The best record players 2023: Top turntables for any budget

Best record players image with a sharp image of a record player in the foreground and a blurred out women lying down and looking at vinyl in the background
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Today's best record players mix modern materials, design, and tech with that classic music format: vinyl. Despite first going mainstream in the 1940s, vinyl has stubbornly stuck around, and in the last few years it’s even enjoyed a resurgence as music lovers turn to its rich, tactile qualities. The kind you just don’t get from music streaming, in other words.

Below, we’ve cataloged the best turntables for your convenience. Although none of the models listed have received a full Tom's Guide standalone review, each record player has been tested by a vinyl expert for ease of set up, design and build, and sound quality. And it’s not like these are old relics, either: expect modernized hardware throughout, including some turntables that can even digitize your existing vinyl collection.

Read on for the pick of the very best turntables tested by our hi-fi expert. 

The best record players and turntables you can buy right now

Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.

A photo of the Rega Planar 3/Elys 2, our choice of the best record players, on a blue backgroundTop Pick

(Image credit: Rega)

1. Rega Planar 3

The best record player overall

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45RPM
Speed change: Manual
Drive: Belt
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
High audio performance
+
Great looks
+
Excellent cartridge
+
Very stable

Reasons to avoid

-
Not many extra features

Everything that made Rega one of the go-to turntable brands even during the format’s leanest years is here in the Planar 3/Elys 2 combination — and in spades. 

Every crucial component is specified without compromise. The polished glass platter, the bearing assembly and 24v motor, the high-gloss acrylic plinth with double brace, the hand-assembled RB330 tonearm… they’re all significantly over specified and designed to make the Planar 3 record player perform to its absolute maximum. And in the Elys 2, Rega has developed and fitted a cartridge that does absolute justice to this engineering investment. 

The result is a turntable that looks good and is built to last, a turntable that rejects external vibration manfully, that is completely stable… and, when slotted into an appropriate system, delivers a sound that’s alive with detail, immediacy, weight and dynamism. All of which explains why it's our pick of the best record players.

A photo of the Pro-Ject Primary E record player on a gray desk

(Image credit: Pro-Ject)

2. Pro-Ject Primary E

The best record player on a budget

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45RPM
Speed change: Manual
Drive: Belt
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
Low price
+
Easy to use
+
Great sound

Reasons to avoid

-
Dull design
-
Few extras

Pro-Ject has long been a true entry-level hero where the best turntables are concerned, and with the Primary E it’s delivered a record player that absolutely nails the fundamentals. If you’re looking for an affordable way into the joys of vinyl, look no further.

No, it’s not what you’d call a looker and yes, the finish of the plinth and platter could be more luxurious. But the Primary E — thanks to its high-quality tonearm, very acceptable Ortofon cartridge and general robustness of build and specification — is utterly fit for purpose. And thanks to its hard-wired RCA interconnects, pre-set tracking and anti-skate weights, and pre-fitted cartridge, all you need to do is slip the belt around the platter and the pulley; it’s basically plug-and-play.

And the sound the Pro-Ject makes is as easy to listen to as the turntable is to operate. All of the vinyl virtues — rhythmic expression, low-frequency weight and energy, overall unity of presentation — are present and correct. As a gateway drug, the Primary E proves very moreish indeed.

A photo of the Cambridge Audio Alva TT record player on a wooden table in a sitting room setting

(Image credit: Cambridge Audio)

3. Cambridge Audio Alva TT

The best record player for wireless connectivity

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45RPM
Speed change: Electronic
Drive: Direct
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Hi-Res Audio support
+
Extensive wireless integration
+
High build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Expensive

Imagine a record player that can seamlessly fit into your modern, wireless ecosystem. A record player that can stream wirelessly at high resolution to your wireless speakers, wireless headphones or multi-room audio setup… then listen to the remarkable Alva TT and stop imagining.

Cambridge Audio has built a handsome, hefty and very well-specified turntable in the Alva TT. Its aluminium construction, weighty platter, medium-torque direct-drive motor arrangement (ideal for absolute rotational stability) and impression of unburstable build quality go a long way to justifying the asking price. And then for good measure, Cambridge Audio has fitted an analogue-to-digital converter and a Bluetooth streaming module — which basically makes the Alva TT the world’s first high-resolution record player. 

Put the Alva TT anywhere you like in your room, put on a record, then sit back and enjoy its detailed, punchy and effortlessly musical sound, with mains power the only physical connection required.

The Audio Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB record player on a white desk

(Image credit: Audio Technica)

4. Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB

The best affordable all-rounder turntable

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45, 78RPM
Speed change: Electronic
Drive: Direct
Auto-stop: Yes
Wireless: Yes

Reasons to buy

+
Highly versatile
+
Bluetooth connectivity
+
Can digitize vinyl
+
Decent audio quality

Reasons to avoid

-
Unoriginal design

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Technics and its iconic SL-1200 turntable may be feeling mighty flattered by the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB. Still, there’s more to this record player than simply trying to look like a legend.

With its direct-drive arrangement, stroboscope and pitch control, the AT-LP120XBT-USB is a good starting point for any budding DJ. But thanks to its integrated switchable phono stage (making it easy to slot into systems of any kind), aptX Bluetooth wireless streaming (for uber-convenience) and USB output (for making digital copies of vinyl to a computer), it’s a Swiss Army knife of a record player.

And happily, the sound it makes is well up to standard. It’s not the most forceful or assertive turntable you’ll ever hear, but it extracts plenty of detail, has an easy-going way with rhythms and puts some nice emphasis on the midrange (vocalists in particular). It’s the best turntable pick if you want a little bit of everything.

The VPI Prime is one of the best turntables. It's pictured here on a white background

(Image credit: VPI)

5. VPI Prime

The best record player when money’s no object

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45RPM
Speed change: Manual
Drive: Belt
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
Exquisite sound
+
Solid build
+
Distinctive styling

Reasons to avoid

-
Very expensive
-
Doesn't include a cartridge

“Chunky” is the word that best describes the VPI Prime, at least as far as build quality and (let’s not be coy) price is concerned. This not-insignificant outlay buys some quite considerable heft, from the steel-and-MDF chassis and 19.8-pound, magnesium-and-aluminium platter to the bomb-proof main bearing assembly and clamp to hold your vinyl securely in place.

Naturally, this being the authentic high-end, £3750 includes a tonearm but not a cartridge — and you’ll be looking to spend anything up to £1000 on something appropriate.

If you’re still with us at this point, though, we can talk about the way the VPI Prime sounds — and in all honesty, the sound it produces makes that price look absolutely fair enough. This is a confident, revealing, articulate and endlessly listenable turntable, with all sorts of pertinent observations to make about the detail, integration, dynamics and soundstaging of your favourite records. In other words, it’ll give you the whole story.

The Technics SL-1500C turntable, photographed top-down from above, on a gray textured background

(Image credit: Technics)

6. Technics SL-1500C

The best turntable from a legendary brand

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45, 78RPM
Speed change: Electronic
Drive: Direct
Auto-stop: Switchable
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
Premium design
+
Pre-fitted cartridge
+
Audio heritage

Reasons to avoid

-
Better-sounding alternatives are available

There’s currently no more affordable way into Technics turntable ownership, but that is emphatically not the same as suggesting the SL-1500C is built down to a price.

At a glance, it looks like the company’s storied SL-1200 DJ deck with the more hands-on elements deleted — and to an extent, that’s exactly what this is. So it has the same bank-vault build quality, the same fearsomely overengineered direct-drive motor mechanism and the same big ‘stop/start’ button as the world’s favourite record player.

Unlike the SL-1200, though, the SL-1500C is quite a deft and articulate listen. Whisper it, but the SL-1200 has always been a bit of a blunt instrument in sonic terms — but the SL-1500C is an altogether more nuanced device. The pre-fitted Ortofon cartridge helps here, while the switchable auto-stop mechanism and switchable phono stage make it a more flexible record player, too. Some turntables will hit harder and dig deeper, but very few will deliver the same pride of ownership.

The Rega Planar 1 turntable on a white background

(Image credit: Rega)

7. Rega Planar 1

The best record player under $600 for performance

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45RPM
Speed change: Manual
Drive: Belt
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
Accessible price
+
Clean, responsive sound
+
Well-built

Reasons to avoid

-
Somewhat basic
-
Uninspiring design

Rega is the only company in this list with more than one entry — and while the rest of its turntable portfolio is not without charm, the Planar 1 is perhaps the purest expression of what Rega is all about.

As with almost all Rega record players, the Planar 1 doesn’t pamper you — it’s best to think of the chassis and plinth as necessary supports for the important stuff (motor, bearing, tonearm) rather than objects to be admired in and of themselves. If you can sort your visual and decorative priorities out, Rega will take care of the audio stuff for you, and in some style.

The Planar 1 is a disciplined listen, able to snap into and out of low-frequency information with none of the hanging around that lesser record players can indulge in. As a consequence the midrange is uncluttered, and free to get on with communicating impressive levels of detail. And the entire presentation hangs together coherently, meaning the Rega serves up a complete picture without sticking its oar in to any appreciable degree. 

The Clearaudio Concept record player on a white, reflective background

(Image credit: Clearaudio)

8. Clearaudio Concept

The best record player for combining looks with performance

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45, 78RPM
Speed change: Electronic
Drive: Belt
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
Slick design
+
High sound quality
+
Relatively compact

Reasons to avoid

-
Pretty pricey

When you get comfortably into the four-figure price bracket, the best turntables really need to be more than one-trick ponies. There’s no merit in just sounding great and looking amateurish or ugly, just as there’s no merit in looking a million dollars and sounding like a few cents’ worth. Which brings us to how it should be done: the Clearaudio Concept.

The design language here is elegant and understated — timeless, even. The quality of materials is unarguable, as is the build quality and finish. And the sound the Concept makes, while far from the last word in outright attack, is every bit as sophisticated as the record player from which it emanates. 

With the emphasis squarely on subtlety, nuance and insight, the Concept is capable of extracting the finest details from the groove and laying them out for inspection. This isn’t at the expense of the broader picture, and neither is the Concept in any way prissy. It simply digs out the minutiae and puts it into proper context. It’s quietly thrilling.

The Vertere DG-1 turntable on a white background

(Image credit: Vertere)

9. Vertere DG-1

The best plug and play turntable from an unlikely source

Specifications

Speeds: 33.3, 45RPM
Speed change: Electronic
Drive: Belt
Auto-stop: No
Wireless: No

Reasons to buy

+
 Cheaper than other Vertere turntables 
+
Also easier to use
+
Lovely design
+
Wide soundstage

Reasons to avoid

-
Still expensive compared to alternatives

“Affordable” is a relative term, but by its own giddy standards Vertere has really pulled out the stops to bring its DG-1 record player in at a real-world price. And it’s done so by rationalising, rather than abandoning, all the clever materials, far-sighted engineering and design idiosyncrasies that make its more expensive turntables so compelling.

As far as dynamic potency goes, the DG-1 is untouchable, asnd by that we mean both the board quiet-loud-quiet dynamic expression present in most recordings and the more nuanced harmonic dynamics apparent when in individual instrument and vocal parts. It handles rhythms and tempos with complete authority, and it presents a beautifully open and easy-to-follow soundstage too. And it does all this without needing the same engineering qualifications that Vertere’s more expensive turntables insist on.

How we test the best record players and turntables

Every record player in this list has been tested by Tom’s Guide contributors — we won’t recommend a turntable based on hunches or brief impressions alone.

First and foremost, our testing focuses on sound quality; for all a turntable’s little tricks, nothing is more important than making sure your vinyl sounds good on it, so we’ll listen to a variety of music to find out when each record player best handles different instrument types and frequency ranges.

We’ll also take a close look at build quality, as even cheap turntables can cost a healthy three figures and should be appropriately built to last. And, while sound quality remains paramount, we’ll also try out any special features a record player might have, both to ensure they work reliably and that they’re actually useful.

How to choose the best record player for you

First off, be aware the signal from even the best record players is feeble to the point of being non-existent. 

It takes a great deal more amplification to make it audible than any of the other format you listen to — so if it’s going to be of any use to an amplifier it’s going to need a rocket up it at some point. The rocket in question is a phono stage, sometimes known as a phono pre-amp, which amplifies the weak signal from a record player to make it louder. If your amplifier doesn’t have one, you either need to buy a record player with an integrated phono stage, or purchase a stand-alone phono stage to go between your turntable and your amplifier.

After that, it’s important to make sure you’re budgeting correctly. There’s no point in spending thousands on a record player if the system it’s joining cost peanuts, just as buying a budget-conscious turntable is a false economy if your set-up cost proper money. In either case, you’re not maximising performance.

Then make sure your turntable has the facilities you need. Do you have some old 78rpm discs? Not every record player can deal with them. Do you want to convert your vinyl into digital files? Make sure your turntable has a USB output. Would you like to stream your vinyl wirelessly? Then a Bluetooth transmitter is a must. 

Setting up a turntable is therefore more of a complex process than simply turning on your favorite Bluetooth speaker, though as any audiophile will tell you, that extra effort can yield some great-sounding rewards.

Contributions from: Simon Lucas

More: Also check out our best budget turntables buying guide, and find out why our audio editor thinks vinyl sound is better.

Next: Learn the tricks and the tools you need to keep your LPs sounding great with our how to clean vinyl records.

Lee Dunkley
Audio Editor

As a former editor of the U.K.'s Hi-Fi Choice magazine, Lee is passionate about all kinds of audio tech and has been providing sound advice to enable consumers to make informed buying decisions since he joined Which? magazine as a product tester in the 1990s. Lee covers all things audio for Tom's Guide, including headphones, wireless speakers and soundbars and loves to connect and share the mindfulness benefits that listening to music in the very best quality can bring.