While there are definitely some decent options below $250 that won’t damage your records, they typically won’t sound as great as more expensive models. To get an entry-level turntable that won’t damage your records and has good sound quality, expect to spend between $250 and $500. But the cheapest options raise instant red flags for our specialists because they can damage your records. Price: A top-of-the-line turntable can easily carry a thousand-dollar price tag. Here, the best turntables you can buy online.īest overall | Best upgrade | Best Bluetooth-enabled | Best minimalist | Most stylish | Best classic “See how that works, and then if you see yourself wanting something better, you can upgrade slowly down the line,” explains Mike Davis, owner of New York City’s Academy Records. Most of them also contain a built-in preamp - more on what that means below - because our experts say that’s the easiest and most straightforward setup to use. While a record player is self-contained and will play vinyl without any other equipment, the sound quality is typically poor a turntable and speakers (like Audioengine’s A2+) will give you a purer sounding analog home-audio system.Īll of the turntables below are great entry-level options that contain quality parts and will last for some time with regular care. But that’s not true, according to the experts we spoke with - including DJs, record-store owners, and general vinyl geeks - all of whom assured us that you don’t need more than a turntable with a preamp, a few records, and speakers to get started.Įach of our experts recommended different turntables for beginners, but they all advised avoiding one very popular all-in-one record player that comes in a suitcase: “Whatever you do, don’t get a Crosley,” says DJ Prestige of the DJ-focused website Fleamarket Funk, who claims that if you’re serious about your new hobby, you should look for machines with better sound quality - and with needles that won’t “eventually ruin your records.” In practice, that means avoiding not just a Crosley, but most if not all record players. Terms like preamp, platter, and cartridge can make listening to vinyl seem like an overly complicated pastime (especially since turntables and records aren’t exactly cheap). The world of vinyl records, like any niche hobby, can be intimidating to the uninitiated.

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