Bluetooth technology is, essentially, magic. How rare is it to find a practical technology that just works? Near-flawlessly, and with everything that deigns to be Bluetooth-enabled? Devices from decades ago can talk seamlessly with the products of today, and of tomorrow too – and connecting any two devices is barely more than a single button press and a few seconds of lightly-vexatious waiting.
Bluetooth continues to show its convenient quality in an ever-widening variety of techy artefacts – which count among them the analogue hero of hi-fi, the humble record player. Whether you’re an old-school metal fan hoarding first presses of Black Sabbath or a vinyl revivalist with a host of Record Store Day releases to enjoy, you can weaponise the wirelessness of modern Bluetooth turntables to cast your faves across your home.
Bluetooth turntables are not just getting more common, but they’re getting more better too. With high-resolution transmission and quality components, today’s Bluetooth record players represent a new frontier in quality wireless audio, a far cry from the lossy signals of yore.
If you’re thinking about getting a turntable that’ll talk to your Bluetooth speakers or wireless headphones, you couldn’t do wrong with any of the following six options. These come from all corners of the market, and each have their own compelling reason to become the next addition to your hi-fi.
But if you want my pick of the bunch right away, then I'll point you in the direction of the Sony PS-LX310BT - an excellent option for those just getting into vinyl and a solid choice more experienced users.
If you want to know a bit more about what to look for in a good Bluetooth turntable, head on down to my handy buyer’s advice section at the bottom; elsewise, read on to find your next Bluetooth turntable.
Best Bluetooth turntables: Quick list
This Sony wants to be all things to all people, and in this case that’s a really good thing – it’s nicely balanced. It also comes with a built in phono preamp alongside its Bluetooth connectivity.
Pro-Ject’s T1 EVO BT is an incredibly stylish mid-range turntable, that combines the Austrian brand’s idiosyncratic approach to form and function with some solid wireless functionality. This is a serious piece of kit for your hi-fi, and a beautiful one too.
There’s a lot to be said for being the jack of all trades, and in the Audio-Technica ATLP120XBT-USB we have the record-playing, all-connecting equivalent of a vinyl everyman.
Arguably the best value entry-level wireless record player, sound quality is perfectly passable and the Bluetooth range means you can position separate speakers in different rooms to enjoy music wherever you are.
Audio Technica have done it again, with a new iteration of their popular Bluetooth-enabled entry-level turntable. The AT-LP70XBT looks swankier than its predecessor, and sounds better too – with a better tonearm and a swappable stylus for upgradeable brilliance. As beginner turntables go, this is the Ritz.
The House of Marley Stir it Up is, like other products from the brand, designed with a sweet sustainable bamboo finish which gives it a great contemporary look and makes it eco-friendly, too.
The Louder choice
✅ Buy if you want balanced audio and good looks: This Sony turntable looks the business but it also performs well, giving balanced audio.
❌ Avoid if you want detailed audio: The audio balance is indeed fine, but the PS-LX310BT does lack a bit of punch. For earth-shaking delivery, you'll need to look elsewhere.
Sound ★★★★½
Design ★★★★★
Features ★★★★★
Overall ★★★★★
The Sony PS-LX310BT Bluetooth record player wants to be all things to all people, and in this case that’s a really good thing as it doesn’t sacrifice one element in order to cram another feature on top. It’s nicely balanced.
It comes with a built in phono preamp alongside its Bluetooth connectivity, prioritising ease of use above anything else, and it'll take you longer to decide what to listen to than to get your headphones paired with the deck.
It's a sleek, belt-driven turntable and its design is probably best described as minimalist. It's also a very light unit, coming in at 3.5kg but, that said, it feels sturdy and robust and I didn't find it skipping or jumping tracks during testing. Perhaps the one downside to the Sony PS-LX310BT is that the stylus cover is a little fragile.
It's also possible synch eight devices, while the sound quality on this two-speed record player is excellent given the entry-level price point. All in all, the Sony PS-LX310BT is a fantastic choice when buying a wireless record player. Plus, it’ll look good when sat on top of one of the best vinyl record storage consoles.
"Considering its price, the Sony PS-LX310BT turntable ticks a lot of boxes. It's easy to operate, it sounds great and with Bluetooth connectivity, you can beam your music straight to your wireless speaker set-up. For a turntable in this price bracket, it comes highly recommended."
Read more: Sony PS-LX310BT review
Best mid-range
✅ Buy if you want a top-performing turntable: Pro-Ject know what they're doing and this is an excellent turntable that offers something for everyone.
❌ Avoid if you're a beginner: The T1 EVO BT can be a little tricky to set-up if you're a beginner.
Sound ★★★★★
Design ★★★★★
Features ★★★★½
Overall ★★★★★
Pro-Ject is a name that inspires a great degree of fondness amongst hi-fi folk; the Austrian brand is the poster-boy of affordable audiophilia, bringing European-made record players into the market from ace entry-level price-points upward. This represents one of Pro-Jects upper-entry-level turntables, but which newcomers to turntables could easily regard as mid-range – the T1 EVO BT.
The Pro-Ject T1 EVO BT is an extremely classy-looking minimalist manual turntable, that appears as if it’s simply a floating slab of Clarkean space-rock hanging out on your sideboard.
That floaty slab harbours cool details aplenty, from the separate outputs for phono and line-level audio, a sturdy rocker switch to engage the Bluetooth transmitter, and a stunning-sounding Ortofon OM10 cartridge.
If you’re looking for a Bluetooth-enabled turntable that’s quite simply a cut above, this is it. It’s very accessibly priced, and pulls down some audio and build quality from the upper echelons of the hi-fi price brackets too. Besides, just look at it!
Best all-rounder
✅ Buy if you want a great turntable with a digital file option: Thanks to its USB connection and Audacity software, you can rip your vinyl to digital on a PC or Mac.
❌ Avoid if you're an audio purist: This is a no-fuss unit that sounds great, but audiophiles should cast their eyes elsewhere.
Sound ★★★★
Design ★★★★½
Features ★★★★½
Overall ★★★★½
There’s a lot to be said for being the jack of all trades, and in the Audio-Technica ATLP120XBT-USB we have the record-playing, all-connecting equivalent.
If your system is well-established and you’re simply looking for an affordable deck to slot in place, I think the Audio-Technica ATLP120XBT-USB has you covered. If you’re looking to stream over Bluetooth, you’re set. And, if you have a large vinyl collection that you would like to back up digitally, then the ATLP120XBT-USB will see you right thanks to its USB connectivity an Audacity software.
As a direct-drive turntable with integrated phono preamp, I can also see this particular record player being extremely popular with vinyl samplers and producers looking for an easy way to get into crate digging.
Simply hook the deck up to your audio interface and you’re good to go. For everyone else, all you really need to know is that Audio-Technica has once again produced the goods with a superb balance of price, performance and functionality.
"There's a reason why the AT-LP120USB was so popular among music fans – it looked cool, came with some handy smarts and did a pretty fine job of playing vinyl, especially considering it cost just a few hundred pounds. So how could I not like this new version of the turntable, which offers most of those benefits plus more great tech-features on top?
Read more: Audio-Technica ATLP120XBT-USB review
Best budget
✅ Buy if you want a great value turntable: There are loads of features here making this brilliant value for money.
❌ Avoid if you want a premium record player: The ION Audio Air LP is a budget-friendly unit but won't be for everyone.
Sound ★★★★
Design ★★★★
Features ★★★★
Overall ★★★★
I'm a big fan of the ION Audio Air LP, which I think is the best value entry-level wireless record player currently on the market. Sound quality is perfectly passable, offering well-balanced audio and I also found the Bluetooth range meant I could position separate speakers in different rooms to enjoy my music wherever I was.
I'm pretty sure there's enough features included to keep everyone happy - especially for the price: You can hook the ION Audio Air LP to your PC or Mac with the included USB cable and rip your favourite vinyl albums to digital. You'll need to use ION Audio's EZ Vinyl/Tape Converter software - a no-frills option which is light on features.
There's an in-built phono stage and the whole record player is straightforward to get up and running straight out of the box, no matter if you're rocking wireless or wired speakers as there's RCA outputs for the latter option.
Unlike some other options in this list, the ION Audio Air LP has three speed settings, but to play 78rpm vinyl, you'll have to shell out a bit extra on a separate stylus.
Finally, the Audio Air comes in a couple of classy finish options and is small enough so as to not dominate the space. A great value option for those looking for a great turntable on a budget. Just be aware that stock levels seem to be getting low on this model, so if you see it, I say grab one!
"Feature-packed and more than adequate in the sound-quality stakes, the ION Audio Air LP is a decent choice for music lovers on a budget."
Read more: ION Audio Air LP turntable review
Best for beginners
Sound ★★★ ½
Design ★★★★
Features ★★★★
Overall ★★★★
✅ Buy if you want a beginner-friendly turntable: Fully automatic with a built in phono preamp, this is great for first-timers - and it delivers balanced audio.
❌ Avoid if you're an experienced turntable connoisseur: This won't wow you if you've been in the vinyl game for years.
Audio-Technica’s AT-LP70XBT is the latest in a grand tradition of beginner-friendly turntables from this luminary audio brand. It iterates on the LP60XBT, which previously held hallowed status in this very line-up, with a better tonearm assembly, a spruced-up chassis and some surprisingly stable sound too.
The AT-LP70XBT is an automatic record player, with buttons to control the placement and removal of stylus from record. That stylus is an entry-level conical affair from the AT-VMN series of swappable styli – a swappability that gives this record player a longer life than most beginner turntables. The Bluetooth connectivity is foolproof and high-quality enough for most purposes, too.
Even as a bona fide record-playing enthusiast who’s put considerable investment into numerous hi-fi setups and get-ups, my experience with the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT was nothing short of joyous.
This is not only beginner-friendly, but destined to be your newbie’s daily driver for some time.
Best green option
✅ Buy if you want a a greener turntable: It sounds great and looks great - and the Stir It Up is made from sustainable materials and recycled plastics.
❌ Avoid if you want top of the range audio: While the Stir It Up sounds lovely, at higher volume levels, I noticed some audio distortion.
Sound ★★★★½
Design ★★★★½
Features ★★★★
Overall ★★★★½
As much as vinyl is revered for its unique tonal character, you shouldn’t overlook how the record player itself will fit into your setup. While it shouldn’t matter if the sound is good, record players are not tiny devices and, as such, you should give consideration to how it’ll look perched on your shelf or sideboard.
The House Of Marley Stir it Up is, like all other audio products from the well-respected brand, is designed with a sweet sustainable bamboo finish and created using recycled materials making this a greener option in the record player market. It has a contemporary look - although you can also pick one up with a black finish should you prefer something a little more neutral.
Sound quality is about on par with what I'd expect in this price range, however the Stir it Up does take a bit of tweaking to find the sweet spot. This is a simple fix however and shouldn’t put you off what is a very attractive deck.
House Of Marley are also committed to global reforestation and ocean preservation through their Project Marley initiative in conjunction with One Tree Planted and the Surfrider Foundation.
"Gorgeous, environmentally friendly, sonically balanced... buy this affordable tribute to the Jamaican reggae legend and every little thing's gonna be alright."
Read more: House Of Marley Stir It Up review
FAQ
What is a Bluetooth turntable?
A Bluetooth turntable is like a traditional record player, with the added bonus that it can connect wirelessly to your Bluetooth-equipped stereo system, powered speaker or wireless headphones.
Some Bluetooth turntables also work the other way round, and can receive audio streamed from your phone (or any other Bluetooth-transmitting device, for that matter!) either to play through their built-in speakers or to send on to your hi-fi.
What should I look for in a Bluetooth turntable?
A lot of major audio brands have jumped aboard the wireless record player train in recent years, with slick spinners from Sony, Pro-Ject, Audio-Technica and House Of Marley all coming in at various price points to suit a variety of budgets and proving it’s not just a passing fad. For me, one of the greatest things about Bluetooth decks is just how simple they are to operate.
On one hand they have the potential to remove the need for trailing wires completely, while on the other, many of the best Bluetooth record players also come complete with built-in phono stage (so skipping a separate preamp to boost the signal from your turntable). That means they’re about as plug and play as you can get, if you choose to go old-school.
You will need powered, Bluetooth ready speakers and perhaps a pair of wireless headphones to make the most of the tech, but otherwise you should be up and running with the push of a couple of buttons.
Do Bluetooth turntables sound good?
A big question-mark over the Bluetooth turntable, in a market dominated by conversation around ‘fidelity’ and ‘resolution’, is how good they can actually sound. The analogue-vs-digital debate continues to rage on, and for some, opting to put a digital stage between their analogue wax and their speakers might seem auditorily risky.
Today, though, analogue-digital conversion technology is better than it ever has been – and high-resolution Bluetooth codecs are capable of transmitting audio at better-than-CD resolution. Even then, lossy Bluetooth codecs used in the cheapest of the cheap aren’t necessarily an impediment to passive listening.
All of this is to say that for cheaper Bluetooth turntables, you’re likely to experience some deterioration in audio quality due to digital compression of the audio signal - a negligible difference for the average listener, potentially outweighed by the increased freedom you'll get from your Bluetooth turntable.
With a little more in your Bluetooth turntable budget, though, you’ll find a raft of near-transparent wireless-transmitting record players that ensure your records sound as good as they ever could.
How do I pair a Bluetooth turntable with headphones/speaker?
As mentioned above, in order for your Bluetooth turntable to work, you will need powered Bluetooth (not Wi-Fi) ready speakers or a pair of wireless headphones.
The first step is to get your Bluetooth turntable and speaker or headphones to ‘talk’ to each other. To do this you need to put both into pairing mode. On your Bluetooth record player this is usually accessed by long-pressing the Bluetooth button, with a different coloured light engaging to indicate you’re in pairing mode.
With both your deck and device in pairing mode, position them close together, and they should connect. A short sound or change of light colour will indicate a successful connection. You’re now ready to beam your wonderful vinyl sounds to your chosen Bluetooth device. What’s more, the next time you switch your Bluetooth record player on, it should automatically connect to your paired device.
The process of pairing can differ slightly from device to device, so check manufacturer instructions for the full picture.
How much should I spend on a Bluetooth turntable?
You really don’t have to spend much to get your hands on a Bluetooth turntable worth its salt. The Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT is a fantastic budget turntable as it is, but the added Bluetooth functionality makes it an even better proposition.
Up your budget and that additional cash will mostly bag you better components, like a quality tonearm and cartridge, a tasty phono preamp and, critically, better sound both wired and wirelessly. As with most things turntable-related, when it comes to your budget, the sky really is the limit.
Which brands make the best Bluetooth turntables?
As I've already mentioned, Bluetooth tech has been adopted by most of the major turntable manufacturers. Therefore, to find the best wireless record player for you, you simply need to look to the big guns in the traditional turntable world - and I've been impressed with turntables from manufacturers including Sony, Audio Technica, Pro-Ject, Cambridge Audio, Lenco and House Of Marley.
Do Bluetooth turntables need an amplifier?
Bluetooth turntables come in a variety of different forms, but the most common kinds of Bluetooth turntable you’ll find at the lower end of the price scale are all-in-one turntables – meaning they have their own built-in amplifier and even speakers. Most of the turntables in my round-up above are more like traditional record players, though, and do not come with a built-in amp or speakers.
Naturally, you’ll need a Bluetooth speaker (which, of course, has its own built-in amplifier) to make the most of your record player’s wireless connectivity. Bluetooth turntables also have analogue outputs, though, so you can use them more traditionally with a conventional hi-fi system.
If you’d like to use a record player conventionally in your living room, but potentially stream it to your kitchen’s wireless speaker sometimes, then you would benefit from getting a hi-fi amplifier and speakers. You could also buy a Bluetooth receiver to plug into your hi-fi amplifier, allowing you to stream to your main system from anywhere in the house.
It may also be helpful to note that you will typically find a built-in phono preamp in Bluetooth turntables, since the low-volume signal coming from the stylus needs to be boosted before it can be transmitted. This saves you the need to buy a separate one for your hi-fi, if you are building an analogue setup too.
How we test Bluetooth turntables
When it comes to testing the latest Bluetooth decks, I naturally check all the usual elements such as sound quality, build quality, set up and features, and judge those against other products in the field and in that price bracket.
But, being Bluetooth record players, it’s important that the connectivity is up to scratch, too. For this, I check for ease of connectivity using multiple devices including headphones and speakers, the stability of the connection (whether I experienced any drop outs) and the range.
For some, Bluetooth is a nice-to-have rather than essential feature, so I ensure that Bluetooth is there for a reason, does the job well and doesn’t indicate that corners have been cut in other important areas such as the tonearm or cartridge.
It's also worth noting that when it comes to vinyl, I try and put the Bluetooth turntables through their paces using a variety of genres. Music I know inside out is my preferred choice, as I know the highs and lows of each album - so if the Bluetooth connection struggles, I can tell straight away.
Why you can trust us
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⚡ Over 80,000 products reviewed on site, from music listening tech to albums and box sets
⚡ Our reviewers are all passionate music fans who draw on decades of testing experience
Louder’s reviewing team consists of music fans, musicians and professional product testers, who between them have accumulated decades of product reviewing experience, writing thousands of words on music listening gear across thousands of reviews on Louder. Our tests also inform our buyer's guide - just like this one.
As lifelong music fans, we're serious about the tech we listen to our favourite artists on. We want them to sound incredible, giving us all the detail those bands intended us to hear, and deliver the perfect balance of bass, mids and highs. We're looking for pure immersion in our chosen sounds, whether it's a classic '70s rock album, or a cutting-edge noise band.
And we test turntables with albums we know inside and out, and that we've listened to on a variety of systems already, so we know exactly what we should be hearing and when we're being short-changed by lackluster audio.
Meet the experts
Huw Baines is a freelance music writer with a particular interest in all things punk, hardcore and vinyl. Alongside Louder, he has written for Long Live Vinyl magazine, the Guardian, Kerrang!, Huck, Guitar Magazine, Vice, Clash, and elsewhere.
Chris Corfield is a journalist with more than 13 years of experience writing for some of the music world's biggest brands including Orange Amplification, MusicRadar, Guitar World Total Guitar and Dawsons Music. Chris loves getting nerdy about everything from guitar gear and synths, to microphones and music production hardware.
James Grimshaw is a freelance writer and music obsessive with over a decade in music and audio writing. They’ve lent their audio-tech opinions (amongst others) to the likes of Guitar World, MusicRadar and the London Evening Standard – before which, they covered everything music and Leeds through their section-editorship of national e-magazine The State Of The Arts. When they aren’t blasting esoteric noise-rock around the house, they’re playing out with esoteric noise-rock bands in DIY venues across the country; James will evangelise to you about Tera Melos until the sun comes up.
Latest updates
Recent updates
01/04/25: The guide has been updated to include the Pro-Ject T1 EVO BT and the Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT Bluetooth turntables. Expert verdict boxes have been added where applicable, and star ratings are also now included for each Bluetooth record player. The FAQ section has been expanded, a new "meet our experts" section has been added, along with details about why you can trust the Louder team's choices.
Read more
You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.
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