No turntable... No problem! Our favorite turntable reviews to get you started

Since we’re huge proponents of vinyl records we’re also fans of turntables to play those records. There’s an incredible variety of turntables these days and we’re going to talk about a small handful starting from inexpensive and moving into mid-priced models. We’ll get into just a few of them in this issue. Let’s go!

We’ll start with a really fun one, the Crosley Cruiser. 

The Crosley Cruiser can be generally be found new for around $70 in the U.S. and €100 in the EU. The Cruiser comes in a variety of very cool retro-style colors and even in leopard print and alligator skin – yikes! The platter is belt-driven, plays 33 1/3, 45 and 78 speeds and has adjustable pitch control. Very nice features are Bluetooth, RCA audio output (L/R) and an auxiliary input. Clearly the point of this turntable is portability and therefore the sound quality ends up getting the short end of the stick. However, with Bluetooth capability and RCA audio output, you can utilize your much better home speakers or PA system to rock out. 

Next up is the Audio-Technica ATLP120XUSB.

This is a great entry-level turntable, going for around $250 in the States and around €280 in the EU. Audio-Technica has a really good reputation and this is a really good turntable for the price. The thing to remember about (most) turntables is that you can change out and upgrade the stylus and cartridge and improve the sound quality. You don’t have to purchase an entirely new, more expensive turntable. More on that in the future. The ATLP120XUSB is a solid turntable in terms of traditional features like direct-drive, speed control (33, 45, 78), S-shaped tone arm, pitch control, forward and reverse modes, and a pre-amp that is switchable between phono and line-level depending on your particular stereo system. On top of all that, it has a USB output - digitize your entire vinyl collection! Actually, that would probably be a waste of time, but being able to digitize the ones that you NEED to listen to in the car or at the beach is such a great option.

Here we have the Pro-Ject Essential III…

Besides being a beautiful looking turntable, the Essential III is solidly built from quality materials which provide for great sound. You can pick up this Austrian belt-drive turntable for between €350 to €400 and around $500 States-side. Phono pre-amp is built-in, there are two speeds (33 1/3, 45) but being belt-driven, the speed change is accomplished by manually moving the belt. Pro-Ject gives extra attention to reducing internal vibrations and providing isolation from external vibrations which puts the Essential III solidly in the mid-range market regardless of the price. With a stylus and cartridge upgrade, this could easily be in the higher ranks of the mid-range. 

We’ll profile a couple more next time, so don’t run out and buy that turntable just yet…