Turntable Buyers Guide: How to Choose the Right Record Player
Choosing the right turntable is crucial for anyone serious about vinyl records, but with so many options and wildly different price points, it can be difficult to choose the right one. Whether you're new to the world of vinyl or looking to upgrade your existing setup, this guide will help you understand what to look for when buying a turntable, ensuring you get the best possible listening experience.
Considerations When Buying a Turntable
1. Budget
Entry-Level Turntables: Typically priced between $100 and $300.
These turntables are perfect for beginners and offer decent sound quality and essential features. In fact in the past few years alone I feel we have seen a massive step up in quality and features found in budget models that they are competitive with higher priced models for the past decade.
Mid-Range Turntables: Priced between $300 and $700.
These models provide better build quality, improved sound, and more features like adjustable tracking force and anti-skate controls. Things have become very refined in this category and I think its the sweet spot for an audiophile looking to buy a record player that will last them the rest of their lives.
High-End Turntables: Priced above $700.
These offer premium sound quality and advanced features and often require more manual setup. These are ideal for prioritizing sound and pairing with expensive audiophile speakers. They will be overkill for many buyers, but if you want the ultimate level of performance as well as some stunning materials and craftsmanship, these are the ones to go for.
2. Drive System
Belt-Drive Turntables:
Preferred for home listening due to their reduced motor noise and vibration. The belt acts as a buffer between the motor and the platter, resulting in better sound quality.
Direct-Drive Turntables:
Favored by DJs and professionals for their durability and quick start/stop times. The motor is directly connected to the platter, providing more consistent speed.
For me, when comparing belt drive and direct drive turntables for home hi-fi systems, the primary considerations are sound quality, vibration isolation, and ease of use. Belt drive turntables excel in providing superior sound quality due to their design, which isolates the motor from the platter using a belt. This separation minimizes motor noise and vibrations that could interfere with audio playback, resulting in a cleaner, more detailed sound.
For many of us, the focus is often on achieving the best possible listening experience, and belt drive turntables are better suited for this purpose. Their design prioritizes audio fidelity instead of being high torque and quick start times offered by direct drive models. I see that as useful in professional DJ environments where durability and speed are essential but not necessary if you just want to chill out and listen to your records. While there are very good direct drive models, I do have a bias towards belt, but then again, that can be due to a nostalgic love of the process and doing things the classic way.
In a home hi-fi system, where the primary goal is to enjoy music in its most pristine form, a belt drive turntable provides the subtlety and nuance that audiophiles appreciate, making it the superior choice for discerning listeners.
3. Manual vs. Automatic
Manual Turntables:
Require the user to lift the tonearm and place it on the record manually. These turntables often appeal to purists who enjoy the hands-on experience.
Automatic Turntables:
Feature mechanisms that automatically place the tonearm on the record and return it when the side is finished. These are more convenient, especially for beginners.
The primary considerations here are control, user experience, and potential impact on sound quality. Manual tonearms require the user to physically lift and place the needle on the record and lift it off when finished. This hands-on approach gives audiophiles complete control over the playback, allowing for precise placement and minimizing any potential mechanical interference, which can be crucial for maintaining sound quality.
Automatic tonearms handle the needle placement and return automatically. Their biggest advantage is convenience, especially for those new to vinyl. However, the additional mechanisms involved in automatic systems can introduce slight vibrations or mechanical noise, which some audiophiles believe may subtly impact sound quality (although i’m impartial on this point).
A manual tonearm is often considered better for home hi-fi systems, where the focus is on achieving the highest fidelity audio experience. It eliminates potential mechanical interference, allowing for a purer sound.
For me, there is a nonauditory benefit - the manual process enhances my tactile experience of vinyl playback; I cherish the process and the ritual of selecting a disc and placing that needle and tonearm myself. We are, after all, using an acoustic medial and escaping a digital world, its why vinyl is popular again, so why not go back to that slower, more methodical way of listening?
4. Cartridge and Stylus
Integrated vs. Upgradable Cartridges:
Some turntables come with integrated cartridges that cannot be replaced, while others allow for cartridge upgrades. Upgradable options are preferable for those looking to improve sound quality over time.
Stylus Shape:
Elliptical styli offers better tracking and detail retrieval than spherical styli, but they also tend to wear out records faster.
When we compare integrated and replaceable cartridges for home hi-fi systems, the key considerations are sound quality, customization, and long-term value. Integrated cartridges are permanently attached to the tonearm and are typically found on entry-level turntables. They offer simplicity and ease of use, making them ideal for beginners. However, their fixed nature limits the ability to upgrade or customize the sound, which may not satisfy more discerning audiophiles.
As you progress in this hobby, you will learn to love toying with and upgrading different aspects of your hifi system, so why limit yourself in a big way out of the box?
Replaceable cartridges allow users to swap out the cartridge as needed, enabling them to choose different models that better match their sonic preferences or to upgrade as their system evolves. This flexibility makes replaceable cartridges the preferred choice for serious hi-fi enthusiasts and you can experiment with different cartridges to achieve the ideal sound quality.
Stylus shape: Common shapes include spherical (or conical) and elliptical. Spherical styluses are more forgiving and durable but offer less precision in tracking the grooves, which can lead to less detailed sound. Elliptical styluses, with their finer point, track the grooves more accurately, resulting in improved detail and clarity, making them a better choice for high-fidelity audio systems.
In my own setup, I use replaceable cartridges and an elliptical stylus.
5. Built-in Preamp
With Built-in Preamp:
Turntables with a built-in preamp can connect directly to powered speakers or an amplifier without a phono input. This is convenient for beginners or those with limited equipment.
Without Built-in Preamp:
These models require an external phono preamp, offering more flexibility in sound customization and often better sound quality. I wrote this article about the best preamplifiers you can buy right now so you may want to read this to know what your are getting into in terms of added complexity and cost.
Turntables with built-in preamps are convenient, as they can be directly connected to powered speakers or amplifiers without a phono input, making them an easy choice for beginners or those looking for a simple setup. However, the quality of built-in preamps can vary, and they limit user control over another aspect of the audio chain.
Turntables without built-in preamps do require an external phono preamp, either as a standalone component or integrated into an amplifier or receiver. This setup allows audiophiles to choose a preamp that best matches their system and sonic preferences, often resulting in better sound quality due to the higher performance of dedicated preamps.
A turntable without a built-in preamp is typically the better option for home hi-fi systems and where people have designed dedicated listening areas where sound quality is the priority. It offers greater flexibility and the potential for superior audio performance by allowing users to select a high-quality external preamp that complements the rest of their audio system.
Top Turntables to Consider in 2024
1. Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB
Price: $$ (Mid-range)
Features: Direct-drive, USB output, adjustable tracking force
Why It’s Great:
The AT-LP120XUSB is a versatile turntable that offers great sound quality, robust build, and the ability to digitize your vinyl collection via USB. It’s an excellent choice for both beginners and intermediate vinyl enthusiasts.
2. Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Price: $$$ (Mid-range to High-end)
Features: Belt-drive, carbon fiber tonearm, adjustable anti-skate
Why It’s Great:
Known for its superior build quality and exceptional sound, the Debut Carbon EVO is a favorite among audiophiles. It offers a significant upgrade path with the ability to swap out the cartridge and other components.
3. Rega Planar 3
Price: $$$ (High-end)
Features: Belt-drive, RB330 tonearm, high-gloss acrylic laminated plinth
Why It’s Great:
The Rega Planar 3 is a legendary turntable that offers outstanding performance with a minimalist design. It’s ideal for serious vinyl enthusiasts who want top-notch sound without too many bells and whistles.
4. Fluance RT85
Price: $$ (Mid-range)
Features: Belt-drive, acrylic platter, Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge
Why It’s Great:
The Fluance RT85 offers incredible value with its high-quality components, including an Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge and an acrylic platter. It’s a great choice for those looking to get high-end features at a mid-range price.
5. U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus
Price: $ (Entry-level to Mid-range)
Features: Belt-drive, acrylic platter, manual operation
Why It’s Great:
The U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus is a minimalist turntable that offers excellent sound quality for its price. It’s handcrafted in the USA and customizable, making it a fantastic option for beginners who want a solid foundation.
Additional Accessories to Consider
Record Cleaning Kit
Keeping your records clean is essential for maintaining sound quality and preventing wear on your stylus. A good cleaning kit can help prolong the life of your vinyl and equipment make your music sound better and cut down on long term costs of your turntable in the way of replacing worn parts and maintenance fees. I have a separate article about how to clean and maintain your record player so it lasts you a lifetime.
Turntable Mat
A turntable mat is good for enhancing sound quality and protecting your vinyl records. It sits between the record and the platter, providing a stable and non-slip surface that helps minimize vibrations and unwanted resonance. This improves the clarity and accuracy of the audio playback by reducing noise interference.
Additionally, a turntable mat can prevent static build-up, which protects your records from dust and reduces the risk of static shocks that can damage both the vinyl and the turntable’s stylus. Overall, a quality mat enhances the listening experience while extending the lifespan of your records.
Turntable Isolation Base (Optional Luxury)
By no means a necessity provided you are using a sufficiently heavy table or cabinet to mount your record player but all sorts of vibrations can transfer through your record as it plays. People walking, something being dropped. It all has the potential to cause skipping and even in the worst case damage to an LP. The one people don’t even think about is the vibration caused by the music playing through a set of Hifi Speakers can itself cause a record to skip. Isolation tables resolve that issue by dampening and removing vibrations.
By isolating the turntable from these disturbances, the isolation base ensures that the stylus tracks the grooves of the vinyl more accurately, resulting in clearer, more precise sound. This is especially important for audiophiles seeking to preserve the integrity of their music and achieve the highest fidelity possible from their turntable setup.
Conclusion
Choosing the right turntable involves balancing your budget with the features and performance you need. Whether you're just getting into vinyl or looking to upgrade, the options above provide something for everyone, from entry-level to high-end audiophiles. Consider your specific needs, such as the drive system, cartridge, and built-in preamp, to find the perfect turntable for your vinyl collection.
