As more people begin to learn about the benefits of vinyl and the large community they can engage with, there is more demand for answers to “what record player should I buy?” There are a lot of them to choose from. Some need separate speakers and an amplifier to function, others just require you to plug it in and drop a vinyl on the turntable; some cost $700 while others cost $60, but today, we are focusing on record players that have speakers included.
The best vinyl record player with speakers is the Victrola 50’s Retro Record Player. It’s an all-in-one record player that packs a ton of features and offers a lot of value for a low price point. If you have CDs lying around, you’ll be happy to learn that it supports not just vinyl but also CDs!
Sure, we can get into higher-end record players, but for now, that is a decent start. We will be going into what makes a good record player, what to look for, and how much you should spend. If you would like to learn more, we encourage you to keep on reading!
Introduction to Record Players
We will spare you a long explanation of how record players work and blah blah blah, but knowing the basics of how everything works can help a lot in understanding what to look for in a decent record player.
Buyer’s Guide
Why Vinyl?
If you are reading this, you are probably either already interested in vinyl or are trying to find out why you should buy a record player in the first place and are seeing what’s good and how much they cost.
But in short, vinyl is a form of analog media, which has largely been phased, with one of the few exceptions being the rise that vinyl has experienced since 2007.
And the reason why vinyl came back is that it offers a different experience from an iPod, Spotify, CD, etc., any form of digital music you can think of.
It’s hard to explain if you have never heard what vinyl sounds like, but it can be described as “warm” sounding with incredible clarity since the vinyl records themselves contain lossless analog audio.
We recommend going to a vinyl record shop and trying out the media format yourself if you haven’t heard it yet; it will give you a clear indication of what you can expect when you pick up your first record player. Don’t get into vinyl just because you think “it’s cool”; get into it because it speaks to you.
There are both pros and cons to vinyl, and it isn’t for everyone, but if you are the type who loves having physical media, flipping through records at stores, taking care of a collection, and enjoying music that sounds like no other, you are in for a treat! If you are accustomed to yelling at Alexa to play your favorite songs, it will take some adjustment, but if you are willing to adjust, we highly recommend getting into vinyl!
It doesn’t even have to be terribly expensive if you shop right, despite what some hardcore enthusiasts would say. And this is a great article to showcase this as we will be going over some affordable models (as well as more expensive ones if you are willing to drop the cash).
Difference Between a Record Player and a Turntable
First, it’s important to know that ALL record players have turntables. In fact, this is a big reason why a record player can even function. It’s the plate that spins the record around as the needle smoothly drags through the little grooves.
However, when referring to the unit as a whole as a “turntable,” this implies that it isn’t a complete system, and you’ll need to bring your own speaker and amplifier. Vinyl enthusiasts generally prefer this as they usually have high-end speakers and amps that can bring the most out of their vinyl records, much like how audiophiles, in general, will prefer to use enthusiast-grade speakers and amps with lossless music files.
On the other hand, a “record player” implies that the unit has built-in speakers and an amplifier, meaning all you need to do is unbox the thing, plug it in, and drop a vinyl record on it. In some cases, you don’t even have to manually lower the needle yourself if it’s an automatic record player.
Which One Should You Get?
If you are new to the world of vinyl, we recommend starting out with a record player that already has the speakers and amps built-in. They are no fuss, cheap, and easy to set up. Don’t worry about what enthusiasts with $600 setups say what you should get for optimal sound quality. Speakers can sound good on the low end; it’s just that the high end is heavenly, plus not everyone can tell the difference in sound quality once you spend a certain amount of money.
Simply put, the record players we will list below sound good, and most if not all of them support plugging in external speakers if you want even better audio quality, so you aren’t stuck with the sound that it comes with if you decide you want to stick to vinyl and have a hobby and hunger for more.
Furthermore, you can get a decent record player for $50, making it easier to “try out” vinyl collecting and listening.
As we mentioned above, not everyone sticks with it, whether it be due to the cost of buying the vinyl records themselves (which are often $20 or more) or that they get annoyed with having to physically flip the record when one side is finished (which is a far cry from shouting at a smart speaker to play a song or letting a playlist automatically select the next track).
Note that while I wouldn’t recommend one of these inexpensive models for playing an expensive collector’s vinyl record, they are great options for getting started with commercial vinyl music.
What Makes a Good Record Player Exactly?
People will give you different opinions on what makes a record player “good.” Some will say you must spend $500 on a record player made from the finest of materials and build quality to “truly” experience vinyl, while others, such as ourselves, will just tell you to get something that is “decent.” And by decent, we mean something that isn’t pure junk that will damage your vinyl records overtime and offer poor audio quality.
If you’ve ever shopped around for vinyl records, you’ve likely seen widely different price points. Some record players cost as low as $40 while others are $600. But why is there such a dramatic difference? And at what point does a record player become worth your attention?
How Much Should You Spend on a Record Player?
Right off the bat, we’ll say that we don’t recommend getting the cheapest record player that you can find, which is generally under the $40 price point. The reason is that especially cheap record players have a habit of destroying vinyl records over time since they don’t pay as much attention to building quality and precision.
In addition, cheap record players may not do vinyl justice as they are generally very lightweight, which means increased vibration resulting in a poorer listening experience. Lastly, the built-in speakers and amps won’t be very good. In short, it’s worth paying a little more if you are serious about getting into vinyl. While a $29-record player with built-in speakers may be tempting, it might give you a poorer than expected first impression.
If you are unsure if you’ll like vinyl, either go to a record shop for a few examples or buy from a store that offers a generous return policy (for example, Best Buy will accept returns during a short window of time for any reason, and simply sell the item as open-box if there isn’t anything wrong with it).
As far as the big question in the room – “how much should you spend on a record player”? $50 and up is what most record players cost.
This leads us back to the distinction between a “record player” and “turntables,” turntables generally cost much more than a record player with built-in amps and speakers, the reason being that they cater to the enthusiast market, people who have their own high-quality speakers and amps.
If we were talking about turntables today, we’d recommend spending at least $200 on one since you are likely invested enough to shell out the money for a turntable, dedicated amp, and a pair of decent stereo speakers. And that’s considered a “budget” turntable.
Record players with built-in speakers are generally bought by those who are either just wanting to dabble with vinyl for the first time, love the collection aspect of it, but don’t want to drop loads of money on equipment or are happy with the sound that comes out of a $50+ record player.
And so the market focuses on sub $100 price points because that’s what people buy. Expensive record players don’t do as well since if someone is willing to drop that kind of money on vinyl, they will probably be willing to buy an amplifier and speakers to go along with it.
Hardcore enthusiasts have very high standards, but it’s important to remember that vinyl sounds great regardless. At the end of the day, this is a technology that has been around well before digital music, and the process is largely the same across the board.
Without further ado, let’s go over our picks for the best record players with built-in speakers.
Wockoder Record Player
If you are looking for something that does what it says and does it well without breaking the bank, this is a good option to start.
This is a “suitcase” design, meaning that it has a lid and handle to keep the insides safe and tidy while being quite portable. If you travel a lot or just want something that doesn’t take up a lot of space, this record player will do the trick.
It’s not just a simple record player, however. It has Bluetooth connectivity, meaning that it doubles as a regular speaker. You can play your favorite songs from Spotify, for example. This record player will simply act like any other Bluetooth speaker, which is great if you are a fan of listening to both vinyl and digital music. It also features an SD card slot for loading up your favorite digital music!
As for the main attraction, the record player itself, it gets the job done! It plays records and does a fine job at it. The speakers are decent; the playback is decent – we think you’ll be very happy with this.
It’s not an audiophile $700-grade level quality, but most people won’t care, it sounds great regardless, and at the end of the day, that’s what matters.
Wockoder Record Player (Non-Suitcase Design)
If you don’t need a suitcase record player, then you can get away with paying a bit less and get this instead. It’s largely the same other than that. It’s a good record player that provides quality playback and speakers.
Like most record players, this is belt-drive, meaning that vibrations are minimized to avoid excessive crackling and “jerkiness.” It also has a spring to mitigate vibrations further, but if you want to avoid vibrations further, you can buy a set of shock absorbers that will do the trick.
This record player also supports Bluetooth for connecting your smartphone or another digital music device like the above mentioned.
Unfortunately, you do miss out on having an SD card slot, so if that is important to you, we would recommend the above record player instead. However, this offers incredible value, and we would recommend it if you are just looking for something that plays vinyl records and does a good job doing it. And for its price range, that’s more money for you to spend on vinyl records!
Victrola Portable Suitcase Record Player
This is one of the most popular record players on Amazon, and for a good reason. It checks all the boxes that people look for:
- Looks great
- Sounds great
- Suitcase design
- Bluetooth
And there are many, many different color choices. So many colors! Seriously, there are around 37 different color choices, so you are absolutely guaranteed to find one you like. The white one is very slick looking with the gold accents, and the black quite dapper as well! It looks more expensive than it actually is.
Like the above record players, this is easy to set up. Unbox, hook it up, place the record on the plate and drop the needle. No extra equipment is required to start enjoying your vinyl records. As of writing, it is on sale, but it regularly goes down to this price, so keep an eye out!
It also includes an extra needle in the box just in case you need to replace it. That’s quite convenient as it spares you from having to order another needle as you twiddle your thumbs waiting for it to arrive.
Overall, it’s an easy recommendation. So many other people have bought this thing and have given a thumbs up, making a purchase that provides peace of mind.
DLITIME Record Player
If you are willing to extend your budget, this is a record player absolutely worth a look. It may not be as portable as the above mentions. It makes up for it with huge speakers with full dynamic range and a heavier overall weight to offer a superior listening experience.
In addition, it features an SD card slot for listening to digital music, and the speakers here are quite good, so you may want to do that. It also supports Bluetooth connectivity, which is going to make people who like to stream music happy.
It even has a built-in radio, a CD player and the yellow one can even play cassette tapes. This is the swiss army knife of record players, folks; it can do it all, making it an incredible value.
The knobs and buttons are also a step up in quality from the above mentions. It’s the little things that count sometimes! Overall, we recommend this record player if you are okay with paying a little more to get better built-in speakers and smoother playback.
Victrola Navigator
If you want a swiss army knife record player but like a classic, wooden aesthetic, this is the one for you.
Victrola calls this an 8-in-1 record player, and we can’t say they are lying:
- Record Player
- CD Player
- Cassette Player
- Bluetooth
- SD Card Slot
- FM Radio
- USB
- AUX and Headphone Jack Port
All wrapped up in a nice classic design. This record player does both old and modern media formats, which is very handy. Play a vinyl record, pick up your phone when it’s done and throw on your favorite Spotify playlist via Bluetooth, pop in your favorite CD for lossless digital audio, and go back to the classics with a cassette. This is the definition of versatility. To buy all of these players separately and a speaker would cost significantly more.
It also comes with remote control, so you don’t have to physically walk up to the unit to pause or resume a song, which is something that can get annoying if you need to pause your music at a whim.
SeeYing Record Player
And we will end things off with this one, yet another all-in-one record player to balance out the “simpler” and less expensive ones at the beginning of the list.
What sets this apart from the above-mentioned is the gigantic speaker on the front of the unit, which offers a loud sound with great dynamic range. It’s not only good for listening to vinyl, but it makes for an amazing Bluetooth speaker as well. It’s not exactly a portable unit and they made the mode of the size.
Because it’s an all-in-one record player, it’s heavy, which is what you want out of a non-portable record player since it reduces vibrations. And don’t be thinking that they cheaped out on the turntable and stylus, this is a well-made record player overall, and other features are also well-thought-out.
It’s also an automatic record player. Meaning that you don’t have to manually lower and raise the needle, which is a very much appreciated feature for some people (while others like the feeling of lowering the needle themselves to get the “full experience”)
Conclusion
There are plenty of great record players with speakers to choose from, and as you can see, many of them are very affordable, which makes getting into vinyl collecting quite accessible. The thing that you are going to sink money into is the vinyl themselves, so every bit saved means more music!