Turntable Buying Guide

So you’re thinking about jumping into the world of vinyl but you’re unsure where to start. We’ve broken down turntables into categories so you can understand where they differ.

Key benefits of vinyl

1. Improve your experience of listening to music. Needing to lift the tonearm on to the record yourself is a good problem to have and is part of the experience of vinyl. 
2. Bring yourself closer to your favourite artists. Every album artwork tells a different story and looks different from the next. With vinyl, you listen to the album in the order the artist intends you to listen. 
3. Choice. There is so much choice out there and you can find something for nearly every budget. You don’t need to spend a fortune to get a decent analogue experience and components can be upgraded over time, yet if you want to spend more to get a better experience, the option is always there.

Potential downsides to vinyl

1. It’s an expensive hobby. The turntable is just the start! You’ll need to think about maintaining the turntable, purchase the records themselves & upgrade the set up in one way or another, whether that’s the turntable itself or the speakers.
2. They can be hassle. Sometimes you just want to come home and press play. That’s why we recommend not relying on a turntable to play all of your music. In our opinion, turntables are used best as part of a combination system consisting of an option for streaming directly to your speakers and switching to vinyl when you want to.
3. It can be hard to know what products work well together. It’s easy to get lost in the endless world of analogue audio but thankfully there are systems out there which can guide us. The Rega System One is a great example of a complete HiFi system which maximises the potential of each component.

Components of a turntable

Want to delve deeper into what makes up a turntable - read here.

Types of turntable

Belt Drive Vs Direct Drive

Turntables rely on a motor assembly in order to spin your records. However, there’s a couple of drive configurations which you’re likely to see mentioned when researching your ideal turntable.

Belt Drive

On this turntable a motor relays its power to the platter via a rubber belt. This belt tends to absorb any unwanted vibrations from the motor, resulting in better sound quality overall.

Direct Drive

In this case the motor of the turntable attaches straight to the platter instead. As a result, direct drive turntables offer greater torque and speed accuracy, making them an ideal choice for DJs.

Automatic Vs Manual

Most turntables available today are either specified as manual or automatic, with the former offering a more involved experience and the latter being better for ease of use.

Automatic Turntables

This style of turntable makes things easier for the listener because, at the touch of a button, the deck will start and lower its own tonearm onto the record. At the end of play, the tonearm will raise and return to its rest point.

Semi-automatic designs raise and return the tonearm at the end of each side, but the listener must start and lower the tonearm at the start of play. 

Example of a fully-automatic turntable - Sony PS-LX310BT

Manual Turntables

The listener starts and lowers the tonearm onto the record themselves, then lifting the arm again at the end of each side. Manual decks often have more of their development costs spent on the sound quality aspects of the turntable, and there’s less mechanical devices to go wrong.

A typical example of a manual turntable is the award-winning Audio-Technica AT-LPW50PB.

Minimalist Designs Vs Technical Designs

Some turntables appear more basic in their appearance, whereas other are laden with all sorts of useful features.

Minimalist Designs

A simple turntable is easier to place and draws less attention to itself. Whilst they may have less technical features, minimalist designs see emphasis placed on outright sound quality instead.

A good case in point is the Rega Planar 1, which has won numerous awards for its sound quality. Its manual, belt-drive configuration offers greater focus on sound performance because there’s no manufacturing costs reserved for automatic start and return mechanisms.

Technical Designs

Some turntables have more playback features compared to others, such as pitch controls and stroboscopic speed indicators, for example. Whilst you may not need such features for home listening, they prove useful if you’re using your turntable in a professional setting.

A great example is the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBTUSB, which takes its styling cues from the legendary Technics SL-1200 of the late 1970s, but the LP-120 offers a great balance between sound performance and additional features.

Entry-level Vs High-End

Some believe that  the more expensive the turntable, the better the performance. And to a certain degree it’s true, but it’s key to remember that everyone’s budgets are different.

Whilst it’s often best to keep away from turntables which combine speakers into the main deck as less is spent on the internals and stylus, resulting in lesser sound quality and a greater risk of damaging your vinyl, there’s some great decks available for not much more.

At SHS the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XUSB is a great starting point for vinyl newbies, thanks to its ease of use and energetic sound. Going up from there, you’ll see a further increase in both sound and build quality, with the Rega Planar 2 being the benchmark option in our range, albeit at the cost of no automatic playback or integrated preamp.

As a general rule of thumb, more affordable options tend to feature automatic playback, but this feature drops in favour of outright sound quality when ascending the SHS range of turntables.

What do I need to enjoy vinyl?

Here are three popular routes to consider:

• Traditional HiFi - the classic analogue audio experience.
• Vinyl + Streaming - the best of both worlds where analogue charm meets digital connectivity
• Active Speakers - Less equipment = less clutter

To delve into these setups & see popular options click here.

Getting the most out of your turntable & vinyl collection

Vinyl records do need care and maintenance to keep them at their very best, but our handy blog guide shows you everything there is to know about cleaning, preserving and enjoying your collection. We’ll also show you basic turntable maintenance too.