't buy a used table. It might pay off to find a dealer who you can trust and buy a table from him, that way you have someone to set it up for you the first time. It's very easy to learn, but it takes a few tries before you can do it completely on your own. On the other hand, if you have a dealer/shop/friend who can look over a 'table and service it if needed, then buying used off the internet might not be a risky proposition.

i don't imagine i'll be purchasing any significant amount of new vinyl

Famous last words Once you start hitting thrift stores and realize how much near-mint vinyl can be bought for 50c a record, there's no turning back.
Frank, you might want to edit your post and remove the comma from the AA link. The automatic URL parser on this site isn't the smartest.

 

[Ted Lee]

thanks for the advice on the rega p3. since you guys think it's a pretty good rig and it's within my price range, i'll definitely give it strong consideration.
i have some experience with turntables. i had an older technics that required me to adjust the tonearm, anti-skating, align the cartridge, etc. so, i think i could figure it out, but i probably would not buy a turntable that doesn't include original packaging and owners manual.
saurav - do you have a link to the grado cart that you recommend?
thanks again guys...i'm starting to get kinda excited. woo hoo!

 

[Philip Hamm]

Wow, we haven't had a good vinyl thread in quite some time.

 

[Ted Lee]

welp, i just put a bid on the rega p3. the rest, as they say, is fate.
[edit] oh yeah...i checked audioasylum - i noticed most people there are stating a used should cost approx 400-500, but mine is only around 200. am i missing something? here's the one i bid on:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...ADME:B:BN:US:1
in any case, i think i'll be happy with this, but now i'm kind of curious/worried???

 

[Saurav]

I see. It's an older Planar 3, with a curved tonearm. I don't know much about that tonearm, but it's not the same arm that's present in current P3's which is the Rega RB300, an almost legendary tonearm for what it does at its price.
This is probably still a good starter table. If you really want to, I guess you could buy an RB300 and mount that on this 'table. I wouldn't do that if I were you, partly because an RB300 will cost almost as much as this 'table if not more, and you won't get that back in relase value. To answer your question - I think this is a good buy at $200, but it's not what we were talking about, so don't go up to $400 on it. That is, if you haven't already
That's good that you know about alignment and anti-skating already. Regas are easy to setup, as there isn't a whole lot you can do to fiddle with them, just the standard cartridge stuff.
Here's one place where you can get the Grado Black:
Link Removed
Again, read up on it at Audio Asylum if you're interested, you'll see that it has a lot of fans.

 

[Ted Lee]

hmm...

as usual, great info saurav. thanks much. i maxed my bid at 180.00, so i'm not too worried. i do agree that i think this will meet my needs. thanks for the needledoctor link too.

btw - so how old do you think this tt is anyway?

in any case, i'm still excited. as long as it's not a hunk of junk (doesn't seem like it) then i'll be satisfied.

woo-hoo!

 

[Saurav]

It's certainly not a hunk of junk. Here's a quote from AA:

The S shaped arm was fine - and a good contender in the cheap but better arm market in it's day.

At the same time, it's apparently not in the same league as the RB300, the cureent arm on the P3. Here's a link that might be relevant:
http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/t...vinyl&m=103784
How old? Probably sometime in the 80's. Didn't the seller say he's the original owner? If he is, he should be able to tell you when he bought it
You could shop around for the Grado, I bought mine on eBay for around $35 but I don't see any on there now. You might get a bit of a discount from some other online store or local dealer... Needle Doctor pretty much sells everything at MSRP. But, you don't pay sales tax... but you pay shipping, so.... and the difference isn't more than a few dollars anyway.

 

[Ted Lee]

well that quote definitely makes me feel better. if i get the unit, i'm going to investigate the three carts that come with it. if i don't feel they're up to snuff, then i'll bump up to the grado.
btw saurav - i must admit that while i was originally composing the post, i was hoping you'd be able to respond. i appreciate your time!

 

[Saurav]

You're welcome. It's always a pleasure to lure people over to the dark side

 

[Ted Lee]

so THAT'S what they mean when they say "watch out for saurav!"

 

[Saurav]

LOL! Something like that, I guess.

 

[Frank_S]

At the same time, it's apparently not in the same league as the RB300, the current arm on the P3

The newer "P3"(not to be confused with Planar 3)also has better motor isolation as well as the better arm. I might advise you to seek a newer P3 for around $400-$500, resale on P3's are very good so you could always get your $ back.
If that seems like a stretch, by all means go up to $200 for the older unit.

 

[KeithH]

Ted, now that you have completely converted into a vinylphile, can I have your CDs? Make Saurav pay the shipping.

 

[Ted Lee]

well, i contacted the seller. he bought it new in 1979. he is adamant (and i sort of believe him - anyone who keeps the boxes and manuals from that long ago can't be too bad) that it is in perfect condition, but it still worries me a little to buy a +20 year old turntable. i can't believe the belt would still be in good shape.
in any case, i was outbid by 2.50 cents!
so, now i'm rehinking...i may be more comfortable with a new music hall, but not sure. opinions?
keith - if i convert you can certainly have my cd's. i think saurav might not agree to paying shipping on 600+ cd's though...

 

[KeithH]

Ted said:

keith - if i convert you can certainly have my cd's. i think saurav might not agree to paying shipping on 600+ cd's though...

Well, it's the least that he could do.

 

[Saurav]

Ted, now that you have completely converted into a vinylphile

Easy, easy, he's almost there, just a little more and he'll be ensnared completely. Don't be hasty or you'll scare him off.