When my trusty old stereo finally died, I made the mistake of buying a cheap turntable as a replacement. It worked OK, but just was lacking in the sound quality. After some research I decided to get the Technic SL-1200 MK5 turntable with a Shure M25C needle and cartridge. This, I am happy to say, was available at a local Guitar Center store. THe sound quality is outstanding and the sound of my converted vinyl to MP3's improved. So much so that I am now debating on redoing everything I have, which is no small task.