Audiophile Turntable Newbie - What to buy as a gift?, [moved from Audio Hardware] Options

[musiclove]

Hi there all!

I am glad to have discovered this forum. I am a newbie at the audiophile game and want to buy my super audiophile boyfriend a turntable as a gift. I have done some initial research and have found brands such as Pro-Ject, Rega, and Pyle. I am not familiar with turntables and audio systems at all and want to make sure I am buying the right thing. I am looking for something with great sound quality (of course) and up to date technical capabilities - meaning I want him to be able to connect to his computer via USB and be able to hook up the turntable to his home audio system. I am having trouble understanding pre-amps etc. I also want it to be able to play all types of records - 78, 35, 45 etc. and my budget maxes at 400-450 US dollars. Please help - I need to be educated but dont want him to be underwhelmed when he opens the gift!

thank you all so much in advance. i really appreciate it.

[A_Man_Eating_Duc...]

If he is a super audiophile then I would be very careful buying a turntable without his input, there is no point taking the risk wasting your money on a turntable that doesn't tick all his boxes (so to speak).

Does he have a HiFi store he usually goes to?

This post has been edited by A_Man_Eating_Duck: Jun 16 2012, 00:08