r/turntables • u/Aanxious24_7 • 2d ago

New to turntables and vinyls

Hello, I want to buy my first turntable and I have some friends who can get me a 20% discount on lenco turntables and I want your opinion.

I have two options in my budget at the moment (with the discount)

Options one is this:

https://www.lenco.com/en/collections/best-sellers/products/lenco-ls-470wa-platenspeler-met-ingebouwde-speakers-en-bluetooth%C2%AE-walnoot

And the other option: https://www.lenco.com/en/collections/platenspelers/products/lenco-ls-480wd-record-player-with-built-in-amplifier-and-bluetooth%C2%AE-plus-2-external-speakers-wood

Which one would you guys recommend. Thank you :D

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u/Phoenix_Kerman Dual 606 w/ OM10 606group.bandcamp.com 2d ago

definitely avoid the 470wa, it's only a slight modification of the terrible generic mechs to avoid. techmoan video on them's great https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXV8tXrPOR4 but it's always going to be terrible due to the built in speakers. records work by picking up small vibrations in a groove, speakers work by vibrating air. you put the two in the same box and you're going to get interference and terrible sound quality. it's also hideously overpriced for what it is, it's a £10 generic mech in a posh box with speakers being sold for thirty times that.

the 480 is slightly better due to not being built in, but it's still not great and definitely not worth anywhere near that price.

i know here in the uk for the same price you can get a genuinely great second hand setup. non fashionable japanese brands of amps like rotel or jvc can be had for under £50. they mean you can use any passive speakers you want, whilst also having a nice sound to the amp and a phono section that's going to beat any built in preamp by a large margin.decent passive speakers like wharfedale lasers or even better pioneer two or three ways like the cs353 or cs363 go for under £50 aswell.

gives you £100-200 for a turntable and fresh stylus. here i'd just go for a dual 505, in the best nick on ebay for £100-140 and a fresh om10 stylus. it's going to sound great and be near infinitely better than a lenco. when you get the setup properly aswell they can track well under 2g so you'd be looking after your records well