I recently got a new one myself and couldn't be happier with it. All of the turntables I've had have had some horrible flaw to them (mildest is that I couldn't bring it with me when I left home, worst was that one of the wires on a fixed headshell broke) except for this (got it customized with most of the bells and whistles), which cost several hundred less than my fanciest. My dream table is a VPI Prime Scout but I'll never be able to afford it and it's probably not all that much better than a lower-end one, anyway, certainly not five to ten times better. Plus you can't replace the stylus on most of the fancy cartridges so you have to keep busting out another thousand to get new ones.
Couldn't you have just bought a new belt, assuming the manufacturer was still in business? Not that you'd necessarily want to. I guess the problem might go beyond just a worn belt, especially if it's a decade old.
Do any of the record stores near you sell used vinyl as well as the new stuff? Fifteen years ago you used to be able to rummage through thrift-shop bins finding treasures for cheap, and the $1/$3 bins (or equivalent) bring that feeling back. It's so cheap that you can take some chances, too. There's also Discogs but if you're not careful you can burn through your whole bank account on that app.
In any event you got one of the better mid-range tables. Enjoy it!
Responses