Gemini XL 500 II - Turntable Review

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(More customer reviews)I disagree with the review of the XL 500II below. He's right they are not Technics, however for the price these decks are well worth it. They make the perfect started decks. They are direct drive so they have a decent amount of torque. The pitch control is excellent. Once you get your beats matched you could walk away make a phone call and then come back and the mix will still be right on. The tone arm can be a bit touchy when cueing, however as long as you have a decent set of stylus's {ortofon,higher end stanton or numark} you should have no problem. Now the decks faults. These decks are not for scratching or heavy duty turntablism. So if that is your thing then I'd invest in something a little more advanced. Also the decks have these pitch bend buttons. Which I found to be completely useless. So to recap. These turntables are excellent units to learn how to match beats. They are great for mixing house,trance,techno,breaks,dnb,and even hip hop as long as you don't plan to scratch like DJ Craze former DMC scratch champion. And once you build your skills, you can upgrade to something more advanced. Happy mixing.Gemini XL 500 II - Turntable

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Grado Prestige Black P Mount Turntable Phono Cartridge Review

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(More customer reviews)I saw this recommended for use with the Panasonic Technics SLBD20D Semi Automatic Turntable, but it cannot be used with that turntable due to a pronounced hum, even with the ground wire attached. This may be a good cartridge with a different turntable, one with a shielded or distant motor, but not with the SLBD20D. In fact, a brief Google search after I tried to use this cartridge with this turntable produced many references to "the infamous Grado hum" - so perhaps it has this problem with other turntables as well. This problem should surely be mentioned.

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AT-LP240-USB Record Turntable Review

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(More customer reviews)I have few egg-crateful of LP's and 3 feet worth of 45's that I have sporadically listened to on an Old Marantz direct drive turntable. It has an Ortofon OM10 cartridge. I have been happy with the setup for some time but decided it was time to upgrade. I bought an Audio Technica 440mla from Amazon.com and it did change the sound definition and clarity. But I wanted more.
I always coveted a Technics 1200 but didn't want to spend $1000 for a turntable. That's when I saw Audio-Technica AT-LP240-USB and liked the look of it. It had a perfect mix of "old" style and modern look. The frustrating part was that I couldn't find too many detailed reviews online. I have been shopping online for over 10 years but never wrote a review. I was compelled to write one for this turntable.
Delivery : 36 pounds. `Nuff said
Packaging: It is one of the best packed item that I have ever bought. Audio Technica made sure nothing rattles during shipping. Everything is packed in its own "compartment" and is secure.
Setting up: Took me about 45 minutes to set it up and mount the 440mla cartridge. I used Shure SFG-2 Stylus Tracking Force Gauge to confirm the setting at tracking force of 1.4.
Appearance: I loved the looks and the feel of each part even before I put them together. The final product with the speed strobe light and s-shaped tonearm was just beautiful. Overall, it has very stable and solid look to it. The piano finish looks incredible.
Sound: Believe... My AT 440mla sounded good but was very harsh on my Marantz turntable. The highs sounded distorted like they were and pancaked together. I even thought some my records were WORN OUT. After I changed to Audio-Technica AT-LP240, I am a believer. The highs came through as crisp and defined. The bass was solid and not muddled. I didn't think a turntable could make such a difference in sound but it DID.
Cons: There is no dedicated place to put the 45 adapter.
I think Audio Technica should have left out the pre-amp and USB function on this model. It cheapens the experience. When I was comparing turntables online, the fact that it had those functions made it sound like a low end model. Listening to vinyl is an experience in itself. Hooking it up via USB doesn't do justice.
My setup:
Polk Audio speakers: Lsi15, LsiC, LsiF/X, DSW micro PRO 3000
Receiver: Denon 3310Ci
Power amp: Emotiva XPA-5
DVD/CD player: Oppo BDP-93
I tried Music Hall MMF-2.2 and Denon DP-300F but returned both. I feel AT-LP240 sounds and look much better.


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AUDIO TECHNICA Universal Mount Phono / Turntable Cartridge Review

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(More customer reviews)A friend of mine who is a recording engineer recommended I get this one to go with a Technics turntable (sl-5 linear tracking, p mount only) rather than the Shure someone had put on it. I was hesitant because of the lack of reviews online and the price point. I thought it was too cheap to be really good. I have to say its the best thing I could've gotten. My main musical interest is rock, and some of it gets really hard and heavy. This cartridge makes music really come alive. The bass is full, without overpowering, all of the musical details are crisp and clean. Its dynamic, warm, spacious, vibrant! I haven't felt vinyl in a long time. I could totally feel it with this. I just can't believe that its so underrated. Well, maybe that keeps it nice and affordable.

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Pioneer PL-990 2-Speed Full Auto Type Fully Automatic Turntable Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)When you're comparing turntables on the lower end of the spectrum, such as the Pioneer PL-990, it's very difficult to really find audible fault with these players. One is more apt to find personal faults in the players rather than in the performance, and such is the case here.
I have owned low end Sony, Technics, Audio Technica players in this price range. The Pioneer is the best looking players of all the lower end models. It features speed control, arm control, 45 play capability, fully automatic, just about everything you want in a player. I'm surprised the speed control is included in this price.
The sound of the player is nothing short of great, and not having played LPs for awhile made my old LPs come to life instantly.
My personal gripe with the player is that it doesn't allow you to hook into your existing PHONO jacks ( if you have them ) on your receiver. It has a built-in pre-amp and it won't allow you to bypass. I have a PHONO jack, and would have liked the option to choose to by-pass the pre-amp, like the Sony does. Luckily, I had some open jacks and I had sound instantly. The player would have received a 5-star rating if it weren't for this small inconvenience.
Other than that minor gripe, this is one snazzy looking player, and at this price, it will be hard to beat. The classy look of this player, plus all of the features will make a great addition to your existing system.

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2-speed, fully automatic stereo turntable with phono EQ and moving magnet cartridge included

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Audio-Technica AT-PL120 Professional Direct-Drive Turntable Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I stopped listening to LPs as most folks did when CD players hit the mass market. Convenience was the name of the game, particularly the ease of listening to music on the road. But what a tremendous difference in sound vinyl really provides! I chose the AT-PL120 after several hours of research on the web over a couple of days. I first considered spending the least amount of money and considered the entry-level model AT-PL50. I talked to an audiophile shop and while the shop thought it was a good entry-level model, they advised me to consider the next step up because it was well worth the investment in terms of sound quality and equipment durability. Upon close inspection at a local electronic store, the AT-PL50 looked really cheap. I decided to spend more money and get decent quality. I considered the AT-APL120 and the Music Hall MMF2.1, which has pretty decent reviews. The difference came down to saving $50 or so and decided to try the Audio Tecnica. I must admit, the sound is impressive and the built quality of the turntable is really good. Besides the DJ features, which I really do not care about, it has several bells and whistles that makes it very professional looking. I am using a pair of B&W bookshelf and a Yamaha RX-777, perhaps one of the few available stereos for music listening you can still get. The combination works well, but no doubt the vinyl sounds much better than a well-recorded CD. The AT-PL120 makes the sound really come alive! If you still have your old records and invested in taking good care of them, spend a few bucks and get this turntable. If I ever decide to burn a few LPs to play them in my car, it also has the built in amp. All in all, after two days of playing LPs on this turntable, I am very satisfied. The AT-PL120 comes pretty well boxed too. Too bad that Amazon packed it in a big but soft box, which was open on one side when UPS delivered. If it wasn't for the Audio Tecnica box, I would have refused the shipment. Luckily it all works like it is supposed to.

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Audio-Technica's AT-LP120 direct-drive, high-torque professional turntable is perfect for DJs and other music enthusiasts, especially in an era that many would call "postvinyl," when it's no longer the norm for audio/video receivers or even integrated amplifiers to offer a dedicated phono input. A selectable internal stereo phono preamplifier lets you plug the turntable directly into any line-level input, even your PC's (when used with a stereo RCA to minijack "Y" adapter cable, not included). Alternately, you can use the player's phono output and an outboard, higher-quality phono preamplifier for even better sound quality.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP120 professional turntable (see larger image).

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Technics SL-BD22 Stereo Audio Turntable Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Operation of this turntable is smooth with regards to accurate pitch and speed adjustment and the auto-return tone arm mechanism is flawless.
However, the downfall of this Technics turntable is an annoying audible static -like intermittent noise heard on quiet passages of music. I made absolute sure the ground wire was well secured and I even tested this 'table on another stereo system and still the annoying noise was present. Apparently, it may be something inherent in between the belt-motor and the output wiring. I tested another Technics table of the same model number and, yup, you guessed it...that same noise is there. It could have something to do with a design flaw or something that is just inherent with a non-direct drive frequency generated turntable...On a consumer electronics web-site another owner/reviewer of the SL-BD22 had the same exact problem ! So, it could be very much a problematic theme with regards to the designing of the table motor mechanism.
After this experience, I upgraded to the Technics SL-1200M3D. WOW ! A major world of difference. It didn't come cheap but the quality and durability is something to behold and so what if it's not an automatic (one less thing to break down) !
The SL-BD22 is basically a no frills 'table and will play records nicely. BUT, if yours comes with a static or humming sound no matter how much adjusting you do, it's a possibility it could be that design flaw...

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