Equipment Recommendations - The Home For New System and Upgrade Advice

@Mather have you tried this yet on your fancy cables??
 
@Mather have you tried this yet on your fancy cables??
My cables are perfect just the way they are but also what the fuck?

Some sort of inside joke that they actually put on their website?
 
My cables are perfect just the way they are but also what the fuck?

Some sort of inside joke that they actually put on their website?
early april fools i think haha. they listed a bunch of new gear:




 
Reminds me of the "Lirpa Labs" product gags that Audio magazine used to do every April!

 
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I had asked questions a while back about best way to share a digital library to my stereo system without having to network share through my PC (ie didn't want to have to always have PC on).

Here's where landed and it's worked out great...

A Synology DS120j Diskstation. It's only one bay and low RAM but I'm literally using it only to access a music library. No photos.
I might set up a Plex Server with it for movie library but thats not it's primary function for me. Not using it as a back up. So it fits my needs. It did take a while to transfer my 240GB digital music library onto it and I'm sure its specs fed into the time but all and all it was pretty stress free and easy. It has a small footprint and one fan that hardly makes a peepe. For $120 plus the price of a 2TB HDD, it was a no-brainer.

Bluesound Node. I have it sitting on top of my Marantz SA-KI Ruby and I'm bypassing its DAC, and using the Marantz via the coaxial digital on. Works without a hiccup. Got it for $60 off on a Crutchfield scratch n dent. Still trying to find a scratch or dent. Superb condition. Plus, it is now tucked away and I don't touch it. Everything goes through the app - nothing much to say there. It's an app. Works fine and serves its purpose. Messed around a little using the Node Bluetooth and streaming features but neither of those I really care about. For sending my digital library to my stereo system, this works great.
 
@Mather have you tried this yet on your fancy cables??
Only in my home state Colorado. 🫣
 
Okay fancy dudes, here's the assignment: a single mother on a very limited budget has an 11-year-old daughter who wants to get into vinyl. They need recommendations for a beginner setup. Decent, upgradable, but very very entry level for now. The 11-year-old is hardly an audiophile (yet). And she has two younger sisters, so nothing can be too precious and fragile and expensive. They are able to save for the right things, but it'd be nice to be able to put it together this summer instead of like a year from now.

I am way too out of the loop right now to give any decent recommendations, so I turn to you.
 
Okay fancy dudes, here's the assignment: a single mother on a very limited budget has an 11-year-old daughter who wants to get into vinyl. They need recommendations for a beginner setup. Decent, upgradable, but very very entry level for now. The 11-year-old is hardly an audiophile (yet). And she has two younger sisters, so nothing can be too precious and fragile and expensive. They are able to save for the right things, but it'd be nice to be able to put it together this summer instead of like a year from now.

I am way too out of the loop right now to give any decent recommendations, so I turn to you.
Depends on the price, but at the bottom of the price chain I'd say the AT60 or 120 would be the cheapest I'd go with. Probably a basic U-Turn after that, next level up. Both are upgradeable and can be pretty plug and play.
 
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Okay fancy dudes, here's the assignment: a single mother on a very limited budget has an 11-year-old daughter who wants to get into vinyl. They need recommendations for a beginner setup. Decent, upgradable, but very very entry level for now. The 11-year-old is hardly an audiophile (yet). And she has two younger sisters, so nothing can be too precious and fragile and expensive. They are able to save for the right things, but it'd be nice to be able to put it together this summer instead of like a year from now.

I am way too out of the loop right now to give any decent recommendations, so I turn to you.
i have no experience with it myself, but I know Kevin Gray talked about this turntable recently in an interview--he got it for his kid.


they also have it in black. and there's a coupon code for $25 off $200+ at the moment: SAVE25 and free shipping.

Others more knowledgable than I would know the drawbacks of this model vs something like the AT or the basic uTurn model.

here's a review too:
 
i have no experience with it myself, but I know Kevin Gray talked about this turntable recently in an interview--he got it for his kid.


they also have it in black. and there's a coupon code for $25 off $200+ at the moment: SAVE25 and free shipping.

Others more knowledgable than I would know the drawbacks of this model vs something like the AT or the basic uTurn model.

here's a review too:

I’ve heard very good things about this as an entry level table!
 
Okay fancy dudes, here's the assignment: a single mother on a very limited budget has an 11-year-old daughter who wants to get into vinyl. They need recommendations for a beginner setup. Decent, upgradable, but very very entry level for now. The 11-year-old is hardly an audiophile (yet). And she has two younger sisters, so nothing can be too precious and fragile and expensive. They are able to save for the right things, but it'd be nice to be able to put it together this summer instead of like a year from now.

I am way too out of the loop right now to give any decent recommendations, so I turn to you.
If you want something new probably a AT120 if you are looking for upgradability. The AT60 is a cheaper option for sure but has no counterweight so their isn’t much room for improvement unfortunately.

I would say it’s probably depends on how you want to approach it. You could go with the AT60, see how she fares with that, if she takes to vinyl then you could work with her to upgrade to a more adult system later and then pass the AT60 on to her sister. If you think she is already to the point of wanting a real upgradable component stereo you could start her of with an AT120 and move up from there. The AT120 is built like a tank and isn’t super delicate. It’s also a Direct Drive so you don’t have to fuck about with changing belts and shit like that. Switch between a 45 and 33 with the push of a button.

The other option would be to go the second hand/vintage route. Which if the turntable is decently cared for you can get an older Japan made Technics or Pioneer system for a fraction of the cost that can out perform many of the entry level new turntables of today. It would likely take a little of extra effort to go that route but sometimes the hunt is part of the fun.
 
Can't believe no one has mentioned the Fluance RT81 yet. Good start point and has a upgrade path with a acrylic platter. It has an okay internal preamp in it, but can be bypassed later if a phono preamp is added. Also, having a headshell design would be a lot easier to replace and upgrade the cartridge down the line. Especially, for someone just getting into the hobby.

 
Depends on the price, but at the bottom of the price chain I'd say the AT60 or 120 would be the cheapest I'd go with. Probably a basic U-Turn after that, next level up. Both are upgradeable and can be pretty plug and play.
Okay, that's all the stuff I'm familiar with. I just wasn't sure if there was something new. I'd guess a couple hundred bucks is reasonable for them, and sturdier is probably good for a house with a 5-year-old.
That’s so just @Mather, the rest of us are just dudes that like fancy stuff 😂

I agree with @wmeugene
Hahaha, I mean I read this page starting with @David A and then @Mather, so yeah fancy dudes was what struck me 😂
If you want something new probably a AT120 if you are looking for upgradability. The AT60 is a cheaper option for sure but has no counterweight so their isn’t much room for improvement unfortunately.

I would say it’s probably depends on how you want to approach it. You could go with the AT60, see how she fares with that, if she takes to vinyl then you could work with her to upgrade to a more adult system later and then pass the AT60 on to her sister. If you think she is already to the point of wanting a real upgradable component stereo you could start her of with an AT120 and move up from there. The AT120 is built like a tank and isn’t super delicate. It’s also a Direct Drive so you don’t have to fuck about with changing belts and shit like that. Switch between a 45 and 33 with the push of a button.

The other option would be to go the second hand/vintage route. Which if the turntable is decently cared for you can get an older Japan made Technics or Pioneer system for a fraction of the cost that can out perform many of the entry level new turntables of today. It would likely take a little of extra effort to go that route but sometimes the hunt is part of the fun.
Single mom with three kids and ADHD, probably isn't going to go that research vintage route. But I will mention it in case her ADHD daughter wants to dive into research. It's always possible.
Can't believe no one has mentioned the Fluance RT81 yet. Good start point and has a upgrade path with a acrylic platter. It has an okay internal preamp in it, but can be bypassed later if a phono preamp is added. Also, having a headshell design would be a lot easier to replace and upgrade the cartridge down the line. Especially, for someone just getting into the hobby.

I love that you brought it up! I have the RT85, and I love it, and always thought the 81 and 82 looked pretty good for entry.



Is there something better than an Onkyo for a versatile, inexpensive receiver? That was the name being thrown around a bajillion years ago when I got mine, but I don't know if somebody else has moved up into that generalist beginner bracket
 
Okay, that's all the stuff I'm familiar with. I just wasn't sure if there was something new. I'd guess a couple hundred bucks is reasonable for them, and sturdier is probably good for a house with a 5-year-old.

Hahaha, I mean I read this page starting with @David A and then @Mather, so yeah fancy dudes was what struck me 😂

Single mom with three kids and ADHD, probably isn't going to go that research vintage route. But I will mention it in case her ADHD daughter wants to dive into research. It's always possible.

I love that you brought it up! I have the RT85, and I love it, and always thought the 81 and 82 looked pretty good for entry.



Is there something better than an Onkyo for a versatile, inexpensive receiver? That was the name being thrown around a bajillion years ago when I got mine, but I don't know if somebody else has moved up into that generalist beginner bracket
New budget receivers sub $500 can be slim pickings.

Some other ones to look at would be the Yamaha A-S301 ($350) or my favorite budget integrated amp, the NAD C 316BEE ($480).

Amazon product ASIN B00MXUCN0A
 
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