Heartland

Due to not being able to afford something decent I settled for a very cheap turntable from ebay (£10 inc p&p). Unfortunately it sounds truly awful AND it skips constantly, even on brand new and unmarked records.

Does anyone know if getting a better stylus will help mitigate this?

1: Check your turntable is properly level with a spirit level.
2: Make sure your turntable isn't affected by vibration.
3: Adjust the balance on the tone arm. (If you can't do that, try weighing the cartridge end down with a 5p piece.)

If it sounds awful it might be that the needle is worn or chipped, you definitely need to replace it if that's the case. It could damage your records.

What do you expect for 10 quid?

What was your budget?

You can pick up bl00dy good turntables for not too much these days
http://www.whathifi.com/Review/Pro-Ject-Essential/

Maisey wrote: Unfortunately it sounds truly awful

But that's not the turntable's fault, I should imagine the sound problem is down to the £7.50 amp you've got

Unless of course you've bought a Dancette (which I doubt seeing as you paid only a tenner) or an all in one jobbie then, as you say, the sound is truly awful.

This brings me neatly to my dilema - I've just been to the old house to empty it a bit more (I have a very understanding friend living there) and brought back some of my old vinyl. Seeing as I haven't played it for as long as it's been in the attic (prolly 20 years) should I just ditch it or ask Maisey if he knows of a cheap turntable he wants to unload?

You're a minx and no mistake!

I once bought a turntable where the needle was fixed into the plastic of the arm.
it was the coolest thing you ever saw, And it was broken.
never manage to play anything with it

Debaser wrote: This brings me neatly to my dilema - I've just been to the old house to empty it a bit more (I have a very understanding friend living there) and brought back some of my old vinyl. Seeing as I haven't played it for as long as it's been in the attic (prolly 20 years) should I just ditch it or ask Maisey if he knows of a cheap turntable he wants to unload?

You can have it if you want. Although its not worth the pain of hearing what it does to your records. I can't even return it because it would cost more to post back than it cost to buy!

It's got a built in amp and speakers (yes its that rubbish) but I thought I'd get around this problem up using the line out to jack into into my CD player and excellent quality monitors. No use, still sounds awful

Sounds like it's a knock-off job with one of those ghastly old ceramic cartridges, in which case it's definitely beyond redemption I'm afeared. Might just be the case that the stylus is knackered and you need to replace it either (always advisable with second-hand anyway).

A cheap-but-still-decent TT should definitely not cost an arm and a leg these days. Just make sure that it's got a moving-magnet cartridge (a more general electrical shop will probably call it "magnetic") and has a built-in pre-amp.

Maisey wrote:It's got a built in amp and speakers

I see the problem

James Blast wrote:

Maisey wrote:It's got a built in amp and speakers

I see the problem

Ahhhhh Amstrad

Get yourself down to Richer Sounds Maisey you'll probably be able to get a really good turntable for less than £50.

Even in "the most expensive country in the world" where I live one can easily find vintage Technics models with quartz lock for £20-30. Of course there is a good chance the stylus (and possibly the cartridge as well) has to be replaced.

markfiend wrote:Get yourself down to Richer Sounds Maisey you'll probably be able to get a really good turntable for less than £50.

Where's that?

Maisey wrote:

markfiend wrote:Get yourself down to Richer Sounds Maisey you'll probably be able to get a really good turntable for less than £50.

Where's that?

Top of Vicar Lane: http://tinyurl.com/26ved2y

Cheers Fiendy, will do just that.

They sorted out all my hifi needs. Friendly staff and they're not high pressure sales-people.

It sounds like I work for them but I don't honest!

Mmmmmmmmm, Richer Sounds - big fan, I'll second Seemple's emotion. Bought my first proper hi-fi gear from them (well, it was really mid-fi), very happy with the service and the gear. They have a website, too.

Mr Julian Richer has ensconced himself firmly in the Debaser household. I have oft been dragged to the less salubrious ends of major cities to pootle round his shops.

Used to give out free umbrellas (if it was raining of course) to customers

Like someone already mentioned if you scour ebay enough you should be able to get a great oldskool Technics one for not a huge deal of money...I scored a refurbished/ upgraded and fantastic condition SL-1500 for around £100 (you could potentially do the same for less, no point getting a "new" one if this is the case), and as anyone with half a brain cell will be able tell you any of the old Technics models are THE s**t for spinning yer plates on...old Pioneer decks are well worth looking at too, as well as a few other makes I can't quite think of at the moment... that Project one from richer sounds is pretty tasty too.

Debaser wrote:Used to give out free umbrellas (if it was raining of course) to customers

So they did, I had forgotten that.

Clas Ohlson have started knocking out new, cheap turntables, I see from their catalogue.

I guess part of the problem is I don't really know what I'm looking for (make/model etc).

I don't have too much cash, so something not much more than the £50 mark would be ideal. No desire for it to be USB or MP3 or whatever, just something that won't break, even after a few years of daily usage and will reproduce sounds nicely (i.e. at least sound better than a CD played through the same speakers). I realise that's asking a lot for the budget I'm on!

Maisey wrote:I guess part of the problem is I don't really know what I'm looking for (make/model etc).

Project seem to be produce the pick of the budget crop these days. Before them, it was Rega. I've got an old Rega Planar 2 dating from early/mid 80s. I got it over 12 years ago I reckon it'll keep going for another 25 years at least. The sound from it beats the crap out of many of my CDs.

Andrew S wrote: I've got an old Rega Planar 2 dating from early/mid 80s.

I always coveted a 'pink triangle' myself