How much did your TT(s) cost?

[Gaviatrix]

Wasn't it Henry Royce who said "The quality remains long after the price is forgotten"?

I can't remember now what I paid for my Manticore Mantra TT when I bought it new in 1987, but I do remember that I couldn't really afford it (I'd been looking at a Dual or Rega originally) and so compromised on the speakers. I bought the TT fitted with an Alphason Opal arm and an Ortofon MM cartridge, along with an NVA AP20 amp and Castle Durham speakers on Heybrook HBS1 stands. After a couple of years I upgraded the speakers to the ones I'd wanted originally, which were Ruark Acoustics Sabre, and a bit later again upgraded the cartridge to an Audio Technica AT-F5OCC MC - and that was it.

The Manticore went into a box in 1992 when I emigrated to Australia and didn't see the light of day again until - wait for it - last week, when I bought a second hand Graham Slee Bridge and hooked it up to my current (mostly Cyrus) system. Plugged it in, pressed the green button and off it went, and it sounds great even after long storage. I need to have a fiddle with the tracking on the arm; but I think I'm about to carry on with a long-delayed vinyl journey that was always supposed to lead to an LP12 ....

This is my first post here, by the way - I found the site when looking for instructions for the Alphason arm so I could make the adjustments needed. So "Hello" to all of you vinyl afficionados out there!

[paul_rogers77]

My turntable has cost so far about £182

Ebay; local pick up AKAI AP100 turntable



This was stripped down to remove auto return mechanism, speed change arm mechanish, arm removed, new wiring, new on-off switch. New gromets for motor.

£5 = cost of turntable
all new wires and bits came from my spres box.



Veneer coverings were added, bearing cleaned and lubricated and the whole base and feet were removed to it to be mounted on vibrapods inside a custom made Rega plinth bought from ebay for £30.

Then a sound box was created from MDF and black covering. tunning holes were made and the box was lined with thin foam. Three old large rubber feet were fixed using bolts isolated with rubber gromets and tap washers. Finally some new but unused gold equipment spike were slide inside the feet.

Cost of these parts £40


Ebay supplied Rega RB-250 £87

New Shure MX97xe cartridge and stylus from the USA was £50



The plinth was filled and then a new armboard area cut-out, lined and isolated using acoustic foam.

[tassiemouse]

I bought a Thorens 321, Grace 707 arm from an Op Shop for $25 au dollars.

[ace420]

About a year ago I found, on the side of the road for garbage, a mint Dual 1019! Played it for a couple months then sold it to a local record store for $125.00.
My most recent TT is a Rega Planar 2 that I traded an amp for. I paid $80.00 for the amp (Marantz 1150D).

[Desertman123]

Audio Technica AT-PL50 (ear raep)-Amazon for 70$ and free shipping.
Kenwood KP-3021-eBay-Free, came broken (RCA lines ripped out, complained, replaced and got a smexy piece of 70s tech for free)

[Stratula]

Denon DP-62L cost me $499 back in 1985.

Anyone with an idea on where to purchase a replacement straight tonearm and a set of tonearm counter weights?

[ronjon1435]

Dual 1019 yard sale find, $10.00, near perfect cosmetic conditon, fantastic sound

[vdsvicky]

Hi all . I have Dual CS 522 with ortofon OM5E - it cost 115 USD for me , Dual CS 503 -1 with National EPS290C cartridge - cost 48 USD and Pioneer PL-516 with Shure M 75 D - cost 125 USD . Every tree turntables are sound great .

[steve65]

my current tt is a michell mycro that was my first ebay purchase on a buy it now in 2000 for £260 and it came with a fully converted origin live rb300; a bargain. (i can't believe what they fetch now) it has been run with an ortofon mc15 which i stil have (the original better sounding version) it was free and currently a denon dl304 also free. i used to work for both ortofon and denon in the 90's.
even more of a bargain was the garrard 401 that i bought from a coleague for £10 in 1991. he had it from new in the late 60's and had hardly used it; it having been in his loft for 10 years of more after a house move. i sold it this week after hanging on to it in a box in my loft for 10 years hoping to re-plinth it but i can't afford to do what i want to it so i sold it on ebay for a not inconsiderable £465

[Vulcan Viewer]

Brand new Pro-Ject Debut MK3 = £180, plus cork mat and optional 75g counterbalance = £25.

Well chuffed, because standard price for Debut is £220, but this one is ex-display, but I can't find anything wrong with it at all.

[thegoat]

I picked up a Thorens TD150 MK II for $30 last month, goes well with the Technics SL-1200 MK2 I got a couple of years ago for $100. Both are in real good nik, ready for modifying when I get some spare time and cash

[Jonti]

Do all of my shopping in Japan's junk shops. Some recent gems I've picked up:

Denon DP-40F ... 1,500 yen (£10/$15)

Pioneer PL-1100 ... 1,500 yen with a classic Miles Davis album left on the platter and included in the sale!

Yamaha YP-B4 ... 1,000 yen (£7/$10)

Technics SL-1600 ... 2,000 yen (£15/$20)

[synsei]

Dual CS506 with Ortofon OM10 - £22 (like new)

Thorens TD316, LINN LVX+, Audio Technica AT95e - £77

LP Gear HE stylus for AT95 - £48

Audio Technica AT110 - £7.50

Shure M95EDM - £11.50

AVON Audiomat - FREE'ish (came with Dual)

TOTAL = £166

All items bought from eBay...

[synsei]

My turntable has cost so far about £182

Ebay; local pick up AKAI AP100 turntable



This was stripped down to remove auto return mechanism, speed change arm mechanish, arm removed, new wiring, new on-off switch. New gromets for motor.

£5 = cost of turntable
all new wires and bits came from my spres box.



Veneer coverings were added, bearing cleaned and lubricated and the whole base and feet were removed to it to be mounted on vibrapods inside a custom made Rega plinth bought from ebay for £30.

Then a sound box was created from MDF and black covering. tunning holes were made and the box was lined with thin foam. Three old large rubber feet were fixed using bolts isolated with rubber gromets and tap washers. Finally some new but unused gold equipment spike were slide inside the feet.

Cost of these parts £40


Ebay supplied Rega RB-250 £87

New Shure MX97xe cartridge and stylus from the USA was £50



The plinth was filled and then a new armboard area cut-out, lined and isolated using acoustic foam.

Hi Paul,

I spotted an AP100 at my local recyclemart last week going for £5. At first glance I dismissed it and wandered past, but something made me return to check it out. I was surprised how weighty it was, and it seemed to be well built. I considered buying it but when I checked the arm for play it was pretty much shot.

I like what your doing to yours and I hope you'll keep us updated as to how it's progressing and ultimately, how it sounds when completed...