There’s an old saying that you get into vinyl for the expense and inconvenience. How much you want to spend on a record player depends on how deep you want to go down the rabbit hole for that particular hobby. And that’s before we even factor in the cost of speakers, pre-amps, and even the record themselves.
Do you want something simple that’ll play that Let It Bleed reissue with no strings attached; or would you prefer a turntable that’ll let you get the most from the original Japanese pressing of Kind of Blue that you spent an eye-watering amount of money on?
Whether you’ve just started collecting vinyl or you’re looking to upgrade from your current turntable, here are some of our favourite record players.
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BH Approved: Our Favourite Record Player
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo
98/100
SCOREPROS
- Designed to reduce any surface resonence and provides fantastic audio quality.
- Incredibly easy to set up, even for beginners.
- Sleek minimalist design comes with a range of finishes.
CONS
- Its $1,200 RRP might turn-off first-time turntable buyers.
With a stylish minimalist design, Pro-Ject Audio’s Debut Carbon Evo is a record player that’ll please burgeoning and established vinyl collectors alike. Solid build, easy-to-use features, and fantastic sound quality… you couldn’t ask for much more. It does everything right.
The Debut Carbon Evo is a manual turntable, which means you’ll need to place/remove the tone arm yourself. Thankfully, the combination of a rigid carbon fibre tonearm and an anti-skating system goes a long way to ensure you’re getting the best possible playback. It comes with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge and stylus, rated for up to 1,000 hours of play, giving you a rich and dynamic listening experience.
The Evo uses a heavy-duty steel platter with a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) ring, along with TPE rubber feet, to help dampen resonances. If aesthetics are a big selling point for you, Pro-Ject offers a range of finishes that aren’t just the usual black or silver.
The Debut Carbon Evo doesn’t have a built-in phono pre-amp, so you’ll need to buy one separately, and it lacks wireless support (which isn’t the worst thing in the world). The Debut Carbon Evo also has plenty of potential when it comes to upgrades. So if you take proper care of it, this is the kind of record player that’ll sound golden for years and years.
The Best Record Players In Australia
Sony PS-LX310BT
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Type: Automatic
- Turntable Platter: Die-cast aluminium
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Built-in Phono: Yes
If you’re after the bare minimum when it comes to record players — we’re talking something that’s reliably good and won’t break the bank — then Sony’s PS-LX310BT is worth your time.
It’s fair to say that Sony knows its way around home audio and the sleek turntable is no expectation. This baby comes with a built-in pre-amp and Bluetooth support, so this record player is more or less ready to go the moment you pull it out of the box. Just plug and play. The PS-LX310BT is even automatic, so all you need to do is press the play button and let the tonearm lower itself.
Though do note that the cartridge is attached to the tone arm, so you’re only able to replace the moving magnet stylus. The tonearm is a bit lightweight, so try to avoid any accidental knocks (more so than you usually would).
If you’re willing to spend the money, there are better record players out there. For under $400, the PS-LX310BT is a solid enough first-time turntable that doesn’t cheap out on quality — this thing sounds good. If you can get it on sale, even better.
Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Type: Automatic
- Turntable Platter: Die-cast aluminium
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Built-in Phono: Yes
If you’re interested in dipping your toe into the world of vinyl, look no further than Audio-Technica’s AT-LP70XBT. Building on the foundation of its previous iteration (the AT-LP60XBT), this record player is a perfect option for beginners, offering an incredibly easy-to-use experience that sounds great.
The AT-LP70XBT is an automatic turntable, so it’ll lower and raise the tonearm at the press of a button. This is great if you don’t have a heap of experience, or don’t feel comfortable lining up the needle manually.
With a sturdy body that’ll handle surface vibrations, the AT-LP70XBT offers satisfying sound quality. One stand-out feature is how easy it is to upgrade the AT-VM95C stylus, and Audio-Technica has a decent selection of options available (provided it’s a VM95 model).
It comes with a built-in pre-amp, so you can plug it straight into a pair of speakers if your current audio setup is a bit basic. It also gives you the option to plug it into a separate phono, so you can grow your audio setup around it.
You can save yourself $100 and pick up a version of the AT-LP70X without Bluetooth support. But if you own a few wireless speakers or headphones, spending the extra money could be worth it.
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Rega Planar 2
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Type: Manual
- Turntable Platter: Glass
- Bluetooth: No
- Built-in Phono: No
Rega has been producing award-winning record players for roughly 50 years now, with the original iteration of the Planar 2 released in 1977. Rega has built on an already solid foundation with the latest version of the Planar 2, which promises one of the best audio experiences around, housed in a sleek streamlined design.
The Planar 2 uses Rega’s signature raised glass platter — thicker around the edges for stable and consistent speeds. It also comes with the audio brand’s Rega Carbon moving magnet cartridge, attached to a sturdy aluminium tonearm. The design and materials used in its base do a stunning job of filtering away surface vibrations. All of these features combine nicely to ensure you’re only hearing your records.
The Planar 2 doesn’t come with a built-in phono stage, so you’ll need to factor in the price for a pre-amp, which will easily push the cost of this turntable into the four-figure range. But it’s a more than solid investment in the long run.
In a field crowded with stylish designs, the Rega Planar 2 still manages to stand out with great audio and a hassle-free setup.
Technics SL-1500C
- Drive: Direct Drive
- Type: Semi-automatic
- Turntable Platter: Die-cast aluminium
- Bluetooth: No
- Built-in Phono: Yes
If there’s one audio brand with an immaculate track record when it comes to turntables, it’s Technics. The SL-1500C uses a design based on the brand’s iconic SL-1200 series. However, it’s traded the more DJ-focused features of that range for something better suited for at-home listening. In short, Technics, a company famous for well-engineered record players, lives up to its reputation.
The SL-1500C has a built-in pre-amp and a robust direct drive, housed within a sturdy base design (it weighs just under 10kg). It comes bundled with the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge (as discussed above under the Debut Carbon Evo), a solid starting point that you won’t need to upgrade immediately.
The SL-1500C is semi-automatic, so while you’ll need to place the tonearm down manually, it’ll automatically lift itself once the record ends. Speaking of, the SL-1500C’s S-shaped tonearm is incredibly well-designed to ensure sound integrity is maintained. It does everything right and not to sound cliche, but you can hear the difference.
Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2
- Drive: Direct Drive
- Type: Manual
- Turntable Platter: POM (Polyoxymethylene)
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Built-in Phono: Yes
Not only is the Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 an excellent high-end turntable, but it’s so simple that even a novice should have no problem navigating it. This is an incredibly well-built piece of audio equipment, that combines high-end design with quality sound. The Alva TT V2 includes a light, high-output moving coil cartridge that places less weight on the stylus, so it’ll pick up more nuanced details of your vinyl.
A solid anti-skate system will keep the tonearm in place with minimal resonance. The tonearm also includes a detachable headshell, making future upgrades very easy to manage. The platter is made from POM, a semi-crystalline thermoplastic known for its high stiffness and low friction, with a consistently capable direct-drive motor that barely makes a sound.
The turntable is heavy (just shy of 11kg), so while it’ll take a lot to knock it you’ll want to place it somewhere equally sturdy, to avoid any surface interference.
On top of this, it also comes with a built-in phono stage and Bluetooth support (aptX HD, 24-bit wireless HD audio); in other words, this beast is more or less ready to go right out of the box if you have speakers or headphones at the ready.
The bonus of having a built-in phono stage means you don’t have to worry about finding space for a pre-amp and all the extra wires that it brings. However, if you’re willing to spend the money on this, you may as well go all out with your hi-fi setup to ensure you’re getting the most from your investment here.
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Audio-Technica Sound Burger
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Type: Manual
- Turntable Platter: Aluminum
- Bluetooth: Yes
- Built-in Phono: Yes
Ideally, portability shouldn’t be a “Must-Have” when buying a turntable. Where you position your record player is important as surface vibrations can affect playback, so constantly changing the location can impact how it sounds.
With that said, the Sound Burger is a good portable record player if you’re massively strapped for space or want one for travel purposes. It offers the reliable audio quality you’d expect from an Audio-Technica turntable, wrapped in a stylish retro sci-fi aesthetic.
It has a 12-hour battery life and Bluetooth support, so you don’t need to worry about cables (although it does have a phono pre-amp built-in if you’d prefer a direct line). Apart from being conscious of where you set your Sound Burger down, the record player also lacks a cover. This means your records are a bit exposed, so you’ll need to clean them more regularly.
While the Sound Burger might be somewhat of a novelty item to some, when you compare it with those cheap suitcase turntables that the market is lousy with, the difference in quality is night and day. While it might only appeal to a specific type of person, there’s something to be enjoyed with it. Although you might want a price drop first.
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