Amplifiers and loudspeakers have been the constants of hi-fi through the ages. But turntables? If you had asked What Hi-Fi? 30 years ago if the record player should also be on that list, I doubt you would have received a favourable response.
The venerable vinyl disc was in the doldrums rather, in the mid ’90s. Compact disc was king, and there was no real reason to think it wouldn’t be the major source of music listening for many years to come. And yet…
Vinyl – of course – never quite went away, despite being at its nadir before the turn of the century. Since that low point, the upward tick of the sales graph has been both a joy to see and somewhat of a surprise. Still, it seems the charms of the analogue still have a place in the second quarter of the 21st century.
In this issue then, we give you our pick of best turntables at four price ranges under £1000; some fine Bluetooth turntables, and a splendid selection of phono stages, without which your record deck may be of little use.
Our favourite turntables under £1K
The vinyl format is alive and well, and that means demand for the good old record player is strong enough for there to be a wide selection of models out there to choose from.
We recommend you spend at least as much time thinking about which turntable to buy as you do pondering your choice of amplifier and speakers – each of which, incidentally, should ideally cost about the same as your deck.
No matter how good your partnering kit, if it doesn’t receive top-drawer information from your source, there’s very little it can do to produce good-quality sound.
The sweet spot for ‘affordable’ turntables of decent quality starts around the £300 mark and runs to about £1000.
The main thing to remember in this price band is that spending more really does give you significant steps up, both in terms of performance and in quality of materials and construction. In particular, the cartridges fitted to the pricier decks are much better – especially in terms of detail and transparency.
So this issue we have selected five players of note at various points within that price range, all of which received five-star reviews.
Every record player in our selection comes ready-fitted with a compatible cartridge and requires minimal setting up.
Of course, you can always upgrade your cartridge at a later date, or switch from a moving-magnet one to a moving-coil model (we also have a handy cartridge explainer this month).
Go wireless with our pick of Bluetooth decks
A Bluetooth turntable combines all the benefits of a traditional record deck with the convenience of a wireless connection.
If you love vinyl as a format but don’t relish the prospect of yards of wiring or multiple boxes, a Bluetooth turntable could be just what you’re looking for. All you need to do is pair your chosen deck with some wireless headphones or speakers, and off you go.
That level of convenience and flexibility is what makes a Bluetooth turntable a tempting proposition for anyone entering the world of vinyl for the first time, or for those who are looking to save space. And if you also want the option of playing your records using a wired connection, all models can do that too.
We've rounded up our pick of the best Bluetooth turntables – get this month's What Hi-Fi? to find out more!
Turntable designers reveal their favourite vinyl albums
If anyone should know just what makes a good vinyl test subject, it would be turntable designers. We spoke to some of the industry's leading designers of premium decks to find out what they listen to, and the stories behind their love of those particular albums.
Find out more in July's What Hi-Fi?
First with reviews
As always, our First Tests section is filled to the brim with in-depth, impartial and expert verdicts on the very latest hi-fi and AV gear.
This month our test benches were again groaning under the weight of some fantastic new products, such as the latest cans from hi-fi heavyweights Bowers & Wilkins. The Px7 S3 are an exceptional pair of over-ear headphones – read our verdict on these noise-cancellers in this month's mag!
Our expert reviewers also got their eager hands on the latest home cinema projector from Epson, the EH-QB1000, and the latest iteration of Rega's Brio amplifier, the Brio Mk7. And they weren't done there: also under scrutiny this month were the Cyrus 40 CD player, Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus, JBL TT350 Classic turntable and Hisense PL2 ultra short throw projector.
See what our review team thought of all these products in July's What Hi-Fi?
Serious kit, serious prices
Our Temptations section of the magazine is where you'll find the highest of the high-end of hi-fi and AV products.
Following the theme of this month's What Hi-Fi? it only seems right that we have a high-end turntable for you to drool over! The Vertere SG-1 and XtraX cartridge package costs new-car money, but of course the quality at this level turns out to be exceptional. It looks its price, too. Read more in this month's mag!
Italian speaker brand Sonus Faber produces some lovely-looking and superb sounding loudspeakers, and this month we take a close look at the company's latest floorstanders, the Sonetto V G2. Find out more in July's What Hi-Fi?
Finally, don't forget to check out our Buyer’s Guide, featuring a definitive and freshly updated list of all the best home entertainment kit you can buy – including winners of 2024's What Hi-Fi? Awards. If you’re looking to purchase anything from a pair of the best wireless headphones to a home cinema speaker system, this section will tell you where to spend your money wisely.
Whatever you do, don't miss the July 2025 issue of What Hi-Fi?. Grab a copy today, or simply download it onto your tablet or smartphone. Enjoy!
You can subscribe or buy the latest issue here, or buy the digital edition on iPhone, iPad, Android devices or Kindle edition
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
