Yes - unfortunately the P6 is heard and I would always be wondering if I didn’t get it and went for a P3 instead! In fact the dealer is about to turn up at my house with a P6 Ania this afternoon for an extended demo.
Still sat here thinking that would I be better off getting a second hand deck off eBay and building up a record collection or do I jump right in! SWMBO may get final vote
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I would be very wary of a second hand deck from ebay…there is so much risk of damage to main and arm bearings.
Just saying.
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No! Get something from a dealer who knows how to do this and thus assures you that you’re getting the best that a given deck can offer. You’ll never know if the setup is right on something second-hand off Ebay; they could have swapped cartridges and even if the original is now on the arm…is it set up properly?? Money spent acquiring a tt from a good dealer is well worth it; you’ll know that it’s set up and working as intended.
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Get a deck you’re happy with, and build up a record collection slowly and thoughtfully.
Do you have a strategy for buying lp’s? There are many, including browsing the local record shops, to Ebay, to Discogs sellers, to record shops with online stores (where the records are graded for quality), to online retailers who only do used records and grade for quality.
Prices can vary greatly.
And what titles do you want? Titles you owned in your younger days? Do you want newer ‘audiophile’ pressings (that absolutely vary in quality) or older original pressings (that can be quite expensive when in pristine condition)?
My point is that acquiring records takes time. We bought our first deck about 3 years ago with only about a dozen of my wife’s old lp’s in hand. (The mostly 70’s rock vinyl from my youth was long gone.) I now have about 150 lp’s but it’s been a learning process. But step one should be to get the best deck you can afford and that makes sense in your system.
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Some dealers sell on EBay. In that case it can sometimes be very interesting.
Ebay like Discogs is merely a marketplace; it’s a ‘know your seller’ process. (What confuses some people is that Amazon is both a retailer AND a marketplace where 3rd parties sell; always see who the seller is when shopping on Amazon.)
There is one US-based dealer on Ebay that I’ve bought several 70’s era lp’s from; they accurately grade them and their prices are reasonable. And they take them back for refund if there is an issue. I’ve had very good luck with well-rated sellers on Discogs too. Discogs seems to attract well-meaning sellers who try to grade accurately.
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I sell my previously owned stuff on both PF and ebay. It is in excellent condition, looked after and played by an enthusiast. I also buy stuff on ebay. Not all ebay sellers are dodgy. In fact I think most of them are just ordinary guys.
Everyone thank you for some really good advice here. Kindly dealer has dropped a P6 Ania round this afternoon. Took about ten minutes to set up and get running and now happily listening to some Deacon Blue - forgotten that I liked them.
There is a great soundstage. My son is completely sold on it.
Bart’s question about strategy for buying LP’s - there isn’t one at the moment, assuming I keep the deck. I do want to recreate some of the collection I used to have but there has been so much that I have listened to recently on Qobuz that I fancy on Vinyl that I could have a lot of fun. There is a record store in Brick Lane which is not far from my office, and one in Rye I think so there might be a few visits to be made.
I think the idea of buying a deck of eBay has gone away - I do want to know that I am getting it set up absolutely right - no point otherwise I would always be thinking what if…
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As in most ‘collecting-based’ hobbies there probably will be a ‘live and learn’ component. You’ll make some mistakes along the way; that’s ok, you can always re-sell or just relegate to the back of the stack.
I will start a new thread “Record Collecting Strategies” as this is off topic from the thread you started 
My fault! See you there!
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Interestingly my wife just said the deck sounds really good - she has never commented on any of my hifi purchases before - must be a sign
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It IS a sign!
My wife a few weeks ago said, “I wonder if we need bigger speakers for this room.”
Don’t ask any follow-up questions; just go with it!
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P6 is a lovely deck and as much as you need unless Vinyl is going to be a hobby rather than just an interest. I would get the pro over the regular Ania. I have the Ania on my P6 and the better stylus of the pro is noticeably better, if was buying again I’d have bit the bullet and upgraded. P6 exact will still sound great if you want to keep the box count low. The Neo power supply is enough if an upgrade that I would still consider it mandatory even settling on a P3…
Oh yes. It is a sign. Best do it right.
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I am literally staggered by how good this P6 is and there are plenty of better decks than this apparently. There is no background noise, no hum or rumble - just music. I really don’t remember vinyl sounding this way. Looks like my dealer will be delivering a brand new one shortly - now the question is ordinary Ania or Pro. Decisions Decisions!
If you do not get the pro, you will always wonder…then you will get one anyway.
Might as well do it now!
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I would get the Pro - it’s only a bit more expensive but it has a much better stylus.
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Get the Pro.
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I think it will be the Pro arriving at some point. Will add to this once I have given it and the new phono stage some running in.
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Does anyone have any recommendations for cleaning vinyl without going down the silly money route? Even new records are a bit dusty I have found and my house all of a sudden seems more dusty than ever! Thanks all
All you need is a basic RCM. IIRC the smaller Pro-Ject VC-S starts at under £300 and really that’s all you need to do a great job at properly cleaning up LPs. The only extra you need is some distilled water to mix up the fluid, which you can buy from chemical suppliers online.