buying my first setup. but clueless

you will need an amp too and speaker cables

it can be done for that budget 2nd hand

Thanks. Any tips on which amp/ speakers. This is only for home listening by the way

How much is TT costing? 

With your budget, and allowing £150 for the tt, you could get something like this:

http://www.richersounds.com/package/system-savers/hi-fi-system-deals/pah01857

If you don't want a CD player then you have enough to get a better amp or speakers, or some decent stands and cables.

Oh, plus a phono preamp for £70, like the Cambridge 551P.

Oh, plus a phono preamp for £70, like the Cambridge 551P.

Thanks a lot guys this has been really helpful

Firstly check a rather well known auction site, if you're in no rush you could find a better ProJect, or even a Rega, TT for about the same price. You could combine the phono pre amp and amp in something like a Matantz PM6004 (£240 ATM). That takes us to about £400, but possibly a bit less. Mission MX1s are about £100, as are Tannot V1s, but I'd you look on deals and clearance sections of hi if and av stores you might find some good deals in your local area. You could then add a CD player after (CD6004?). But you might be a little over after the speaker wire and interconnect. 

hi there,

i'm in a similar position to the OP. i have a marantz pm-44SE mk2 amp and mission 761iSE speakers, but i'm COMPLETELY ignorant about turntables. i've had my current setup happily hooked up to a marantz cd player, denon tuner and aiwa double tape deck (remember them?) for more than 20 years, but have only just decided to buy a turntable...yes, really!

anyway, putting my mid-life crisis to one side, could anyone recommend a turntable that will complement my existing setup? i'm looking for something easy to set up and to use (with a young family i don't have the time to read up on how to set up and maintain a fussy turntable). also due to the young, and expensive (and unplanned family), i'm on a budget, ideally c. £200, but if i have to spend more than i could be a little flexible. my budget would have to include the turntable and any accessories required.

should i go for a new system or second hand? having a quick read around, it seems that second hand direct drive japanese units are well regarded, like the technics SL-7. is there anything that i need to watch out for or consider when buying second hand, like will these old 80s units connect straight to my amp without expensive adaptors? how about cartridges or styluses?

appreciate any advice you can give. thanks.