Stanton Turntables

[meestercleef]

Stanton makes direct-drive DJ turntables that have a straight tonearm, no skating adjustment, no height adjustment. Does anyone have an opinion re whether or not these would make decent home turntables? I like the idea of low maintenance, but not at the expense of decent sound.

[phuz]

They're good decks. What do you mean by decent? I think the turntables you are looking at are made for pro audio or DJ use, which means (IMHO) that they would be more than optimal for home use.

[madmax]

I would assume the pro/DJ style of turntables probably offer little as far as quality. They are built to take a beating, not for quality of sound. I also assume they have little isolation between the motor and platter. I don't know much about this subject so take it with a grain of salt.
madmax

[meestercleef]

By decent, I mean that if I'm at home, sober, not interested in hearing scratching/backwards play, & my attn is focused on the sound of 180-gram vinyl, rather than what's going on at the party, will it still sound good? I'm not putting down the Stanton, but I thought that perhaps the reason it doesn't have those adjustments is that it it designed for a different purpose--withstanding the rigors of club use. The Technics 1200 series has all the adjustments and the DJ features, but costs several hundred dollars more than the cheapest Stanton. I thought that perhaps the Technics has the DJ features AND the adjustments because it is for both home and DJ use, whereas I am afraid that the Stantons don't have the adjustments because they are only for DJ use. There are several belt-drive turntables with good reps (such as the lower-priced versions of Music Hall & Sumiko Project) that cost less than the Technics 1200, but I'm lazy, I'm spoiled by digital, & so I'm hoping to get a direct drive table that doesn't require much effing with. I've read some stuff in Stereophile that makes it sound like I need the Army Corps of Engineers to come out & adjust my turntable once a month if I want everything to be "just right", & I'm not sure if I really want to get back into vinyl if I spend more time adjusting azimuth (?) than I do listening to music.

[phuz]

Ok first of all the Technics 1200/1210 is still the industry standard as far as pro turntables go, and believe it or not 80% of DJ's don't scratch except when cueing. You will not find a stanton turntable at a club/pro installation, and most likely any DJ will have the Technics written into his contract.

Pro DJ turntables - although meant for more than sound quality - are still excellent turntables when it comes to sound quality IMO. Any club owner/event promoter is almost as picky about their sound as any audio buff.

I don't know a whole lot about the subject either, at least in the context of high end turntables. I have lots of experience with the turntables that you have mentioned, and if I was making the choice I'd go with the Technics. They need little or no maintenance, will last a hundred years or more, and have the built in features for 'home use'. They practically effen bulletproof - and in my 7 or so years of experience of setting them up, listening to them, tweaking out pro audio gear with them, and playing on them - they sound awesome.

Then again... I've never heard anything other than turntables that are intended for pro use, so maybe a demo is in order.

[meestercleef]

Thanks for the feedback!

[Paul Connor]

meestercleef,

Check this out.

http://www.rega.co.uk/index2.htm

Stanton and Techniques make a good product but for home stereo and price you can't beat Rega tables. They are simple, durable, and come from an excellent British company. And by the way, they sound great. No bells and whistles, just an excellent, simple and well built product. You can choose from their entry P2 model which is very reasonably price and go up from there. Rega tonearms are some of the best made. Well worth the time of a demo. Hope this is useful. Paul

[meestercleef]

Again, thanks for replies. I failed to consider the cost of good needle & cartridge, so unless it comes w/a good needle & cartridge, my turntable price range is a little lower than I thought. Anyway, this is not urgent, & I will take everyone's replies into consideration.