1. The list in brief
2. Best overall
3. Best Bluetooth
4. Best hi-fi
5. Best automatic
6. Best for beginners
7. Best hi-fi with phono stage
8. Best system
9. Also consider
10. How to choose
11. How we test
12. FAQ
13. Recent updates
Being a vinyl fan isn't the cheapest of hobbies. From the price of records themselves to ensuring you have decent enough components and equipment to play them, it can all add up to one costly pastime. If you don't want to bankrupt yourself as you search for a way to get your records spinning, a great-sounding turntable at an affordable price can be a godsend.
In this list, we've highlighted the best budget turntables currently on the market, all tried and tested by the expert review team in our dedicated listening rooms. Whether you're just starting out with your very first turntable, want to rip your vinyl using a USB deck or are simply upgrading an ageing entry-level model – you'll likely find a player here that will suit your needs without spending the big bucks.
You can read more about our testing process and get in-depth advice on how to choose your turntable, or scroll down to see our favourite budget record players.
The quick list
Best overall
The best budget turntable for most people, this superb deck nails all the basics.
Best Bluetooth
If wireless convenience is top of your wishlist, this user-friendly Sony is a real winner.
Best hi-fi
It might come at an entry-level price, but the Planar 1 could be the first rung in the journey for an audiophile turntable.
Best automatic
Its combination of features and performance make the AT-LP3 an excellent (almost) hands-free choice.
Best for beginners
Its plastic chassis gives away its bargain price but this plug-and-play deck is great for vinyl newbies looking for a starter turntable.
Best hi-fi with phono stage
Looking to add to your setup but don’t have a phono stage? Look no further than the Planar 1 Plus.
Load the next product ↓
Best system
Pro-Ject’s brilliant all-in-one has all the amplification you need built in – just add speakers.
I am the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and have been testing and reviewing turntables for nearly a decade. There are plenty of very affordable, easy to use turntables on the market these days, that offer terrific value for money. Many of these models will also include a phono stage or Bluetooth streaming capabilities, making it easier to integrate into your home set up or with a pair of active speakers. I have first-hand experience with every turntable on this list and each model delivers a good mix of excellent features, build and sound quality considering the price you'll pay. If you want to become a vinyl adventurer but don't want to spend silly money, you'll find something you'll love in the recommendations below.
The best budget turntable overall
As its current What Hi-Fi? Award attests, the Pro-Ject Primary E is still our pick of the bunch as a truly affordable gateway into the world of vinyl.
The Primary E looks almost identical to the original Pro-Ject Primary, a sparsely designed turntable that also boasted a 22cm tonearm and Ortofon MM cartridge. The only real difference with this model is that the power supply is built into the deck, plus you've only got the choice of having it in a black colourway rather than the Primary’s rather fetching red and white options. It also costs a little less than the original model at around £150, which is a nice bonus.
£150 isn’t much for a turntable by anyone’s estimate, but the Primary E confidently nails the basics, providing an even tonal balance and a delivery that’s clear, clean and spacious enough to keep things coherent and enjoyable. Decent body and substance cling reliably to every frequency, made all the more enjoyable by a spirited sense of drive and momentum.
So impressed were we with the Primary E, that it’s won the best turntable under £200 trophy at the What Hi-Fi? Awards for five years in a row now. If you’re looking for your first turntable, the purist-design Primary E is the one to go for at this price.
Want to spend a little more? The Rega Planar 1 below (usually £250-300) is also a multi-Award winner and a very fine spinner indeed.
Read the full Pro-Ject Primary E review
The best budget Bluetooth turntable
The one thing you always seem to get these days with Sony is unerring reliability, not to mention effortless usability and construction that's truly built to last. While the name "PS-LX310BT" might not be the easiest to get your gums around, Sony’s fully automatic Bluetooth turntable is a cinch to use, working straight out of the box and providing a pleasing, stress-free vinyl experience.
There’s also a very decent built-in phono stage, with strong Bluetooth connectivity that works with up to eight devices – meaning you can stream your vinyl to a pair of wireless headphones or a Bluetooth speaker. The very best decks for the same money can beat it for pure sound quality, but you won't find many as fun, ridiculously user-friendly, and resoundingly listenable as the PS-LX310BT.
We’ve come to expect this sort of customer-friendly usability from Sony, but what we hadn’t quite prepared for was just how good the PS-LX310BT sounds. Sure, purists may look elsewhere for more detailed and dynamic alternatives, but Sony’s budget effort still provides an entertaining sound with a healthy dose of drive and attack.
If you want something fun, user-friendly and unquestionably listenable to get your vinyl adventure started – plus the added convenience of Bluetooth – the PS-LX310BT is a five-star recommendation. If you want something that looks a little flashier, Audio Technica's pricier AT-LPW50BTRW is also newer, but Bluetooth pairing is fiddlier.
Read the full Sony PS-LX310BT review
The best budget hi-fi turntable
If you're happy forking out a little bit more (around £100 or so), the Rega Planar 1 is a substantial step up from the excellence of the Pro-Ject Primary E at the top of this list.
British brand Rega provides consistent excellence across its range of turntables, seemingly taking as much time and care with its budget offerings as it does with its high-end heavyweights. The Rega Planar 1 is the cheapest turntable Rega makes, but the fact that it's been a What Hi-Fi? Award-winner since 2016 shows just how remarkable it is for the price. Built superbly to Rega’s typically high standards and featuring a Rega Carbon cartridge attached to a new RB110 tonearm, the Planar 1 is easy to use, simple to set up and hardly offensive to the eye.
It sounds great, too. Rega’s forensic attention to detail results in a roomy, spacious sound that never skimps on the particulars, while voices sound rich, full-bodied and alive. The Planar 1 delivers a combination of clarity and accuracy that's almost unparalleled at this price, providing an exciting and engaging experience no matter what you throw at it. It’s a clear step up in performance from the Pro-Ject Primary E, and if you’re able to spend the extra dosh, it’s absolutely worth it. Nothing else competes for the price.
Read the full Rega Planar 1 review
The best budget automatic turntable
Another five-star performer, the Audio Technica is genuinely one of the finest automatic turntables we’ve heard at this price – with the bonus addition of a built-in phono stage. In terms of ease of use, nothing really comes close to this Audio Technica deck, so you’ll only have to poke a few buttons before you’re enjoying your vinyl collection. Along with the integrated phono preamp, you also get a fool-proof set-up and a removable cartridge that can be traded out for another moving-magnet or moving-coil alternative.
Considering that this is still very much a budget option, none of what’s on display with the AT-LP3 feels cheap or flimsy – quite the opposite, in fact. You’ll be impressed by the powerful work the player does when it comes to playing records, too. Sound is robust and full-bodied, with plenty of space, detail and enthusiasm. Overall it’s a balance that keeps the music’s character its priority.
At this price, it’s an impressive combination of talents.
Read the full Audio Technica AT-LP3 review
The best budget turntable for beginners
If budget really does mean budget, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a better plug-and-play turntable than Lenco’s eye-catching, cheap-and-cheerful L-85. The semi-automatic, belt-driven turntable features a built-in phono stage and even supports USB recording so you can rip vinyl into MP3 files, so a desire to save money doesn’t starve you of features. Even the build quality is decent for the price, and colour options are theoretically plentiful, although you might have to shop around to find the shade you want from the retailer who will actually provide it.
There are plenty of trendy, cheap turntables available that sound poor at best or damage our vinyl at worst, but the Lenco does what the others haven’t been able to: deliver a likeable, enjoyable sound in a competent manner (without, crucially, gouging our precious records). This isn’t the sort of turntable that’s going to blow you away with incomparable sonic heft and detail to make a sound engineer swoon, but for the price you’re paying, you could certainly do a lot worse.
The Lenco L-85 handles vocals especially well, and while it’s not a remarkable performer for capturing rhythm or timing, the balance across the frequencies is admirably even and there are no coarse edges at the top end. Whether it’s for your kids or you’re a student keen on vinyl but needing to save money, this is a decent place to start.
Read the full Lenco L-85 review
When setting up a turntable, you'll need to ensure that the tracking weight of your cartridge and tonearm (also known as tracking force) are set correctly. Get this crucial element wrong, and you'll either have a contact that's too low - and thus thin-sounding or barely audible - or too high and at risk of damaging your vinyl by weighing down too heavily on your records. Setting the tracking weight is done by moving a counterweight at the tonearm's rear, set to a figure according to the cartridge maker's recommendation. You also need to adjust the tonearm for 'bias', which is the sideways force on the cartridge that balances the record's inward pull. This figure is usually the same as the tracking weight, but it's best to check to make sure.
The best budget hi-fi turntable with phono stage
If you liked the sound of the excellent Planar 1, then the Planar 1 with the added convenience of a built-in phono stage could well be music to your ears. You'll have to pay a little extra for the privilege, but, to our minds, it's worth it.
Rega tends to keep things pure on the analogue side, but it eventually succumbed to trends and delivered the Planar 1 Plus, the first time the British manufacturer has incorporated a turntable with its very own built-in phono stage. The result is a Rega Planar 1 turntable with the rather superb, five-star Rega Fono Mini A2D built-in. The Planar 1 Plus also costs less than if you were buying the two components separately, so the combination of both makes sense from a financial, as well as sonic, perspective.
Rega has built a reputation for bringing style, substance and consistently high audio standards with its turntables, and the Planar 1 Plus is no different. The deck looks identical to the straight Planar 1, which is no bad thing considering its sleek aspect and general ease of use.
It’s the audio quality, though, that makes the Plus a five-star triumph. Put simply, it sounds wonderful, and while it may take a while to fully reveal the warmth and depth of which it’s capable, give it a few days and it will be purring like the best. Rega's knack for delivering terrifically agile, subtle and hugely enjoyable dynamics is replicated in the Plus, with crispness and clarity that make the Planar 1 Plus a hugely appealing, talented package.
Read the full Rega Planar 1 Plus review
The best budget system turntable
Pro-ject's Juke Box E is a tad more expensive than some of the truly budget entries on this list, but you are getting a system – not just a turntable – for the increased financial outlay. This Pro-Ject Juke Box E is another What Hi-Fi? Awards winner, winning us over thanks to its potent mix of quality, usability and great range of features.
The Juke Box E is an all-in-one package combining a record player - based on Pro-Ject’s Primary turntable – with built-in amplification (25W per channel), phono stage, plus a Bluetooth receiver. We saw the concept initially flown up Pro-Ject’s flagpole with the original Juke Box back in 2010, but the E model gives a really comprehensive update to an already impressive recipe.
The listening experience, especially, has been superbly refined. It’s on the warm side of neutral with an impressively spacious soundstage and is capable of dealing with tricky rhythms and various genres deftly. Listeners will enjoy the detailed midrange and top-end brilliance, along with bass weight that’s ample if not as punchy or impactful as we’d like. Pair it with the right speakers though, and the system will shine. We recommend partnering it with speakers such as the Mission LX-2 or Q Acoustics 3010i to really get the full experience.
Read the full Pro-ject Juke Box E review
Also Consider
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo: Pro-Ject's five-star spinner is a joy and comes in a variety of colourful finishes that many of its pricier siblings don't. Expressive, engaging and musical, it's a fantastic, reasonably priced (currently around £479 / $450) deck that's easy to use and a pleasure to listen to.
Audio Technica AT-LPW50BTRW: Fitted with appealing features and boasting a smooth, easy-going sound presentation, the AT-LPW50BTRW isn't an easy name to say, but it sure is a simple turntable to use and nice to look at. The belt-drive turntable sports Bluetooth 5.2 streaming and a built-in phono stage, making it a versatile player at a sub-£500/$500 price.
How to choose the best budget turntable for you
First, decide on your budget. It should be no more than around a quarter of your system's cost, otherwise your amplifier and speakers probably won't get the most out of your deck.
Once you've settled on a budget, choose the features you want. Belt drive or direct drive design? Do you need a phono stage built-in or prefer a more purist setup without one as part of the main system? A cartridge usually comes fitted with a budget turntable, but is it easy to remove if you want to upgrade in a few years Bluetooth streaming or USB recording is important to more modern users, but traditionalists often don't feel the need. Are you ok with a fully manual operation or would you prefer a less fussy (semi or fully) automatic operation? Turntables come with plenty of features these days, so it's worth checking the details to find out which deck you'll actually be happy living with.
Looks can play a huge factor, although that's more of a requirement for some people than for others. If you have a particular aesthetic in mind for your hi-fi setup, check that you can get the turntable in the style and finish you want. We would choose a turntable on its sonic merits, but taking pride in your hi-fi's design matters for anything that you'll have to look at and live with on a daily basis.
We'd advise you against trendy 'suitcase-style' record players. Many of these turntables don't have the precise build quality or careful engineering that's crucial to ensuring a decent sound from a stable deck and a secure tonearm, and most won't let you adjust the tracking force of the cartridge. If the force is too heavy, your records can get gauged and damaged, and that's really not something you want.
Once you've made your choice, you'll need to set up your turntable correctly. While some players are relatively "plug and play", many need more time and effort to perform at their best, even affordable ones.
If you want to know more or need more in-depth advice, read our complete guide to choosing the right turntable.
How we test record players
What Hi-Fi? has been reviewing turntables ever since our very first issue in 1976, so we know a thing or two about turntables, having covered them from their popular heyday to the current resurgence, and all types of record players.
The editorial team has over 150 years of combined experience in reviewing, testing and writing about hi-fi and consumer electronics, including plenty of record players, from high-end to budget models. We have acoustically treated rooms in Reading and London with a world-class reference system, where our team of expert reviewers do all our in-house testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency across all products.
When testing turntables, we take ample time in setting up each deck properly and accurately, from placing them on a level surface, ensuring we use the right cartridge and apply the correct tracking force, and plugged into the appropriate phono stage and amplifier pairings. We test turntables in our trusty reference system as well as with price-appropriate system – more budget speakers, for example – and also make sure we test any extra features, such as Bluetooth streaming, USB recording, as well as how easy it is to use for beginners and veterans alike, to check that it all works as advertised and to the standard expected for its price.
All new turntables are tested in comparison with rival turntables at the same price (and often cheaper and more expensive alternatives, too), and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than a single reviewer, helping to ensure consistency and avoid individual subjectivity. That's why our reviews are trusted by retailers and manufacturers, as well as consumers, the world over.
From all of our reviews, we choose the top budget turntables to feature in this Best Buy. That's why if you take the plunge and buy one of the products recommended here, or on any other Best Buy page, you can rest assured you're getting a What Hi-Fi?-approved product.
You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.
FAQ
Which is better: a direct drive or a belt driven turntable?
Almost all turntables come in two main flavours: direct drive and belt drive. Direct drive designs place the player's motor directly under the platter, allowing for faster start-up speeds and better rotational stability (how consistently the platter runs at the right speed). The drawback of this design can be that unwanted vibrations are more easily introduced to the platter and the tonearm itself, affecting the cartridge and how it tracks the groove in a record and heightening the risk of sonic distortion.
Belt drive designs, conversely, have the motor slightly offset from the platter and use a belt (or occasionally multiple belts) wrapped around the spindle and main platter in a pulley system for rotation. This allows the platter to remain isolated from those unwanted vibrations, but the all-important belt (often made of rubber) can become stretched or lose its tautness after a time. That can lead to inconsistencies in the player's rotational speed, so you'll usually have to replace the belt after a few years to avoid distortion and keep your table sounding fresh.
Which design a given manufacturer chooses is generally a matter of preference and which compromise a brand is happier dealing with. In terms of sound, that depends on the individual turntable; many Technics decks use direct drive, while Rega always uses belt drive designs – both brands are superb at what they do with five-star models, so one design isn't necessarily "better" than the other.
Will new turntables play older records?
This is the beauty of an analogue source. Because the design principles underpinning almost all turntables have remained practically the same for decades, a turntable will play records the exact same way no matter when it was made. How well-made the elements of a turntable itself are, the speed stability and how precisely the cartridge tracks the record's grooves are the essential ingredients for getting your records playing, and playing well. All you have to do is choose the best-performing turntable for your needs and budget and you'll be away.
It matters in what sort of condition your old records are in, though. You might need to get your collection cleaned (record cleaning equipment is available, or professional companies will do it). It also depends on the type of records you have – 33.3, 45, 75 rpm – so it's worth checking that your new turntable can actually play these different speeds or comes with an adapter that will allow you to play the records you own.
Do I need a phono stage for my turntable?
Always. Every turntable needs a phono stage – whether that's built into the module or as a standalone unit. Otherwise, it can't play an audible sound through your speakers.
Why? The audio information stored inside a record's groove can occupy an area as small as a micron (one-thousandth of a millimetre), making it quite the task to retrieve it and receive playback from your speakers – one that your standard line-level stereo amplifier can't manage on its own.
A vinyl record's inherent physical limitations mean that the original audio signal must be altered before it can be recorded onto those tiny grooves. Hence, the phono stage (or phono preamp) has to reverse the response built into it – the one that bolsters bass and flattens out the treble, which should result in an even tonal presentation for the audio signal. Plus, the phono stage must amplify the signal to a level the amplifier and speaker work with, as the cartridge signals from the groove can be as low as one-thousandth of a volt.
You can learn more about how a vinyl record makes a sound here.
Do I need to buy speakers for my turntable?
In almost all cases, yes. You can buy record players with built-in speakers, but we tend to find these are often poor sonic performers, so we would always recommend having speakers separate from the turntable. A turntable performs better without added drivers and vibrations which affect how the module tracks a record's grooves. We'd recommend a decent pair of speakers that match your turntable – sonically and in terms of price – to get the best performance.
If your turntable comes with a phono stage built-in, active speakers (which have amplification built-in) such as the Ruark Audio MR1 Mk2 or KEF LSX II LT are superb pairings. Otherwise, there's lots of choice when it comes to passive speakers from brands including Elac, Bowers & Wilkins, Q Acoustics, KEF and many more.
Check out our guide to the best speakers and best active speakers to find the right pair for your turntable.
Recent updates
- April 2024: Updated our advice and testing process, and added FAQ section to help buyers with the most asked questions about turntables and an Also Consider section to give alternative options.
- November 2023: Award-winning products are labelled following the 2023 What Hi-Fi? Awards Best Buys and Product of the Year announcements.
MORE:
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Grab a bargain with the best turntable deal
How to set up your turntable - we explain the whole process
Partner your turntable with the best hi-fi speakers and best stereo amplifier