Listening to a treasured record offers a unique, immersive experience that music apps can’t replicate. The effort involved encourages deeper focus on the music rather than letting it fade into the background.
A quality turntable enhances this by being user-friendly and delivering rich sound. The Fluance RT85N is our top pick for its exceptional performance and ease of use, making it perfect for most listeners.
Everything we recommend
Fluance RT85N
The best turntable under $600
This turntable offers accurate sound for all music genres and excellent build quality for its price, but it lacks a built-in phono preamp.
The Fluance RT85N stands out as an excellent turntable, thanks to its user-friendly design and ability to deliver accurate sound without adding coloration, faithfully reproducing any record.
It features high-quality materials, including an acrylic platter, the sturdiest plinth among non-DJ models we tested, effective sound-isolation feet, and the top-performing Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge.
The RT85N includes a cue lever for smooth tonearm operation, a straightforward counterweight dial, and an auto-stop function. It’s a belt-drive system that switches easily between 33 and 45 rpm but doesn’t support 78 rpm records.
Though it lacks a built-in phono preamp, this shouldn’t be an issue for most, as many audio receivers already include one.
Rekkord F300
Great sound, but it has some design quirks
This fully automatic turntable delivers excellent sound for any record but has design quirks in its automatic features that may frustrate some users.
If you’re looking for a fully automatic turntable with excellent performance, the Rekkord F300 is a great option. It delivers sound quality on par with our top pick, featuring impressive transparency, channel isolation, and consistency.
The F300 is easy to set up, well-built, and comes in two finishes. We recommend the optional Ortofon OM 10 cartridge, available at no extra cost, over the default Audio-Technica AT91 cartridge. It offers accurate belt-driven speed, a simple 33/45 rpm switch, a cue lever, and start/stop switches. However, it doesn’t support 78 rpm records or include a built-in phono preamp.
A few design quirks may be frustrating: it assumes all 33 rpm records are 12 inches and all 45 rpm records are 7 inches, limiting automatic functionality for 12-inch singles. Additionally, the RCA and grounding cables are non-removable.
Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BT
Best turntable for people who need a built-in phono preamp
This turntable includes a built-in phono preamp and Bluetooth output, offering sound quality close to our top picks but slightly less refined.
For a turntable with a built-in phono preamp and Bluetooth output, consider the Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BT. While its sound quality is slightly behind the Fluance and Rekkord models due to its lighter plinth, platter, and the AT-VM95 cartridge, it offers unmatched ease of use and functionality right out of the box.
This belt-drive turntable supports 33 and 45 rpm records but not 78 rpm. It features intuitive Bluetooth connectivity and a line-level output for upgrading to an external phono preamp later. However, its materials are less premium, and it comes only in a rosewood finish.
U-Turn Orbit Basic
Great sound, limited features
This customizable turntable delivers good sound at an affordable price but lacks user-friendly features.
If you can forgo conveniences like easy speed switching, auto stop, and a cue lever, the U-Turn Orbit Basic provides great sound quality at an affordable price. Recent upgrades, including a better tonearm, grooved platter, and seamless drive belt, add even more value.
The Orbit Basic is quick to set up and highly customizable, with options for a built-in phono preamp, various colors, cartridge upgrades, and an add-on cue lever.
Angels Horn H019
The best all-in-one record player
This all-in-one system includes a well-built turntable and decent-sounding built-in speakers.
All-in-one record players often have poor sound, but the Angels Horn H019 delivers clearer, fuller sound than most. With its wood-finish top, metal platter, and sturdy tonearm, it feels like a high-quality turntable.
The H019 features an Audio-Technica AT-3600L cartridge, Bluetooth, and an analog audio input for playing music from phones or other devices. Setup is minimal and well-explained in the manual.
How we picked and tested
For this guide, we focused on the following criteria:
- Price: We prioritized turntables under $600, seeking the best quality-to-cost ratio, while most all-in-one players were under $300.
- Drive method: We tested both belt-drive and direct-drive turntables.
- Ease of use: Features like speed switches, auto-stop, cue levers, and simple tracking-force adjustments were key.
- Phono preamp: We didn’t require a phono preamp in every model, but included at least one with it built-in.
- Speakers: For all-in-one players, we focused on those with built-in speakers.
- Bluetooth and connections: Many all-in-ones had Bluetooth and analog inputs, with some turntables offering Bluetooth streaming.
Top pick: Fluance RT85N
The Fluance RT85N is the best turntable under $600, offering superior sound accuracy, build quality, and design. It delivers impressive transparency and an accurate frequency response, making it perfect for all music genres. The RT85N’s sound is pristine, with a great soundstage, wide dynamic range, and minimal distortion.
Its high-end features include a 16mm acrylic platter, solid-wood veneer-coated plinth, and adjustable isolation feet. With a servo-regulated belt drive and the Nagaoka MP-110 cartridge, it outperforms many competitors, including the Rekkord F300, at a $100 lower price point.
It offers easy setup with a clear guide and features like a cue lever, speed-switching knob, auto-stop, adjustable counterweight, and anti-skate dial. The package also includes helpful accessories, such as cotton gloves for handling vinyl and a bubble level for proper turntable alignment.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The turntable lacks a 78 rpm speed setting, which is common in modern models but may be an issue if you have 78s in your collection.
It also doesn’t have a built-in phono preamp, so if your receiver or speakers don’t include one, you’ll need to purchase it separately, adding to the overall cost. Fluance offers the PA10 preamp for around $100 when buying directly from their website.
Upgrading the RT85N is limited to its phono cartridge, which may be frustrating if you wish to improve other components down the line. However, it already comes with a quality cartridge and acrylic platter that many users might choose to upgrade to.
Additionally, the glossy finishes on the turntable show fingerprints easily.
Runner-up: Rekkord F300
The Rekkord F300 is a fantastic choice for those seeking the convenience of a fully automatic turntable without sacrificing sound quality. Priced around $600, it offers great sound and build quality, making it an excellent value.
It performed well across all music genres, with deep bass for hip-hop and crystal-clear transparency for classical music. While its high-end is slightly more present and midrange softer compared to our top pick, the F300’s overall soundstage is impressive.
Setup is easy, and the automatic functions, including a start/stop switch, speed switch (33/45 rpm), and cue lever, are clearly labeled. The F300’s automatic features make listening effortless, though there is one minor issue with its playback.
The F300 is a well-engineered, high-quality turntable, handmade in Germany, but it feels more delicate than other models. Its MDF wood chassis, available in black or oak, weighs 13 pounds, and the tonearm and automatic components are isolated to reduce mechanical noise.
To keep the price reasonable, compromises in materials were made, including an aluminum tonearm and platter, and somewhat flimsy control switches. While not dealbreakers, these factors are important when deciding between an automatic and manual turntable.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Choose your phono cartridge carefully. The F300 tested with the Ortofon OM 10 cartridge, which is not the standard option when ordering from Rekkord’s US site. While the standard Audio-Technica AT91 is considered inferior by some, others may prefer it. We found the OM 10 provided excellent punch and drive, but sound preference varies.
The F300 has operational quirks, like a speed-selection switch that assumes record size, limiting its automatic functionality with certain 12-inch singles. The cue lever also has a quirky cycle that can be confusing initially.
Additionally, this turntable lacks a built-in phono preamp, and the RCA and grounding cables are non-removable. Most components cannot be upgraded, except for the phono cartridge.
Best for people who need a built-in phono preamp or Bluetooth: Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BT
The Audio-Technica AT-LPW50BT is ideal for those who prioritize wireless connectivity or prefer the convenience of a built-in phono preamp.
While its sound quality is slightly below our top picks, it still delivers balanced reproduction with a decent low-end and stereo width. The included AT-VM95E cartridge is popular and performs well but lacks the punch and clarity of the Fluance and Rekkord models.
The turntable is lighter than our top picks, which makes it more susceptible to vibrations, and its platter is die-cast aluminum. With a wow and flutter rate under 0.15%, it’s a step behind the RT85N’s 0.07%.
Notably, it features a carbon-fiber tonearm and servo-regulated belt-drive technology, adding a touch of higher-end design.
The AT-LPW50BT features Bluetooth for easy wireless listening through Bluetooth-equipped speakers, soundbars, or headphones. In our tests, its Bluetooth output matched the quality of its analog playback, with a 33-foot range.
Setup is simple, thanks to a clear pictorial guide, and it includes all the essential ease-of-use features: a sturdy cue lever, tonearm lock, anti-skate dial, adjustable counterweight, and a speed-switching knob for 33 rpm and 45 rpm records.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The AT-LPW50BT has a couple of user-friendliness issues. The cue lever is positioned too close to the tonearm, causing accidental bumps, and it lacks an auto-stop function, requiring manual intervention to stop the record and return the tonearm.
Though it looks good, the unit feels less premium compared to its competition and is only available in a glossy rosewood veneer finish.
Budget pick: U-Turn Orbit Basic
The U-Turn Orbit Basic is an affordable, easy-to-set-up turntable, perfect for newcomers to vinyl or those not ready to invest heavily. It sounds better than other turntables in its price range, thanks to an upgraded tonearm made of black magnesium for cleaner playback.
Speed changes are manual, requiring you to move the belt, though a groove now keeps it from falling off. If you switch speeds often, consider the U-Turn Orbit Custom, which offers electronic speed control for an extra $80.
U-Turn offers extensive customization for your turntable. You can add a built-in phono preamp, choose from different cartridges, change the base color, upgrade to a wood veneer, swap the MDF platter for an acrylic one, and add a cue lever.
The preamp and color choices must be made at purchase, but other upgrades can be added later. For a complete range of options, consider starting with the U-Turn Orbit Custom, though each upgrade increases the cost.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Upgrading the phono cartridge on this turntable is tricky due to the lack of adjustment markings on the counterweight, requiring trial and error. However, the included AT91B cartridge offers great sound for most users, making upgrades unnecessary for those not seeking advanced modifications.
A great all-in-one record player for beginners: Angels Horn H019
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The H019 lacks strong bass but still delivers enjoyable sound, suitable for vinyl beginners. It doesn’t have a radio, CD player, or Bluetooth streaming for vinyl, but our panelists felt it includes all the essential features for an all-in-one record player.
