If you’re reading this, you’re in the market for a record player destined to be someone’s first. That someone might be you, or it might well be a loved one that’s started to express an interest of their own in all things wax and groove-inlaid. Either way, you’re here because the entry-level offerings for turntables is vast; how on earth are you supposed to pick an excellent beginner turntable out of such a wide and expansive field?
Picking the right record player for beginners is vital, if only for the fact that this will be that someone’s first introduction to vinyl as a format. As such, it needs to be a solid performer to do itself and the format justice. With countless options at all sorts of prices, it can be tough to separate the wheat from the chaff. Which is precisely where my guide to the best record players for beginners comes in.
Thankfully – and despite how complex things can get when looking at turntables a bit further up the price ladder – picking a good beginner turntable is simple. Essentially, you want something that’ll treat your records well, and that’ll speak to the audio devices you already have – or handle audio output itself, if you don’t have speakers to pair it with.
Unfortunately, the budget end of the beginner turntable spectrum is often defined by exactly the products that don’t fit these criteria – particularly those cheap-and-cheerful knock-off ‘suitcase’ record players, which look the part, but which - in some cases - can damage your vinyl thanks to their heavy-handed ceramic cartridges. A little further up the food chain, though, there’s a rich seam of well-apportioned beginner record players with both affordability and quality firmly in mind. And, as luck would have it, I've compiled a small handful of them right here.
The following turntables are not the be-all-and-end-all when it comes to great turntables for beginners, but they are an excellent point from which to start – besides which, they’ve all been carefully evaluated for the value they can offer the burgeoning vinyl enthusiast.
Some are more high-quality than others, but all are smooth stepping-stones from record-less-ness to an enviable analogue hi-fi for that someone of yours.
The quick list
The Audio-Technica LP70XBT is my top choice due to the fact it's simply a great all-round turntable that delivers when it comes to the audio department. It features a VM95C stylus which can be switched out easily, has Bluetooth functionality and looks amazing. Definitely recommended.
Here's a neat all-in-one package from Majority. It has built-in speakers which do the job, and there's also Bluetooth connectivity both in and out, there are RCA outputs so you can connect to external wired speakers. You can also connect wired devices to it too and convert audio to digital files.
Sony is one of the most famous names when it comes to audio tech and their PS-LX310BT is an ideal choice for those getting into the vinyl game for the first time. The minimalistic design might not be for everyone, but it's a solid turntable with Bluetooth connectivity and more.
While we would always recommend getting separate speakers for the best sound quality, record players and records can be bulky to store and it's not always an option. If you need to save space, the built-in speakers on the Victrola Eastwood II do an admirable job - and it has Bluetooth functionality too.
A bit pricier than some other turntables in this list, but the consensus within the Louder team is that the Pro-Ject E1 is definitely worth the extra cash - if your budget will stretch that far. It's a great choice for beginners as it's easy to set up, delivers impressive audio - and it also looks amazing.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB is a super-hefty bit of kit and it's the standout option in this list if your a DJ looking to put a fresh spin on your vinyl collection. It has a direct drive set-up so it can start/stop instantly and the price is excellent for what you get for your money.
Best overall
✅ Buy if you want a solid deck: The Audio-Technica LP70XBT is a dependable, great-sounding turntable which is a great choice for a first turntable.
❌ Avoid if you want something cheaper: This is a great record player, but the price is at the top of the scale in this category.
Audio-Technica’s LP70XBT is truly a graduation of sorts, being a marked improvement on its hugely-popular predecessor unit the LP60XBT. A new look, some new parts and a highly impressive new quality of sound make this the platonic ideal record player for beginners – and how!
The LP70XBT’s biggest selling-point is arguably its stylus. Though still using integrated cartridge, Audio Technica have bumped this entry-level unit up to AT-VM95 compatibility. The turntable comes with a VM95C stylus pre-attached, but if you have designs on upgrading your turntable in the not-too-distant future, you can simply slide it off and replace it with another from the same series – and without the same jiggery-pokery that replacing a whole cartridge can involve.
As a result, this automatic turntable is not only a smooth player and a smooth looker, but also one of the best-sounding beginner record players you’ll find on the market. And it has all the connectivity you could hope for in a modern machine, too. Don’t sleep on this!
Most versatile
✅ Buy if you want a top-performing budget unit: The Majority Moto has in-built speakers, can connect to external ones and can convert vinyl to digital - all for a great price.
❌ Avoid if you want a robust turntable: There's a lot to like here, but its construction could be better.
Majority is not a new audio brand by any means, but its audio appliances have started to make bigger and bigger impacts on the consumer markets. This is their entry-level record player, and it does quite a lot for the relatively low asking price.
The Majority Moto is a good buy on account of its extensive I/O, primarily. It’s a self-contained thing with stereo speakers built in, but it also has: a stereo RCA out; a separate 3.5mm headphone out; a USB out (from which, incidentally, you can directly record the Moto’s output, enabling you to instantly digitise old and funky records); 3.5mm aux in; and, crucially, Bluetooth in and out for either streaming music to the Moto, or streaming your vinyl from the Moto to a bigger and better Bluetooth device.
This is a lot of ins and outs for something that doesn’t cost as much as a decent toaster. There are concessions though, chiefly with respect to its inexpensive (and highly common) plasticky belt-drive system. As a record player for beginners, though – and particularly as a teenager’s first bedroom system – this versatile little turntable could be a great shout.
Best Bluetooth
✅ Buy if you want an easy to use Sony turntable: This well-priced Sony turntable is a breeze to operate and is simple to set-up, making it an ideal option. digital - all for a great price.
❌ Avoid if you want punchy audio: In our review of the Sony PS-LX310BT, we found it lacked a bit of audio oomph, while some detail can get lost while listening.
While entry-level record decks can sometimes look (and behave) like toys, the Sony LX310USB is very much a serious tool for the serious music fan. I'm actually a big fan of the stealthy black aesthetic, but I also love the way it seamlessly connects via Bluetooth to any soundbars or portable speakers in the vicinity.
Buttons on the front allow you to lift or lower the tonearm, activate Bluetooth, or choose the speed of the turntable, switching between 45 and 33rpm. It's ultra simple to set up too, which is another tick in the box of being great for those new to record players.
It has a built-in phono preamp, but you can connect your own if you wish via the line output at the back. It is, as you would expect from Sony, very well made, leaving me in no doubt this is a turntable which will provide many years of happy listening.
Read our full Sony PS-LX310BT review
Best with speakers
✅ Buy if you want a turntable with versatility: An internal amp, speakers and Bluetooth functionality make this a neat option.
❌ Avoid if you want a top tonearm: The Eastwood II is a great turntable for the price, but there are definitely better units out there with more robust tonearms.
The Victrola brand is no stranger to the beginner turntable bracket, with a frankly impressive roster of products that run the gamut from portable players to baby’s-first-hi-fis. This, the Eastwood II, is a second iteration of their popular, chic Eastwood all-in-one turntable system – and an easy contender for the ‘best record player for beginners’ title.
Why? Well, it’s a highly versatile little unit, for one. Not only does it have its own internal amp and speakers for immediate plug-and-play vinyl-listening fun, but it’s also Bluetooth-connectible – and bi-directional, to boot. You can stream audio to the Eastwood II’s capable speakers, or you can stream your vinyl audio to a Bluetooth receiver of your choice.
This box of tricks is well dressed, too, with a nifty cloth-covered front and wood-effect panelled sides. There are a couple of aesthetic options too – my favourite is the Walnut one.
For this price, the Victrola Eastwood II is an unbeatable integrated vinyl-and-speakers, even if its cheap (and common) tonearm construction leaves a little to be desired.
Best sound quality
✅ Buy if you have some extra cash: A bit pricer than others in the list, but the Pro-Ject E1 is a serious bit of kit
❌ Avoid if you'd rather save any spare cash for vinyl: Pro-Ject turntables can be pricey, so if you'd rather keep some cash handy for a record haul, look elsewhere.
As the owner of a Pro-Ject turntable already, the Pro-Ject E1 is the easiest recommendation in the world for me to make. Pro-Ject is a hugely credible brand in the audiophile world and is featured in our guide to the best record players. And with the E1 the company is offering up its first truly entry-level deck.
The Ortofon cartridge is a quality addition to this entry-level record player that helps it deliver impeccable sound. It takes a few hours to get warm, but once it does the lows and mids are big without getting boomy. Of course, this does depend on your speakers and the room you're listening in, so you may need a few EQ tweaks to get it sounding its best.
Yes, it's pricey, but the focus here is on quality. It’s easy to set up, sounds incredible, and looks like a truly premium product. If you can afford it and you’re looking for a record deck you won’t outgrow in a year’s time, then the Pro-Ject E1 is a superb choice and comes highly recommended.
Best for sampling
✅ Buy if you're a budding DJ on a budget: The ability to start and stop in a flash makes this a neat option for DJs.
❌ Avoid if you're after a lightweight turntable: This is a heavy unit, so might not be ideal if you're planning a little bit of portability.
While the majority of record players on this list are here solely for music listeners, I really wanted to include an option for those looking for a record player that could potentially double up as part of a DJ or sampling setup.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB might have a long-winded name, but it's an ideal beginner’s record deck for music-making pursuits. This is largely due to the fact it operates using direct drive, which means it can start and stop in an instant rather than winding down as belt-driven decks do.
It’s also one of the most robust turntables on the list, with a pleasing amount of heft to it which gives me confidence that it’ll last for a long time if it’s well looked after.
Read our full Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB review
Also tested
The record players above are what we think you should be spending your money on as a beginner. That said we've tested loads of record players so here are a few more beginner friendly options if you didn't find what you were looking for.
FAQ
What type of turntable do I need?
While the turntable is, fundamentally, a simple piece of technology – and one which, basically, operates the same way the first ones did more than 100 years ago – there are a few complicating factors that can make choosing one a bit more difficult for the new vinyl convert. You might see a lot of talk about cartridges, tracking force and ‘wow and flutter’, for instance.
All of these are important, but not necessarily to someone without the knowledge to distinguish one set of specs from another. As such, most beginners benefit from something plug-and-play – something that just ‘works’. Otherwise, in looking for a record player for beginners, your choice of turntable will come down to your preferences, and then again to the matching-up of budget to expectation.
If you want a truly plug-and-play turntable experience, then you want an automatic turntable with built-in speakers. ‘Automatic’ means the tonearm can place and lift itself on your behalf; play your records with the press of a button, and without needing to buy extra equipment.
While these are very user-friendly, they also tend to lack a little in the sound department. If you want to build a proper hi-fi, then you might be better served buying an entry-level semi-automatic turntable, particularly if it has a decent cartridge and a counterweighted tonearm.
Do I need to spend a lot of money on a turntable?
Essentially, the more you spend on a record player, the better you can realistically expect it to perform both in terms of audio quality and build quality. Expensive turntables aimed at audiophiles with cash to burn can be fairly high maintenance and require a lot of precise calibration and alignment – tasks that are easy to learn (after all, we have our own guide on how to calibrate your turntable here), but not necessarily fun or beginner-friendly.
Basic, entry-level models, on the other hand, tend to be simple to operate without much in the way of tinkering required. There are often trade-offs in terms of stability and sound quality, but with the right beginner turntable, these trade-offs won’t make much (if any) difference to your listening experience.
Do I need external speakers for a turntable?
Most turntables on the market are there to do one thing: turn the physical information in your record’s grooves into electrical information. Most don’t do much more than that, meaning you’ll need an amplifier and speakers to hear those signals. However, some turntables, like the Victrola Eastwood II in my shortlist above, have their own amplifier and speakers built in.
Whether you need external speakers, then, depends on what your ideal first hi-fi looks like. If you want an austere system to hear some records on, or a bedroom hi-fi for a younger member of the household, an all-in-one turntable may be just the ticket.
If you want more control over your sound, then your hi-fi would comprise a turntable, phono preamp, amplifier and a set of speakers. The vast majority of entry- and even mid-level turntables have a phono preamp built-in for convenience; make sure to check whether or not the one you choose has one, though.
Nowadays, it’s also common to find turntables which offer Bluetooth connectivity, meaning they can stream directly to a set of Bluetooth speakers (or indeed any Bluetooth receiver, whether a device that plugs into a hi-fi or a set of wireless headphones). This gives you a neat, simple and clean way to get the audio from the turntable and means you don’t have to worry about long wiring runs.
Can I upgrade my record player?
If you’re looking to the longer-term and want a record player that can grow with you, then you want a turntable with more extensive features than those entry-level plug-and-play devices. Features like anti-skate and counterweighting are giveaways for a better long-term candidate. As for upgradeability, there’s only one thing you can really upgrade on a given record player: the cartridge.
Your turntable’s cartridge is the mechanism by which sound is translated to electrical signals – and some are far better at it than others, by virtue of the shape of the needle and the responsiveness of their electromechanical design.
Most turntables follow the same ½-inch “standard mount” connection standards, and enable you to remove and replace your cartridge for a different one entirely just by unplugging four wires and unscrewing two screws. If you want an upgradeable record player, make sure to look for two screws atop the headshell at the end of the tonearm, or a knurled nut connecting the headshell to the tonearm.
Setting up your new cartridge is fiddly, but the results can breathe decades of new life into your hi-fi (if your hi-fi is good enough to hear the differences on – but that’s a huge topic of its own, for another time).
If you'd like more information about how to properly set up a record player, we have you covered here at Louder - and we also have some handy tips to make your vinyl records sound their best.
How we test
When we put our pick of the best record players for beginners through their paces we first look at the build quality, how stable the turntables are and how easy they are to set up.
Audio quality is a huge factor in deciding what record players to include in our list so we check to see if the products come with in-built speakers and if not, how easy it is to connect them to either external Bluetooth speakers or headphones - and the reliability of the connection. If that drops unexpectedly or if we have any issues, we'll let you know.
We also hook the record players up to a variety of speakers and turntables to ensure there are no issues - and we play a variety of musical genres to see how they perform.
Buying your first record player can be daunting with the sheer variety available, so if you need extras such as a phono pre-amp, we'll let you know. We'll also inform you whether the turntables are belt-driven or direct drive - and if you're looking for more info in this department, we have a guide explaining the differences between the two.
Related content
- Best budget turntables: Our pick of the best cheap record players
- Best vinyl records to test your turntable: The albums you need to own
- Best vinyl record cleaners: Keep your vinyl collection in prime condition
- 9 cheap upgrades you can make to improve your vinyl setup
- Why your choice of stylus and turntable cartridge matters
- Does vinyl really sound better than other formats?
