[!@#$%!]

for under $150, actually for $99 plus shipping, you can't miss with the intro package at lpgear. they give you a cheap audio-technica turntable on steroids-- upgraded needle, upgraded drive belt, sounds pretty good. the thing actually has its own preamp so you don't need a phono input in your stereo and you don't need a preamp if you're planning to jack into your computer. sure, you can get a lot better things with more money, but if you're on a budget, and need something that works right out of the box (not used, not something you have to repair, not something that "may or may not work", not something that may need obscure replacement parts, not something "as is" with zero warranties) go for it.

ps-- evol rules all