Buying a Turntable Under $500: 5 Things That Matter

A white turntable plays a black vinyl record.

Under $500 is where turntables stop being toys. Decks at this level come with real tonearms, name-brand cartridges and parts you can adjust, from Audio-Technica, Denon, U-Turn, Fluance and others.

5 things that matter

  1. Manual or automatic. An automatic deck cues the tonearm and returns it at the end of the side. A manual deck leaves that to your hand. Pick the one that matches how you like to listen.
  2. The cartridge. The cartridge shapes the sound more than most parts of the deck, and one with a replaceable stylus keeps running costs down.
  3. Your connection. A built-in phono preamp lets you plug straight into powered speakers. Without one you need a receiver with a phono input or a separate preamp. Bluetooth is handy for wireless speakers.
  4. Adjustments. An adjustable counterweight and anti-skate let you set the tracking force correctly and fit a better cartridge later.
  5. Speeds. Every deck plays 33 and 45 RPM. Only some play 78 RPM, so check if you own older shellac records.

Three picks to start with

  • Best Overall: Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB, a direct-drive deck with 33, 45 and 78 RPM, Bluetooth and a USB output for digitizing records.
  • Best Fully Automatic: Denon DP-300F, which cues and returns the tonearm on its own and has a built-in phono equalizer.
  • Best Minimalist Design: U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus (Gen 2), with an Ortofon OM5E cartridge, an acrylic platter and a built-in preamp.

See all six picks compared in our guide to the Best Turntables Under $500.

#ad As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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