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The recommended turntables are entry-level models and are ideal for newcomers in the Vinyl sector, but also for returnees who are looking for a simple solution and your collection again wants to dig. Therefore, the simple operation should be as important as sound quality. If you don't know anything about turntables, we recommend our terminology section below. There, a few basic functions and components of a turntable are discussed in more detail.

If you really want to get the most out of your records, you probably need a separate Phono preamplifier that offers certain Features such as variable impedances. So it sounds good with different pickups. We also recommend turntables where you can replace the tonearm so you can experiment with different lengths or materials. To adjust the sound to your preferences. But if you are already so familiar with the Hobby, you will probably not find the perfect record player for yourself in this purchase advice – because they are then significantly more expensive.

There are plenty of used turntables on the market, but which will require some work and care to guarantee smooth playback. If you are already a Vinyl Veteran, you can easily access; however, for new beginners, used equipment is only suitable to a limited extent.

If you already have a turntable that you are reasonably satisfied with, you do not need to look for an Upgrade here. With a new pickup or phono preamp, you can get even more out of your system. In addition, this is cheaper than buying whole new turntable models.

So we have selected and tested
The turntable market continues to grow cheerfully and there is no shortage of options – community-funded turntables such as U-Turn compete with the models of more established brands such as Denon that existed before the first World War. In this version of the article, we have followed the following criteria and decided which turntables are best suited for our target group:

Good sound quality:

There are far more and greater differences in the sound quality of turntables as between digital music players. Some have a richer Bass with more Details, others offer clearer treble. Some turntables reflect the respective speeds more accurately than others. Plates will occasionally crackle – some turntables suppress this better than others.
The Denon had to prevail against some turntables. Wirecutter / Chris Heinonen
Simple set-up: models where you first have to mount a pickup yourself, which requires a separate measuring probe or do not work properly without special adjustment of the former, make the setup hell for a Vinyl newcomer. The option to easily upgrade the pickup to improve sound quality is also valuable.

Built-in Phono preamplifier:

that's a huge plus if you're looking for an uncomplicated audio system, even if we don't think it's an absolute must. The Signal of a Phono pickup must be amplified and equalized to be compatible with normal stereo systems or active speakers. Some cheaper stereo receivers do not have Phono preamplifiers. Soundbars and wireless speakers have never been able to use it. A built-in preamplifier makes it much easier to add the turntable to an existing Audio system without having to buy additional equipment.

"Easy-to-Use":

convenience functions such as easy switching between speeds and a tonearm that automatically returns to the starting position become more and more important the longer you have a turntable. One has little joy in his collection, if one his records with 45 rpm (note. D. trans.: "Revolutions per Minute"), because it is simply too annoying to constantly change the turn speed on the turntable or you fear the wear of the needle because you occasionally forget to stop the Player.

Drive Type:

we have mainly considered models with Belt and direct drive for this purchase advice. However, we evaluated the test devices independently of the drive. Many enthusiasts are firmly convinced that one drive is better than the other. Generally, many Fans believe that the direct drive keeps the playback speed more constant because the disk is driven directly. Belt drives, on the other hand, separate the motor and turntable from each other, which makes rumbling disturbances less frequent. We have found that neither method offers a clear advantage in this price range. The models with direct drive were usually more accurate in speed but sometimes had synchronism problems-unlike the models with a belt drive. The most High-End turntables use a belt drive; at these prices, the speed probably as well that the belt drive is clearly superior.

Using these criteria, I spent more than a dozen hours researching every turntable under$ 500 – at least all that I could find. I've looked at the test bench procedures of the few sites that perform truly objective Tests and spent a lot of time using Google Translate to translate reviews from Germany and other countries where turntables are even more popular than in the US.

Based on this research, I selected nine more or less new turntable models to compare with our previous favorite, the Audio-Technica LP120. For models without an integrated Phono preamplifier, I used the Emotiva XPS-1. If a model had an integrated phono preamplifier, I logically used it because we assumed that most of our readers would do the same.

I listened to all the turntables in my own home theater, which is 3.5 x 4 x 2.4 meters. For direct comparison, I played identical copies of an album on multiple turntables with a Line-Level Audio Switcher. Due to the different output levels of the individual integrated pickups, I had to adjust the level with each turntable change, so that unfortunately I could not perform a blind test. Speed measurements, as well as synchronism tests, were carried out with the help of the Platter Speed App from Feickert Labs.