Best high-end turntable 2020
Want to get the most out of your music collection? While Jeff Bezos would probably try to convince you to pick up a high-tech stereo system to fund his next adventure into space, we recommend opting for a record player instead. A top tier one, mind, that looks and sounds so good that even Keith Richards would think twice about smashing it up. That's where we come in. What's more, we'll tell you about the best record players on the market. Some stand with belt drives that are for fire-and-forget musicians, as it uses a small motor and a rubber belt to spin the platter.
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The 8 Best Record Players to Make You Love Vinyl Again in 2021
When it comes to choosing one of the best record players for your vinyl collection, the choice can be tough when you consider the sheer amount of turntables available. And when you throw in extras like preamps and Bluetooth technology the process can initially seem a little bewildering. You might spot a record player or two that may be a little older compared to some of the younger models, but we've decided to keep them in our best record players list because they sound amazing and offer great vinyl appeal for the cash.
On the hunt for amazing Black Friday music deals? Then check out our Black Friday record players deals and Black Friday vinyl deals pages for all the latest price drops on turntables and vinyl. Let's get straight to the point — our top choice for the best record player is the Rega Planar 3. To call Rega dominant in the world of record players would be something of an understatement.
After all, this is a company with almost 50 years of turntable building experience behind them, and yet they refuse to rest on their laurels, releasing quality product after quality product. And the Planar 3 is without doubt the pick of the bunch right now. While it may look a tad expensive in a world awash with cheaper turntables, the Planar 3 is worth its weight in gold. It'll go toe-to-toe with record players that cost a whole lot more, making it a bit of a bargain with that kind of perspective.
It's definitely worth a purchase. Trust us, your vinyl record collection will thank you for it. The original Planar 3 is now over 40 years old. Yet, amazingly, if we put it and this current version side-by-side, we reckon most people would be hard pressed to spot any differences beyond the smarter plinth and updated tonearm.
Under the skin, almost every part had been revised since the last iteration — the P of And yet the core character remains. Everything you throw at it will sound just as it should — packed with detail, punch, rhythm and impeccable tonality. You can also buy the Rega Planar 3 with added Elys 2 moving magnet cartridge, which will add a handful of cash to your purchase, but the extra outlay is worth it if you're looking for top-drawer performance and crystal clear audio.
If you want to hear your vinyl as intended — and why else would you be embarking on this analogue adventure? The best record player around right now, bar none. Read the full Rega Planar 3 review. For starters you get pitch control and a high-performance direct drive motor and an integrated and switchable phono stage.
But two of the coolest features include a USB output so you can convert your records into audio files, plus wireless aptX Bluetooth connectivity, so you can beam your sounds to your vinyl headphones or the nearest and loudest Bluetooth speaker.
So this SLC is decidedly entry-level by comparison. This Technics turntable is a thoroughly modern unit with direct drive, so there's no belt to mess about with, a built-in cartridge and integrated phono preamp.
Read the full Technics SLC review. The first of three entries in our list with a Pro-Ject slant — and with good reason as the Debut Carbon EVO will make you sit up and take notice.
What it is, though, is the best-sounding turntable available at this sort of money. If you want to hear your just-bought or much-cherished records just as intended, the Rega is how you do it. On the contrary, it produces a really fun sound and is pretty straightforward to set-up.
Read the full Rega Planar 1 review. This is a fabulously finished deck. Speed A Conceptual masterpiece, you could say Those suitcase-style turntables you see almost everywhere you look these days are designed to bridge the gap between vinyl enthusiasm and analogue actuality by building everything in and making it as hands-off as possible.
If you're looking for a great Audio Technica turntable, this is the one to go for. Now for something a little different — a Bluetooth turntable that not only allows you to spin your favourite albums, but also lets you stream music through it too.
It's a neat and versatile twist on the other turntables on our list. Vinyl sounds great, offering a balance of dynamic space and warmth, while the mid-range price makes this a serious contender for your next purchase.
To borrow a phrase from baseball, this is a multi-tool player. It's old school enough - it comes with a pair of RCA cables so you can plug the L into your stereo amplifier and get started straight away - but it's 21st century enough too: a USB port means you can convert your vinyl into MP3 files.
A great starting point for anyone who's just getting into vinyl or digging out their old records from the garage. Read the full Lenco L review. The big draw is Bluetooth support, which you can use to send that rich, analogue audio via the digital, wireless domain to a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker.
Detailed, punchy and direct, this is a deck that reveals the details lurking in the depths of those vinyl grooves and brings them to the surface in fun, bubbly fashion. If you want your affordable record player to have a premium look and feel then Pro-Ject turntables are definitely worth your consideration, and specifically the Pro-ject T1.
This entirely plastic-free deck is completely solid and weighty, and it comes more or less ready to rock straight out of the box — you need only place the platter and belt yourself.
While the Rega Planar 1 is the no-frills record player to choose for sheer clarity and detail, this Pro-ject counters with a smoother, weightier, bassier sound that will suit a lot of your vinyl collection. Read the full Pro-Ject T1 review. So, you've decided to pull the trigger and purchase a shiny new record player, but what are the key elements to consider before laying down your hard-earned cash? It might sound obvious but sound quality is the biggest priority by far. While no audio firm has a completely perfect record in this area, sticking to the established and well respected brands is a great place to start — unlike Bluetooth speakers , for example, a record player is a very specialist bit of kit.
While our pick for best record player overall is made by Rega, don't forget about Austrian brand Pro-Ject which also boasts an accomplished range, while Technics and Clearaudio dominate the high-end record player sector.
Sony and Audio-Technica, meanwhile, are particularly good at pairing true hi-fi audio quality with modern features such as Bluetooth and USB recording. If in doubt, remember this: the techiest turntable is almost never the one that sounds the best. It's worth bearing in mind that setting up a turntable for the first time can be a fiddly business, with components that need fitting and carefully adjusted. However, some are simpler than others.
Many of the best record players on the market have automatic functionality, which means you only have to press a button for the tonearm to move into place and drop the needle into the groove at the start of the record.
Fully automatic and semi-automatic turntables lift the needle from the groove at the end, too. For many people, though, especially those who have been in the vinyl game for a while, a little initial tweaking and manual operation are keys to the charm of turntable ownership, and the simplest record players are often the best-sounding. Ultimately, only you can decide what type of vinyl listener you want to be. While some record players do come with built-in speakers - mostly at the budget end of the spectrum - these can be functional at best.
You may need a separate phono preamp for that, but more on that below. Many turntables have a phono stage built-in, as do some stereo amplifiers. So, the question is, does your new record player come with one built-in? Without a preamp, your vinyl will sound incredibly quiet and weedy, and who wants that?
Technics and Audio-Technica are respected brands with a particularly big following in the DJ and hip-hop worlds. Then you have other mainstream brands like Sony who have built a strong reputation in the hi-fi world over decades. Pro-Ject is another brand to look out for, offering everything from pocket-friendly slabs, to artist collaborations with the likes of The Beatles , as well as beautifully engineered showstoppers.
Louder Together we're Louder. Rega Planar 3 record player. Operation: manual. Drive: belt. Built-in phono stage: no. USB recording: no. Bluetooth: no. Dimensions hwd : 12x45x36cm. Reasons to avoid - Needs a solid support. A great step-up record player for those with a growing vinyl collection.
Drive: direct. Cartridge: moving magnet. Built-in phono stage: yes. USB recording: yes. Bluetooth: yes. Dimensions hwd : 14x45x35cm. Reasons to avoid - It's cheap, but not totally budget. Sony PS-HX record player. Feature-packed and sonically capable — the best record player for beginners. Dimensions hwd : 10x43x37cm.
Reasons to avoid - Rega Planar 1 sounds better - No Bluetooth. Technics SLC turntable. The best record player for analogue nostalgia and next-gen tech.
Operation: semi-automatic. Dimensions hwd : 12x23x16cm. Reasons to avoid - Looks like a posh DJ deck. Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo. Finish: High gloss, Satin, Real-wood veneer.
Dimensions: x x mm, dust cover open x x mm.
The Top 8 Turntables of 2020
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The Best Record Players and Turntables on Amazon, According to Hyperenthusiastic Reviewers
The best USB turntables allow vinyl collectors to not only hear their favorite records the way many artists and music producers intended, in analog, but can also digitize and store their favorite LPs onto other devices. This includes computers, smartphones, and MP3 players. At the same time, a USB turntable is well worth the cost if you want to catalog and preserve these crate gems and enjoy music in its rawest, most uncompressed form. You need to become more familiar with the hardware, which usually requires reading a bunch of technical jargon that makes operating and understanding the machine a bit cumbersome. The good news is that record players are no more complex than setting up a new sound system. We have taken the liberty of breaking down the vital components required to choose the proper option for you, while offering our top picks for the best USB turntables based on performance, purpose, and, yes, price. Sitting in the No. Audio-Technica also implemented a few upgrades, which include a new phone preamp, tonearm, and low-torque motor.
The Best Turntable
The act of choosing a record, placing it and dropping the stylus, that requires more attention. The Essential III is one of Pro-Ject's more affordable turntables, but it's still made of high-quality components such as a resonance-absorbing MDF platter and a high-quality Ortofon cartridge. The "Phono" model adds a phono preamplifier. The Modern Record Player is a true all-in-one system with a turntable, preamp, custom amplifier and built-in speakers. If you want a beautiful and high-end system, this is you best bet.
The Best Audiophile Turntables for Your Home Audio System
We like to think we have high standards, but when it comes to the best high-end record players things go up a notch or five. That's because top-notch turntables don't come cheap and we know those who buy them have high-end hi-fi systems to match. So, if you want to get the best from your records and have deep-ish pockets and a suitable home hi-fi system, here are finest, hang-the-expense high-end record players to have graced our testing rooms. There are a few key things to look for when buying a high-end turntable. Generally speaking, the higher the price the higher quality the materials used. And when it comes to performance, you can expect a sense of realism, detail and instrumental authenticity that more affordable models just can't match.
Turntable Reviews
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Midi Nation is supported by our great readers. We might get a commission if you buy gear through a link on this page [at no additional cost to you]. What's the best turntable for audiophiles on the market right now? How do these turntables differ from entry-level options?
All of the best record players you can buy in are worlds away from the clunky old turntables that you might have stored away in a cupboard somewhere gathering dust. Many of the top turntables in this guide also come with new features built-in that you'd never find with old record players, including Bluetooth connectivity and USB ports, which are there so you can record your vinyl to your computer. Plus, Black Friday deals are coming up very soon, with the sales event officially kicking off on November However, turntable deals usually start rolling in before then, and you've also got Cyber Monday on November 29 to give you another chance to save on your next record player.
Every product is independently selected by obsessive editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission. First off, not all turntables are record players. A record player has built-in speakers, so you can play your vinyl with no other equipment, whereas a turntable requires some sort of external speaker. Some can connect to Bluetooth, while others require an aux cord.
Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more. For many turntables are the way to play back music.
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