milney Posted September 14, 2012 Posted September 14, 2012 hi, im new to this sit and am looking for my first turntable... i have spotted this one on ebay http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/vintage-retro-Astor-record-player-and-radio-/170906820173?pt=AU_Electronics_Vintage_Electronics&hash=item27cad71e4d#ht_500wt_1413 i have been looking for a cabinet player so am pretty interested in it...just wondering if people have any info on astor? i understand they where also a record label but i cant find any other info about them, and any other thoughts about this player? and also in regards to the stylus and cart, if i would be able to replace with another model when the time comes, as i probably wont be able to find the exact model replacement. cheers, mitch
Batty Posted September 14, 2012 Posted September 14, 2012 Looks like it has a Monarch TT fitted, can't help sorry
danter Posted September 14, 2012 Posted September 14, 2012 If you are looking for sound quality, probably not the best way to go. If a cabinet set-up is what you really want though, I'd suggest finding a cabinet you like and then install a decent turntable and speaker drivers. Bit more work, but a better result. Even better, find a decent cabinet without speakers, drop in an amp & TT and add a decent pair of vintage speakers such as KEF or the like. They can then be better positioned to provide a better soundstage.
Warren M. Posted September 15, 2012 Posted September 15, 2012 hi, im new to this sit and am looking for my first turntable... i have spotted this one on ebay http://www.ebay.com....d#ht_500wt_1413 i have been looking for a cabinet player so am pretty interested in it...just wondering if people have any info on astor? i understand they where also a record label but i cant find any other info about them, and any other thoughts about this player? and also in regards to the stylus and cart, if i would be able to replace with another model when the time comes, as i probably wont be able to find the exact model replacement. cheers, mitch Hi Mitch. That is not the right way to start. If you already have a sound system of some type that you want to use, it needs to support a turntable (you would require a "phono" input (2 "RCA" jacks specifically designated "phono" or "RIAA" or "MM" or "turntable"). If not, you need a "phono preamp". The cheapest of these can be found on the web for about $50 delivered, and, just like other hi-fi, esoteric units can cost thousands of dollars. Mine cost me about $1500 which is on the expensive side. Back to the turntable: Visit 2nd-hand pages of trusted hi-fi traders such as Len Wallis Hi Fi in Lane Cove or Hi Fi Trader in Newtown etc., or ring them up to find out what they can offer in a modest first-time-round 2nd-hand musical turntable. They will not treat you like a fool and they will not steer you toward rubbish (though they might try to get you to pay more than you want to). By the way, for $350 you can get quite a reasonable turntable if you are guided by someone who knows what to look for. Hope that helps, Cheers Warren
quadrodude Posted September 15, 2012 Posted September 15, 2012 (edited) G'day Mitch, I used to have one of these console things as a kid, very clunky old school stuff, muffled and fuzzy...most likely the turntable's cart will be a ceramic type, stylii will be conical, very cheap if you can find them, but not really high fidelity and completely obsolete. There's a lot of these around and $350.00 is at the very high end IMO....my local Brotherhood of St Laurence had several of these cabinate systems a while back selling for $90 a pop....and they can sell for that or less on ebay...if you absolutely have your heart set on getting one, try one of the later name brand (...Pioneer, Onkyo, Sony) Quadraphonic units,...still a bit cheap but better amps and turntables with proper cartridges with 4 speakers usually included. As an alternative to the Cabinet system, as an all-in-one system you could try something a bit more funky...like one of B&O Beocentre units including a turntable from the late 70's, early 80's...Beocenter 7000 ...which can often go for around $350-ish, make sure its' complete with a decent stylus....you'll often still have to add speakers...and those euro DIN plugs/connectors can be a bit of a prick....but hey....a little bit of a challenge gets you a bit more involved in the hobby. After all that being said....If your really serious about getting a decent vinyl system set up, your really better off with a component system..i.e..Separate Turntable, Amp Speakers etc. You don't want to go too nuts on your first vinyl system, just some nice highly regarded S/H vintage stuff, that ain't too pricey..(...lot of info on the net on what's what)..you can always go nuts later on... Hope I've been helpful...Cheers. Edited September 15, 2012 by quadrodude
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