Freddy Gerngross tested dedicated turntables for this guide. He is a graduate student in NYU Steinhardt’s Music Technology program, a recording studio technician and engineer, a professional musician, and, begrudgingly, an audiophile.

Brent Butterworth tested all-in-one record players for this guide. He has reviewed audio products since 1990 for publications such as Home Theater, SoundStage, and AudioXpress, and he wrote many turntable reviews as contributing technical editor of Sound & Vision.

This guide is designed for the person who is either getting into vinyl playback for the first time or has been out of it for a while and wants a simple solution for playing their record collection. For this person, we focused on entry- to mid-level turntables and all-in-one record players priced around $600 or less, and we think simplicity and ease of use are just as important as overall sound quality.

If you’re new to turntables, you might want to read our Terminology section to learn about some of the basic parts and functions we’ll discuss here. You can also learn more about the key elements of a turntable in “Outgrown Your Starter Record Player? Here’s How to Shop for a Quality Turntable.”

If you already have a turntable that works for you, you probably don’t need to upgrade to a new model from this guide. You can likely get more out of your current system by upgrading the phono cartridge than you can by buying a whole new turntable.

For this guide, we considered the following criteria to help us decide which turntables and record players to test for our target audience:

• Price: We looked at dedicated turntables priced around $600 or less, since our focus is on products with the greatest quality-to-cost ratio. We did not put a price cap on all-in-one record players, but most of them cost less than $300.
• Drive method: We tested both belt-drive and direct-drive turntables for this guide. To learn about the difference between these two methods, read “Outgrown Your Starter Record Player? Here’s How to Shop for a Quality Turntable.”
• Ease of use: We valued the inclusion of features that make a turntable easier to use, such as direct speed switches, auto-stop functionality, a cue lever to raise and lower the tonearm, and simple tracking-force adjustment dials.
• Phono preamp: Since so many audio receivers come with a built-in phono preamp, we didn’t consider it a mandatory inclusion in every turntable we tested, though we made sure to include at least one pick that had a phono preamp built in.
• Speakers: For the all-in-one record players, we focused on models that have built-in speakers, rather than those that come with a separate set of stereo speakers.
• Bluetooth and other connections: Most all-in-one record players include a Bluetooth receiver, and many include analog audio inputs to connect other audio sources. Some turntables and record players have Bluetooth transmitters to stream your vinyl collection to a receiver, speaker, or pair of headphones. This is a perk but not a necessity.

When evaluating dedicated turntables, we considered both sound quality and ease of setup and everyday use.

For our latest round of dedicated turntable testing, Freddy began by spinning an eclectic variety of vinyl records in his home and getting subjective feedback from his roommate, his girlfriend, and various friends and classmates—especially Emil Bergh, a Brooklyn, New York–based DJ, vinyl expert, music tech wizard, and graduate student working on his thesis in music technology and cognition.

All subjective listening was done using Klipsch F-30 tower speakers connected to a Yamaha RX-V475 receiver, plus a set of JBL Professional 308P studio monitors and a pair of open-back AKG K702 over-ear headphones. We ran all the turntables through a Pro-Ject Phono Box DC external preamp for comparative testing, but we also tested the quality of the built-in preamp if there was one.

To objectively assess each turntable’s output level and frequency response, Freddy collected quantitative data by spinning a test LP, digitizing its signal through a Scarlett Focusrite 2i4 USB audio interface, and using level meters and frequency analysis to create a sound profile. He also measured distortion, speed variance, wow and flutter, and stereo balance.

For all-in-one record players, Brent first spent a few weeks testing them in his home to narrow the field to the best performers. Then he conducted brand-concealed listening tests at Innovative Audio, a vintage audio dealer in Vancouver, British Columbia, with three of the store’s regular customers, each of whom are passionate about vinyl records and have owned many turntables. He also tested the platter speed of each record player using the RPM Speed & Wow Android app.

The Fluance RT85N is the best turntable under $600 because it has more accurate sound reproduction than every other turntable we tested, which makes it a great choice to play any type of music. It has superior materials and build quality and is an aesthetically and technically beautiful machine. Yet it costs $100 less than its closest competitor, the equally impressive Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO.

The RT85N’s sound is impressively accurate. It has superb transparency to reveal all the details in the music and boasts the most consistent and accurate frequency response—so it won’t audibly boost or cut the low, mid, or high frequencies.

Because of this, the RT85N is good for all music genres, unlike other turntables we tested that seemed to favor certain musical styles. No matter the record, the sound we heard was always impressive and pristine, with a great soundstage and wide dynamic range. We were surprised that this turntable performs so well and so accurately for $500.

In our tests, this turntable also had the lowest level of distortion, produced the least amount of wow and flutter from a belt-drive model (under 0.07%), and had the most accurate stereo balance.

The RT85N sports high-end design features. The turntable comes with a 16 mm-thick acrylic platter. Acrylic platters are often considered an upgrade over cheaper metal or plastic platters because acrylic is a solid, dense material with low resonance, and thus won’t add its own “sound” to the music. Plus, they look very stylish.

The RT85N also has a 16.7-pound solid-wood veneer-coated plinth (the heaviest we tested outside of the DJ-oriented turntables); three adjustable, spike-tipped rubber isolation feet to limit vibrations better than traditional puck-shaped feet; and a servo-regulated belt drive to ensure a consistent rpm. The included Nagaoka MP-110 phono cartridge is one of our recommended upgrade cartridges.

It has the necessary features for easy setup and use. The setup guide makes it simple and straightforward to assemble this turntable, and you get a well-placed cue lever, a speed-switching knob, an auto-stop function, a standard adjustable counterweight, and an easily adjustable anti-skate dial.

The package includes simple but helpful accessories. You get cotton gloves for proper vinyl handling and an omnidirectional bubble level that facilitates the perfect leveling setup for your turntable.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

There is no 78 rpm speed setting. This is normal for many modern turntables, but beware if you are holding on to a collection of 78s. You don’t want a portion of your collection to be rendered unlistenable.

This turntable lacks a built-in phono preamp. If your audio receiver or powered speakers lack one too, you’ll have to buy your own, which will add cost to the system. When buying the RT85N via Fluance’s website, you’re given the option to purchase the PA10 preamp for $100.

You can’t easily upgrade the RT85N beyond its phono cartridge. This can be frustrating if your ears begin to evolve to the point where you’re ready to upgrade; your next search will have to begin from scratch. Our runner-up pick has more options to upgrade—then again, the RT85N already has the phono cartridge and acrylic platter you might upgrade to.

All the available finishes are glossy. So they will quickly accumulate fingerprints.

If you’re willing to spend more for a turntable that’s highly upgradable, or if you like a bit more fullness in the lower midrange and bass regions, the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO is another excellent choice in the $600-and-under price range. The design, build quality, performance, versatility, and upgradability easily puts it at the top of its class.

The sound is great, but it won’t appeal to everyone. The bass and lower midrange have added presence, which in our tests allowed for the best energy and clarity for kick drums and low toms, bass, and many tenor or baritone vocal performances. At the same time, we didn’t hear any loss of detail in higher frequencies, there was minimal harmonic distortion, and the soundstage was superb.

The Carbon EVO’s sound profile is great for more-modern pop and rock records, and doubly so for hip-hop, electronic, and other low-end-heavy genres (Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid, M.A.A.D City sounded ridiculous through this turntable). However, it may not be what everyone is looking for, as it’s not a reliably accurate representation of what’s on your record. Listeners of classical, jazz, and other genres that rely heavily on naturalistic recording techniques may prefer a turntable with a more transparent sound, such as the Fluance RT85N.

Our tests also showed minimal speed variance and low wow and flutter (under 0.17%).

The materials and build quality are excellent. This turntable comes with the excellent (and upgradable) Sumiko Rainer Phono Cartridge, a lightweight carbon-fiber tonearm (with a cue lever to raise and lower it), and a satisfyingly heavy plinth and platter (the unit weighs in at 12.3 pounds). Its minimal, classy look is indicative of precise design, and it’s available in a variety of colors, with a choice between a satin (less fingerprints!), high gloss, or real walnut finish.

It’s easy to switch speeds. The turntable comes with a variable speed switch between 33 rpm and 45 rpm, and unlike our top pick, it can play 78 rpm records—but to do so, you need to take the platter off the plinth and manually swap the standard belt with the special 78 rpm belt (which is included). We found this quite inconvenient, but the Debut Carbon EVO model is one the few turntables we tested that even has the ability to play 78 records.

It’s more upgradable. You can acquire an acrylic platter replacement for $150 or the Pro-Ject Debut Alu Sub-Platter for $180. Pro-Ject also offers a grounding base, improved power supply, audiophile-grade RCA cables, and various platter mats. None of these upgrades come cheap, but the modularity and enhancement potential allow you to continue your high-fidelity audio journey well into the future.

It doesn’t come with a built-in phono preamp. As with our top pick, you’ll need an external preamp here. If your audio receiver or powered speakers lack one, you’ll have to buy your own, which adds cost.

The anti-skate solution was infuriating to use. To keep the tonearm from skating across your records, this turntable uses a small hanging weight, as opposed to a built-in dial like every other turntable we’ve tested that has this feature. In theory, this solution is superior because it actively and naturally adjusts to the appropriate weight in real time—but in reality, we found this to be an infuriating feature, as it constantly fell off and was extremely difficult to put back on (especially if your hands aren’t steady or your eyes aren’t sharp).

The Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BT is the best choice for listeners who value wireless capability or the immediate plug-and-play functionality you get from having a built-in phono preamp.

The overall sound quality is a slight step down from our top picks. The included AT-VM95E phono cartridge is one of the most popular cartridges around and sounds quite good. But compared with our top picks, this player had slightly less low-end punch and high-end clarity, yet still maintained comparably balanced reproduction and stereo width.

The plinth and platter are significantly lighter than those of our top picks; the whole unit is almost 5 pounds lighter than the RT85N. Lighter turntables are more susceptible to outside vibrations that will interfere with the playback of your record. The platter is made of die-cast aluminum similar to that of the Debut Carbon EVO, but it lacks the same quality and weight.

The amount of wow and flutter just edged out the Debut Carbon EVO at under 0.15% but was completely outmatched by the RT85N’s impressive result of under 0.07% (tested at 33 rpm).

The AT-LPW50BT has a few higher-end design elements. In addition to its good-performing phono preamp, this was one of the only turntables in our test (besides the more expensive Debut Carbon EVO) to feature a superior carbon-fiber tonearm, and it has the same servo-regulated belt-drive technology found in the RT85N.

This turntable has Bluetooth. While some audiophiles cringe at the idea of sending vinyl audio over Bluetooth, its inclusion here makes it easy to listen to your favorite records through Bluetooth-equipped speakers, soundbars, and headphones, if you wish.

In our tests, the AT-LPW50BT’s Bluetooth output sounded consistent with the quality of its analog playback. It had a functional broadcast radius of 33 feet, covering the space of our New York City apartment.

It’s easy to set up but harder to use. The AT-LPW50BT includes a straightforward pictorial guide that gives clear setup instructions; we had no trouble getting our unit running in only a few minutes.

It includes nearly every ease-of-use feature you’d expect on a high-quality turntable: a sturdy cue lever, a latched tonearm lock, an anti-skate dial, a weighty and easily adjustable counterweight, and a knob that switches between 33 rpm and 45 rpm speeds.

But there were a couple issues that hindered its user-friendliness. The cue lever sits a little too close to the tonearm. We accidentally bumped the tonearm while trying to switch the cue lever, making us have to start the process over again.

Also, this turntable does not feature an auto-stop function; it’s completely manual. That means you’ll need to go to the turntable to stop the record and return the tonearm to its cradle. However, some audiophiles prefer this, arguing that the addition of any electronics or motors outside of what is necessary adds interference and distortion to playback.

While it looks great, the entire unit feels less expensive than its competition and comes in only one finish: a glossy rosewood veneer.

If you just want to dip your toes into vinyl playback—or you don’t want to spend very much on a turntable you might not use often—the U-Turn Orbit Basic is a great option that you can order with or without a built-in phono preamp. Even if you’ve never used a turntable before, the Orbit Basic is so easy to set up that you could be listening to records in under 10 minutes.

It sounds much better than other similarly priced turntables. In our tests this turntable had better noise rejection and a wider stereo image.

It’s not as easy to switch speeds. There’s no direct speed switch; switching between 33 rpm and 45 rpm records requires moving a belt, but that process is easier with this turntable than with models that hide the belt underneath the platter.

U-Turn makes it easy to customize your turntable. Along with adding the built-in phono preamp, you can upgrade the cartridge, change the color of the base (or upgrade to a wood veneer), replace the standard MDF (medium-density fiberboard) platter with a more-solid acrylic one, and add a cue lever to raise and lower the tonearm easily. Adding on the phono preamp and changing the color must be done at the time of purchase, but you can make the other upgrades later.

It isn’t easy to make certain upgrades. The counterweight of the tonearm lacks easy adjustment markings, so adding a new cartridge would require a scale and a lot of trial and error. If you don’t plan to go down the turntable-upgrade rabbit hole, this won’t matter to you.

If you’re reluctant to tackle the complexity of a separate turntable, amplifier, and speakers, the Angels Horn H019 all-in-one record player gives you an easy, affordable way to play vinyl records.

This system sounds surprisingly good. The speakers, which have separate woofers and tweeters, produce as full a sound as we’ve heard from an all-in-one record player—and you can stream audio to them from Bluetooth sources.

Our panelists described the H091’s sound as much more balanced and full than that of most of the other all-in-one turntables, and noted that the improvement in sound was obvious. One tester said it’d make an ideal present for a kid or grandkid who wants to get into vinyl.

The H019 was actually the panelists’ second favorite in terms of sound quality, behind the Victrola Premiere V1. But the V1’s added cost and speed inaccuracy led them to pick the H019 overall. The system doesn’t have as much bass as we’d like, but it had enough for us to enjoy the sound, and enough for a vinyl neophyte to get at least a good idea of what’s on their records.

We appreciated the quality of the H019’s construction. It comes fitted with an Audio-Technica AT3600L phono cartridge and has a tonearm with adjustable vertical tracking force. It has a fairly heavy aluminum platter, and the entire turntable/tonearm mechanism floats, so it’s isolated from vibration and doesn’t skip when people walk past it. It also has a sturdy acrylic dust cover. Our panelists thought it might perform even better with a good cork or rubber mat, rather than the thin felt mat supplied with the player.

The H019 has Bluetooth built in. This means that you can stream audio to it from a phone, tablet, or computer. It also has a line output to connect it to a separate stereo system if you want to use different speakers.

The H019 requires a small amount of setup. However, the instructions are clear and easy to follow.

While this system lacks some features found on other models—like a built-in radio or CD player, or the ability to stream your vinyl to Bluetooth devices—our panelists thought it had everything they’d want in an all-in-one record player. It plays 33 rpm and 45 rpm records, but not 78 rpm records.

The similar Syitren Paron II (which you can read about in the next section) sounds marginally better and adds a headphone jack. But at this point Angels Horn is the more established company, with a fully fleshed out website and two U.S. warehouses, so we trust them a bit more—and with a mechanical, fragile device like a record player, that’s important.

If you want to start DJing with vinyl: The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB has a wider range of variable speed control and a direct-drive motor that’s quick to get to full speed. It’s easy to set up and use, and we encountered minimal noise when interacting with the turntable while it was spinning. On the downside, this plastic turntable is larger and heavier than our picks, and the built-in preamp adds the most distortion by far out of any turntable we tested. But the amount of signal level the preamp pushes is the loudest of the bunch (which DJs may appreciate), and the sound is still high-fidelity enough for a DJ environment. You can avoid the issue entirely by using an external preamp.

If you want to digitize your record collection: The Pioneer DJ PLX-500 has a USB output to feed the signal into a computer. This turntable is easy to set up, offers very good sound quality, and has an integrated phono preamp that works well. It’s also a good option for beginner DJs: The direct-drive motor maintains a consistent rotation speed for its aluminum platter (though it doesn’t get to full speed as quickly as the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB), and its plastic chassis is even larger and heavier. It also uses demonstrably cheap, low-quality RCA cables that are hard-soldered to the inside of the turntable and lack a separate ground connector.

If you don’t mind a different approach to the dust cover: A former top pick, the Denon DP-400 remains a great turntable that often sells for less than our top picks, but the dust cover’s design proved a polarizing feature that some panelists strongly disliked. The DP-400 sounds fantastic, has a phono stage built in, and includes lots of convenient features. But the dust cover must be completely removed when you’re playing a record and replaced when you’re done, making the Denon not nearly as convenient to use as every other turntable we tested.

If you prefer a more modern-looking record player that sounds very good: The Syriten Paron II shares many parts with the Angels Horn H019; our measurements suggest the two units are acoustically almost identical in the midrange and the bass. The H019 sounds (and measures) rougher in the treble, so voices sound a little edgy, but the difference is subtle. The Paron II adds a headphone jack and has a button that starts the turntable spinning; with the H019, the turntable spins automatically when you move the tonearm over the platter. We’ve chosen to recommend the H019 over this model because Angels Horn is a pretty well-established company with two U.S. warehouses and (according to Amazon reviews and Wirecutter reader comments) decent customer service, while Syitren has just a bare-bones website with little information. But if you're comfortable with that, the Paron II is a good record player.

If you want the least-expensive all-in-one record player that sounds decent: The Victrola Eastwood Signature and Victrola Eastwood II feature two-way stereo speakers, with separate woofers and tweeters, that sound much fuller than the ones built into less expensive models—although the sound quality of these record players was a big step down from that of the Angels Horn H019 and Syitren Paron II. These players come with an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge and require no setup, but the tonearms are not adjustable. They have Bluetooth input and output and can play 78 rpm records. The only difference between the two appears to be the styling and the Eastwood II’s simpler, one-button control system.

We are currently testing turntables for a major update in fall 2024. Our list includes the JBL Spinner BT ($400), the revised version of the U-Turn Orbit Basic ($249), the Pro-Ject T2 ($550), the Rekkord F100 ($400), the TEAC TN-280BT-A3 ($350), and the VPT-800-BLK Automatic ($180).

Before you buy or use a new turntable, it helps to be familiar with the jargon. We explain some key terms below.

• Tonearm (1): The tonearm holds the phono cartridge as it moves across the record. You want a tonearm that’s light and rigid so that it doesn’t resonate—that resonance will make it into the music. Carbon fiber and other composites are light and stiff, whereas cheaper metals like aluminum are light but have much more resonance.
• Phono cartridge (2): The cartridge and its stylus are what physically play the record. The stylus moves up and down, left and right, producing a waveform for both stereo channels. There are many types of cartridges, but almost all entry-level turntables use moving-magnet designs.
• Platter (3): This is what the record sits on. The platter sits on the base of the turntable (aka the plinth), where it’s rotated by either a direct-drive system or a belt-drive system (see below). The platter should be as dense as possible to reduce rumble and other mechanical noises that will otherwise make it into the music.
• Drive method (4): The platter is either belt-driven or direct-driven. In a belt-drive turntable (like the one in our photo example), an elastic belt connects the motor to the platter and spins it. Direct-drive turntables have the motor directly connected to the platter. To learn about the difference between these two methods, read “Outgrown Your Starter Record Player? Here’s How to Shop for a Quality Turntable.”
• Tracking force (5): Cartridges are designed to apply a particular amount of force to a record, specified in grams. Apply too little and the cartridge and arm will bounce around, skipping constantly. Apply too much and you’ll cause excessive wear of the stylus and the record itself. This is adjusted at the end of the tonearm opposite the cartridge.
• Phono preamp (aka phono stage): A phono preamp is needed to amplify and equalize the sound coming from vinyl. Some turntables have one built in; some don’t. Many audio receivers and some powered speakers have built-in phono stages. If neither your stereo system nor your turntable incorporates a phono preamp, you’ll need to buy an external one.
• Azimuth adjustment: The stylus on the cartridge should be directly perpendicular to the record itself. The azimuth adjustment lets you rotate the tonearm slightly in each direction to make sure it is correct.
• Vertical tracking angle: The body of the cartridge and the tip of the stylus should be directly parallel to the record surface while playing. Because records are different thicknesses and cartridges have slightly different sizes, many tonearms offer a way to adjust this.

We’ve tested a number of dedicated turntables and record players over the years. Here are some of the most recent:

All-in-one players

The Arkrocket Huygens is similar to the Angels Horn H019 and Syriten Paron II and typically priced a bit lower, but it doesn’t sound as full.

The Fuse Vert plays records on a nearly vertical, rather than horizontal, plane. It has a built-in FM radio in addition to the turntable and Bluetooth.e However, it can feed back if played loudly, producing an intolerable “whooming” sound.

The LP&No.1 USB wireless turntable has a USB output for digitizing your records. However, it sounded thinner and less clear than our picks.

The Victrola Premiere V1 was close to being a pick. Our panelists loved the extra fullness that its included subwoofer added, and they were impressed with its midrange clarity and treble response. However, it was more complicated to set up and had a major speed-accuracy issue: It ran at 31.5 rpm rather than 33 rpm.

The affordable Victrola Re-Spin is a portable player made from recycled plastic and packaged in recycled materials. Our panelists thought its single upward-firing speaker couldn’t match the sound quality and bass response of some other players in its price range.

Dedicated turntables

The Audio-Technica AT-LP3 is fully automatic with start and stop buttons, but it was one of the least accurate turntables we’ve tested. Also, some reviews indicate possible issues with the motor over the long term, causing the speed to become unreliable.

The Fluance RT82 is a step down from our top pick. It’s a solid choice if you want to spend less, offering good sound and ease of use. We heard some minor issues with wow and flutter, where the pitch of a note on one R.E.M. track seemed to change while it played. If you’re more sensitive to wow and flutter, you should take this into consideration.

The Rega Planar P1 is easy to set up, and we liked the sound. But with the speed-change belt located under the platter, it isn’t as easy to use as other models. It also ran about 1% fast when we measured it.

The Sony PS-LX310BT was easy to set up and use, but it had the worst speed accuracy of anything we tested, and its far higher tracking force (3.5 grams, versus 1.8 to 2.0 grams for other turntables) will cause more wear to your records over time.

The U-Turn Orbit Special offers very attractive wood finishes and comes with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, an upgraded platter, and a cue lever. It produced some of the best sound in a former round of testing, but it isn’t as easy to use as our picks, and the differences in sound quality were very small. Still, it’s a good overall performer.

The Victrola Stream Onyx Works with Sonos Turntable was one of the best-sounding turntables in our most recent round of tests, but it forces you to use its just-okay built-in preamp (no phono or line switch), does not allow you to easily adjust the base for perfect horizontal playback, and has a bizarre dust cover that you can’t use during playback. If you’re already rocking a formidable Sonos environment, this turntable could be worthwhile, but we don’t recommend it otherwise.

This article was edited by Adrienne Maxwell and Grant Clauser.