Rega, Pro-Ject and Sony take home best turntable Awards

Rega, Pro-Ject and Sony take home best turntable Awards

Who would have thought we'd still be dishing out turntable Awards in 2018? Well, not us back in 1981. "From today, vinyl LP records are dead," we declared with the launch of CD in the July 1981 issue of What Hi-Fi?. At one point we even stopped having a turntable category, such was the languishing popularity of the format at points in the 80s and 90s. But forget that, vinyl is back. And Rega is no doubt rather pleased about it.

Best turntable £200-£500: Rega Planar 1

Best turntable £200-£500: Rega Planar 1 

Rega takes home three What Hi-Fi? Awards in the turntable category this year, meaning the company has now won... a huge number of turntable Awards (we'll leave Rega to do the maths). The eagle-eyed will notice the three winning decks took the same honours last year; a sure-sign of quality. 

The Rega Planar 1 remains a great step-up option for those prepared to spend a little more on a record player, while the Rega Planar 3 successfully offers a leap up in quality. Want to get serious? The Rega Planar 6 (pictured top) remains our go-to.

Best turntable under £200: Pro-Ject Primary E

Best turntable under £200: Pro-Ject Primary E

But it wasn't quite a clean sweep. At the entry-level end of the market, the Pro-Ject Primary E is a brilliant first turntable for not a lot of money. Revisions to this deck, which is based on the brand's Primary model, ensure it cements itself at the affordable end of our turntable recommendations - even if last year's winner, the Audio-Technica AT-LP5, remains a great entry-level alternative.

Best USB turntable: Sony PS-HX500

Best USB turntable: Sony PS-HX500

Last but not least is the Sony PS-HX500, a USB turntable we were big fans of at £450, which can now be widely found for almost half the price. If you want great sound from your records as well as the option of digitising your collection – right up to hi-res audio quality – then this is a pretty faultless option.

Joe Cox
Content Director

Joe is Content Director for T3 and What Hi-Fi?, having previously been the Global Editor-in-Chief of What Hi-Fi?. He has worked on What Hi-Fi? across the print magazine and website for more than 15 years, writing news, reviews and features on everything from turntables to TVs, headphones to hi-fi separates. He has covered product launch events across the world, from Apple to Technics, Sony and Samsung; reported from CES, the Bristol Show, and Munich High End for many years; and written for sites such as the BBC, Stuff, and the Guardian. In his spare time, he enjoys expanding his vinyl collection and cycling (not at the same time).