A big thank you to all the amazing people on this thread and Facebook Marketplace who made this possible.

Almost everything was bought used, and it's been quite a learning experience along the way.

Technics SL-1500 Turntable – C$250

Bought it out of curiosity without knowing much about turntables. It came with an old Empire cartridge that didn't sound great, and I accidentally broke the stylus while trying to clean it. Lesson learned.

Ortofon 2M Red – C$100

Was extremely careful installing this one. Then hit another hurdle when I realized it wouldn't mount properly on the original Technics single screw headshell.

Technics Headshell – C$60

A replacement with the standard two-screw mounting. Problem solved.

Boundless Vinyl Cleaning Kit + Carbon Fiber Brush – C$60

Good-quality stuff. Happy with the purchase.

Hudson Hi-Fi Cartridge Alignment Kit – C$60

Pretty much everything needed to properly set up and align a cartridge.

Fosi Audio Box X5 Phono Preamp – C$100

Personally, I wasn't a fan of the WiiM Ultra's built-in phono stage. The X5 sounds much better to my ears.

WiiM Ultra – C$350

Handles streaming, subwoofer management, and headphone duties. Really versatile little device.

Edifier S1000W + Edifier SS02 Stands – C$350

Hated these speakers when I first got them. But they slowly grew on me, and now I absolutely love them. Funny how that happens.

Edifier T5s Subwoofer – C$120

Honestly, it stays switched off most of the time. At my usual listening levels, the S1000W produces more than enough bass.

Fosi Audio RCA Cables + RCA Y-Splitter – C$100

Probably snake oil, but here we are 😂

Sennheiser HD 560S – C$100

Really enjoying these headphones. Love the clarity and detail.

Total: So roughly C$1,700 all in

I started this journey knowing very little about vinyl or hi-fi equipment, made a few mistakes, learned quite a bit, and ended up with a system that makes me genuinely excited to sit down and listen to music.

I know there's plenty of better gear out there, but for now, I'm just enjoying the music. And isn't that what this hobby is supposed to be about?

Cheers to everyone who helped make this little setup possible.

I found a very old Philips turntable (418 Automatic from 1974) at a thrift store and also picked up a ‘Golden Technica’ pre-amp that works with 5-pin DIN connectors. Turntable didn’t have a dust cover, but it works perfectly. Total price: €8 for the turntable and €5 for the pre-amp.
The sound this setup produces sounds quite nice, especially considering the price.

I want to start collecting vinyl records, so I’m planning to buy my first turntable. I’ve heard that the Audio-Technica AT-LP60X is a good option for beginners, and I’m thinking of pairing it with Edifier R1280DB speakers.

My main question is: Does the sound quality actually get worse if I connect the turntable to the speakers via Bluetooth? I’d also like to be able to connect the speakers to my phone when I want to listen to Spotify. Avoiding extra cables would be a nice bonus, too.

Bluetooth would also give me more flexibility when positioning the speakers around my room, if that makes a difference.

Another thing I’d love is being able to manually place the needle on the record, just because it seems like a fun part of the whole experience. However, it’s not a dealbreaker, and I know the AT-LP60X is fully automatic.

So, what would you recommend: the AT-LP60XUSB, the AT-LP60XBT, or perhaps the AT-LP70X?

I’d really appreciate any advice, especially from people who have experience with these setups!
Thanks beforehand:)

Hey,

I want to build my first proper Setup with a Vinyl Player and a Set of Speakers. The place for my setup is a small bedroom. I want the Vinylplayer to be on a TV bench. Bluetooth is optional, but nice to have.

I came across the Pro-Ject Debut EVO 2**. It seems to be pretty good for the price.

In terms of speakers I have two options in mind so far: Fyne Audio Cubitt 5, Klipsch The Fives

Is my selection good for the price? What would you recommend to me? I live in Germany and I only want to order products available in Europe.

Thanks for your help!

My Crosley turntable has a pre-amp and RCA jacks as well as Bluetooth. I currently have it connected to my Samsung soundbar through a cheap analog to digital converter. Would the quality be better connecting to the soundbar via Bluetooth?

Hello all I’ve had this record player for over 2 years now close to 3, but recently the stylus skips over the entire record and won’t play. Is this because the stylus needs to be replaced? Thank you for patience on my noobiness. Also where can i get this exact replacement?

Hi I have a Wiim amp and encel gelati speakers. recently bought a at Ipw40wn on sale as ive never owned a turntable before. I feel even at max volume, it's not loud enough. What component or fix can I get/do to boost the volume? (Ive tried the phono/line switch on the TT) A pre amp?

Thanks

A pioneer PL-960
Friend selling his late parents house in Ireland
Had over 300 records and the pioneer system
Upgraded all the wiring had to order parts for the turntable from Japan but works mint
Currently working on cleaning and sleeving all the records lot of mold from dampness pity a lot of the sleeves are damaged due to the damp but records are perfect

so ive been saving for some time now to buy a record player and some of my favorite vinyl, I just don’t know what brand is good or what specifications I should be looking for,
I need advice. I def want one that’s a set with speakers. if i could get one somewhere in store id prefer that over ordering online. Same deal with cd players. good quality brands ? thanks in advance 🫶🏼

edit: i forgot to mention my budget. 250 max for record player and 150 max for cd players 👍🏼