First turntable.

[rushca01]

Looking to purchase my first turntable. Naturally I turned to several online dealers and audio classics. I bought my pre and amp from audio classics (c2300 MC402) and love them so far. It’s time to play with a turntable, looking at a used VPI Scout with 9” JMW arm from audio classics. It’s not breaking the bank and audio classics is such a pleasure to deal with. Thoughts on this table?

[W9TR]

First, your C 2300 has an excellent phono section so you are in great shape there.

The Scout/JMW9 is a very competent ‘table. You’ll be in good shape

More important than the table and arm is the cartridge, because that is what makes up 75% of the sound.

Stretch your budget to accommodate a higher end cartridge. I’ve heard good things about the Hana SL and the Ortofon 2M Black has a good reputation.

Happy hunting,

Tom

[rushca01]

Music direct has a VPI with 3D arm on sale..seems like a decent deal.

[The Lost Bears]

Setup is critical. If you don't know someone that can set the table up properly for you, I would consider buying locally from a dealer that will do the setup. A table can get jostled during shipping. So even if it is set up properly before shipping, there is no guarantee that it will arrive that way.

[Jdsmoke]

Some great advice from the posts above. Go local if you can, as set up makes a big difference. You might even be able to get a used one from a local dealer which would get you a better value. Most of the major manufacturers will suffice for your first table, but the cart will make a big difference. If your budget allows $600-900 is a nice price point for the cart. If not, there are some great package deals where you get everything for less then $1000.

[edkoz]

Originally Posted by W9TR

First, your C 2300 has an excellent phono section so you are in great shape there.

The Scout/JMW9 is a very competent ‘table. You’ll be in good shape

More important than the table and arm is the cartridge, because that is what makes up 75% of the sound.

Stretch your budget to accommodate a higher end cartridge. I’ve heard good things about the Hana SL and the Ortofon 2M Black has a good reputation.

Happy hunting,

Tom

Spot on advice
Ed

[Antonmb]

As Tom says, the cartridge can be the most important part. Setup is important as well, but if you don’t have access to a good dealer or someone who can help with setup, consider a Rega table - they’re solid and reliable performers, great bang for the buck, and almost foolproof when it comes to setup.