Turntables, also known as record players, come in many different styles; some sport vintage designs and capabilities, while others are fully digital. However, high-quality options can be pricey. Those hoping to save a bundle might wonder if cheap turntables are any good or if they’re simply a waste of money.
Some cheap turntables are surprisingly good and there are a handful that exhibit many of the features of more expensive models. To find the highest-quality, most affordable turntable, buyers will need to look for options with low-noise motors, stable tonearms, and consistent speeds.
Many of the best turntables also happen to be the most expensive, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy a good, affordable turntable. By familiarizing yourself with average prices, advantageous qualities, potential drawbacks, and current options, you can select the best possible budget-friendly turntable.
What’s the Average Price for a Turntable?
The average turntable retails for anywhere between $50 and $700. As such, the median price is approximately $375. However, the average cost is far closer to $250. To complicate matters, there are a few models that fetch over $1,000. That’s a lot of dough to spend on something that spins records.
As with any hobby or passion, it’s often wiser to invest in costlier materials than to spend consistently on low-quality options. This concept holds for those hoping to amass impressive vinyl record collections, play high-quality sound from vintage LPs, or mix their own tracks via vinyl sampling.
If you’re going to do something well, you might as well do it right. But getting the perfect turntable could mean emptying your savings account, and that’s not always advisable. Fortunately, it’s possible to ditch the high cost associated with superior-quality turntables.
But to discover the best-value record players, you’ll need to understand what qualities make or break a turntable. After all, it’ll be challenging to spot a high-quality, cheap turntable if you’re not sure what a high-quality, expensive model looks or sounds like.
What Are the Qualities of a Good Turntable?
Defining the ‘good’ qualities of a turntable can be a divisive task. That’s because a person’s priorities help them to determine what’s good and what’s unacceptable. However, the general consensus on a turntable’s positive qualities seems to be relatively unanimous.
A good turntable must:
- Have a motor that is quiet and that produce minimal vibrations
- Be able to maintain consistent speeds
- Feature a tonearm that rotates smoothly and freely
- Produce high-quality stereo or surround sound
- Be capable of playing records of various sizes
- Have audio outputs or Bluetooth capabilities
Just as there are beneficial features to look for when choosing a turntable, there are also negative aspects to avoid. If your preferred turntable meets all of the criteria listed above and includes a massive amount of frustrating flaws, it may be better to select a different model.
What Factors Make a Turntable Bad?
Judging the positive factors of a turntable is far more challenging than determining the negative ones. Music enthusiasts don’t spare anyone’s feelings regarding flaws inherent in cheap vinyl record players.
Some of the most commonly reported issues with low-quality turntables include:
- Consistent humming during usage
- Speaker failures and pops
- Roaming tonearms
- Rotation speed variation during usage
- Low-weight tonearms
- Loud internal motors
As you can see, many of the most resented flaws tend to be direct contrasts to the most beloved features. This duality makes it easy to search for and select the highest-quality and most affordable turntable.
If you choose to focus on the positive aspects, you’re bound to end up with a satisfying purchase. If you focus on the potential drawbacks, you’re also more likely to select a quality turntable. You simply cannot lose!
Can Cheap Turntables Be Any Good?
When compared against the most expensive turntables, cheap turntables aren’t impressive. However, good and bad are subjective terms. What may seem fair to you could be a nightmare for someone else.
As such, your current experience with turntables and vinyl record players may partially inform whether you think a cheap turntable is good or not. Still, there are some undeniable factors that play into a turntable’s overall quality. Equally, some features can detract from a record player’s positive aspects.
When it comes to choosing a budget-friendly beginner’s turntable, you’ve got dozens of options from which to choose. But if you’re hoping to acquire a professional-grade digital mixing studio that also functions as a turntable, you might not feel delighted with the affordable options.
Luckily, there are also a handful of mid-range models that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. Before you continue and check out some of our top picks for cheap turntables, take a moment to consider your priorities and preferences.
Why are you looking for a turntable? What do you plan on using it for? If the answer is playing vinyl records, you can select a reasonably-priced turntable that produces high-quality stereo audio. However, as mentioned before, if you’re looking for hi-tech capabilities, you might want to start saving for a pricier option.
What Are Some Good Cheap Turntables?
To help you reduce your browsing time and let the good times roll a little more quickly, we’ve scoured the internet in search of the best cheap turntables. Whether your budget is $50 or $150, there’s an affordable option that just might work.
While there are hundreds of potential models from which to choose, we will examine two specific options below.
How do these models differ? How are they the same? You may need to start getting into the habit of asking these types of questions if you’re determined to find the best budget-friendly turntable. Still, we’ve presented a few worthwhile features to get you started.
(Links below are to Amazon).
Audio-Technica AT-LP60X-BK Stereo Turntable
Sometimes you just need a reliable, affordable turntable that’s capable of playing full-sized 33 ⅓ LPs and slightly smaller seven-inch 45s. Truthfully, the moving magnet phono cartridge of the Audio-Technica might not break any hearts.
But the anti-resonance design and build are bound to produce higher-quality sound than cheaper options. And with lessened signal chain noise and an improved tonearm tracking capability, there’s a lot to love about this budget-friendly turntable.
Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Bluetooth Suitcase Record Player
Not every turntable is a permanent piece of furniture or a delicate array of breakable components. Some, like the Victrola Suitcase Record Player, are made for traveling the world. While closed, this turntable looks like a nondescript mid-century-era briefcase.
But the speakers might give this vinyl record player away. They’re inlaid onto the front section of the record player and are quite difficult to miss. Users can attach RCA cables to the turntable’s back and connect external speakers for improved sound quality.
While there are quite a few controls to master on this record player, these controls reflect a more fantastic range of options and capabilities. This turntable operates at three speeds, has a headphone jack for personal listening, and can transmit music to a Bluetooth speaker. The Victrola Suitcase Record Player might be the best-value option.
My ownly hesitation in recommending a less expensive model like this is that you may be disappointed with the sound quality. My daughter actually owns a cheap Crosley CR8005A-TU Cruiser (link to Amazon) which looks very similar to this model.
The one complaint we have with it is that if the record is even slightly warped, it really affects the sound quality. The cost is low and it will get the job done but it’s not on par with the Audio-Technica.
Conclusion
While many cheap turntables aren’t worth the plastic they’re made of, there are also quite a few competitively-priced options that might be worth a second (or third) look. It’s hard to recommend the really inexpensive ones that sacrifice quality but there are still quite a few inexpensive options worth considering.
Be sure to check out our buyer’s guide for the best turntables under $200.