High-quality turntable key to enjoying vinyl

Q What do you have to say about vinyl? Do you have any advice for those looking to get started with phonograph records?

MIKE NORMAN, MINNEAPOLIS

A Vinyl is a great hobby and a worthy addition to any sound system. Not only does vinyl's warm, natural sound quality satisfy in a way that digital sources often do not, but it's easy and fun to explore new kinds of music via clean and cheap used records sold at resale shops. It's clearly experiencing a renaissance; many record labels are publishing new music on vinyl again.

First, does your receiver have a phono input? If not, you will need a phono preamplifier. Until recently, an acceptable one cost at least $100, but a longtime reader tipped me off to a decent offering for only $25, the MicroPhono PP400 from LP Gear (www.lpgear.com). It's a good choice for casual vinyl users and those on a tight budget. If you want better sound quality, consider the Pro-ject Phono Box II for $159 and the Bellari VP129 for $250.

If you have an old turntable, a new cartridge is a good investment. The top entry-level choice is the critically acclaimed Audio-Technica AT95E for $50, available exclusively from LP Gear, or try Shure's MX97xe for $80 if you want to step up. P-Mount turntable owners should check out the $60 Grado Black.

If you need a new turntable, the best budget buy is the $349 Pro-ject Debut III (www.sumikoaudio.net). It includes a preinstalled cartridge and is available in many colors. Also available is the Debut III USB for $499, incorporating a phono preamplifier and a USB port to provide an audiophile quality turntable with computer connectivity.

Also worth considering is the Technics SL-1200. Although commonly used as a DJ turntable, the SL-1200 was developed as an audiophile component and has outstanding technical and sonic performance. Affectionately called "the Wheel of Steel" on vinyl discussion boards, the SL-1200 is fuss-free, utterly reliable and built like a tank. The best place to get one is at KAB Electro Acoustics (www.kabusa.com), where it sells for $475 without a cartridge.

For $999, you can get a top performer with magical sound, the Pro-ject RM-5SE. It comes with a highly regarded cartridge that is a perfect match for its carbon-fiber arm. The RM-5SE looks cool, too -- like a teardrop with a record floating on top.