re: Record player recommendations?

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I'm thinking I'll try to buy things separately. As in, turntable (no preamp), standalone preamp, amplifier and passive speakers.

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Getting the best bang for the buck in audio is a holistic approach. Do you have an overall budget? Unless you have a healthy budget a separate pre-amp and amp probably doesn't make a lot of sense, an integrated amp is likely to get you more bang for the buck.

Also if you are starting ground up I suggest picking your speakers first. This will have an impact on what amplification you will want/need. Do you want streaming and/or a CD player or just a turntable as your front end?

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Any brands that one should avoid?

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If you are just talking about turntables every brand listed ITT which includes most of the usual suspects are solid. Because turntables like speakers have a large mechanical portion they tend to be farther from perfect than amps and preamps, as in they impart their own sound into the music. While you can choose the best objective measuring speakers like Genelec or Neumann active monitors because even they aren't perfect speakers are like choosing a flavor of icecream.


If you give me a little info to chew on I promise you I will write more than you ever want to read about the subject. Audio is one of the subjects I can talk about all day. If you get me going I will also pontificate about one of the most important parts of audio systems that is by far the most overlooked... room acoustics. Room acoustics are as important as the speaker choice and together they make up the VAST majority of the quality of reproduction. It just isn't as sexy as shiny new gear. Also beside budget it is also useful to know the primary genre(s) of music you listen to.