Good record players aren't normally cheap and it's rare to find good turntable deals in the Black Friday sales. But, there were deals on the affordable and five-star Sony PS-LX310BT – and you can still save money today, even though the official Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are fast becoming a distant memory.
This turntable deal sees the Sony deck drop down to £228 in the UK, or a much more tempting $198 if you're in the US.
The PS-LX310BT isn't just any turntable: it's a fully automatic plug-and-play deck, has a phono stage built in and even has Bluetooth streaming powers. A versatile all-rounder, which also delivers great sound – it's the perfect first turntable for newbie vinyl fans and a great Christmas gift option.
Sony Bluetooth turntable deal
If you're tempted by the trendy-looking suitcase record players at Urban Outfitters or other high-street shops, we'd veer you away from those and point you to this Sony instead. Your vinyl deserves it.
It's hard to overstate how effortlessly convenient and talented this Sony PS-LX310BT deck is for the money. Its combination of features and performance (especially at its budget price) has seen the LX310 stay on our list of best record players and best Bluetooth turntables since we first heard it and gave it the full five stars.
There's no set-up involved; no need to set the counterweight or tracking force, or even fit and align the cartridge. Everything comes fitted and, apart from attaching the provided belt to the platter and motor (easy enough to do), you simply have to place your record on the deck and press 'play'. That's it!
In our review, we said: "It could only score more highly for usability if it somehow took the LPs from their covers. Surely the compromise must be on sound performance?" But no... It sounds surprisingly musical, with a decent, enjoyable dose of drive and attack.
While a purist turntable such as the Award-winning Pro-Ject Primary E (currently yours for £199 at Richer Sounds) will deliver better clarity, subtler detail and greater dynamic prowess, you will have to invest in a few extra boxes (external phono stage or a stereo amp with one built-in) and cables before you can plug in a pair of speakers – so the cost will add up.
If it's convenience that you're after, you can use the Sony's line level output to connect it to a pair of powered speakers, such as the Ruark MR1 Mk2, for a neat desktop system. Or, thanks to a stable Bluetooth connection, you could simply opt to connect to a Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones.
If you want a simple but effective, affordable turntable (with the added bonus of wireless playback), then look no further than the Sony PS-LX310BT.
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