Best of sub-$2000 turntables – a Buyer’s Guide

Vinyl has made quite the resurgence in recent years, after a couple of decades during which analogue audio technology looked to be doomed. There are plenty of good reasons for the comeback. There’s a fine tactile pleasure in pulling that 12-inch vinyl disc from its cover and placing it on a turntable, then bringing the arm across to start producing the music. And that cover – digital music simply can’t manage the visual artistry provided on that large surface.

And then there’s the sound. At its best it can be every bit as good as digital, and in some senses even more enjoyable. In any case it’s very different to the digital experience, and provides a new way of listening in to your music.

But to enjoy that, you will need a turntable capable of delivering that experience. The unfortunate news is that you’re not going to get anything like a proper musical experience with a really cheap turntable.

But the great news is that you don’t have to spend many thousands of dollars for an entirely satisfying experience. So here we’re presenting several turntables priced under $2000 which we’ve found to deliver a great performance.

But first, let’s learn a little about turntables

If you’re new to the world of vinyl, or perhaps simply haven’t had a chance to get up to speed, it is useful to know a little about the technology.

The music on a vinyl recording or LP (which stands for Long Playing) is held as a physical vibration in a spiral groove on the surface of the record. As the record rotates, a tiny diamond stylus attached to your turntable sits on the groove and vibrates in sympathy. The stylus is on the end of a thin rod, called a cantilever. This carries the vibration up onto the body of the cartridge. In there, an arrangement of magnets and coils converts this physical movement into an electrical signal. Wires carry this down the tonearm.

So the basic parts of the turntable you’ll need are the rotating turntable platter and its motor, a tonearm which is pivoted at the back and freely swinging at the front to hold the cartridge, and of course the cartridge itself.

Turntable types – with or without?

At the high end you can buy a turntable from a specialist manufacturer that comes without a tonearm or cartridge. You can then fit, or have fitted, a third-party tonearm and fit to that a cartridge of your choosing. For example, this is an option with several of AVID HIFI’s high-end turntables. That kind of turntable is typically well above our $2K price boundary.

The types of turntables we’ll be looking at all come with a fitted arm and have a cartridge pre-fitted.

There’s something else you should know, this time about the electrical signal a turntable produces. As delivered by the cartridge, the signal is entirely unsuitable for regular amplifiers or audio systems. It is far too low in level, and it is very weak in the bass, and way too loud in the treble. All that is by design and conforms to certain standards – such as “RIAA Equalization”. So the signal has to adjusted by means of a phono preamplifier. Some amplifiers have one of these built in. Some turntables have one built in. And of course there are many standalone models.

Those turntables with cartridges and phono preamps fitted are often called “plug and play” models. They can make a very good starting point on your vinyl journey, but it’s a good idea to choose a model that you can later change the cartridge on, and one which lets you bypass the phono preamp in case you want to upgrade to a higher quality one.

Turntable types – the motor

For good performance, it is vitally important that the turntable motor rotate the platter with utter consistency. It should run at the correct speed – 33 1/3 or 45 rpm – and do so with inaudibly low levels of speed variation, whether fast (called flutter) or slow (called wow). And it should be entirely silent so that no vibrations from the motor are mixed into the music signal from the vinyl.

These days virtually all turntables use one of two different kinds of driving mechanism: belt drive or direct drive. With belt drive, the motor is set off at an angle and a belt, sometimes flat, sometimes rounded, and made of a silicone or rubber-like substance, runs around a pulley and also a “subplatter” under the main record platter. There can be variations on this arrangement. The belt effectively isolates the platter from any engine noise. The platter itself is often quite – sometimes very – weighty, acting as a flywheel to ensure smooth, even operation.

Direct drive turntables have the motor directly under the platter, turning at the same speed as the platter. This sounds like a recipe for motor noise being fed directly into the stylus via the platter, but in fact the motors are highly engineered to be extremely quiet. Indeed, some very high-end turntables come equipped with direct drive motors. One particular advantage that they do have is they tend to be more powerful, getting up to speed quickly. That’s why DJs prefer direct drive.

Turntable types – old or new

Over the decades there have been many classic turntable designs that remain highly regarded. It can be tempting to look for a bargain.

I have nothing against this for those who really want to put significant amounts of time, effort and, probably, money into it. It can be rewarding. But bargains are rare because the true classics typically attract high prices, often in the thousands of dollars. Unless fully restored, you should be prepared to examine and repair some elements of the turntable, such as bearings, belts, perhaps electrical contacts and so on.

Buying new means full warranty support and a virtually guaranteed long, trouble-free lifetime.

Turntable Choices

Here are a few of our favourite turntables. But first we should note briefly what we’re leaving out. We are not including any turntable that by its nature can’t be upgraded. Yes, low-cost turntables have their place, but we strongly recommend that you start with a turntable that at least lets you upgrade the cartridge, one of the best ways of improving sound.

So, here we go.

1. Rega Planar 1

This is the entry-level turntable from a famed and slightly idiosyncratic British turntable maker, Rega. Despite the price, this is serious stuff.

Features

• Easy setup with pre-installed Rega Carbon moving magnet cartridge
• Low tracking pressure helps preserve your vinyl recordings
• Rega RB110 tonearm with ultra-low friction bearings, standard half-inch cartridge mount and adjustable counterweight, so can upgrade cartridge for higher performance
• Automatic antiskating setting
• Phenolic resin, flywheel effect platter
• 33 1/3 and 45 rpm speeds by switching belt between pulleys

Requirements

• Needs phono pre-amp

Suitability

Classy and stylish entry into true high quality vinyl playback. You can upgrade the cartridge but will require a stylus pressure gauge to properly install it because there are no calibrations on the counterweight.

2. Rega Planar 1 Plus

So, take the Rega Planar 1 described above and add a phono pre-amp, and you have the Rega Planar 1 turntable. It’s ready to plug into the analogue input of any amplifier.

Features

• Built-in phono preamp – not able to be bypassed – so highly compatible with analogue inputs on all other gear
• Easy setup with pre-installed Rega Carbon moving magnet cartridge
• Low tracking pressure helps preserve your vinyl recordings
• Rega RB110 tonearm with ultra-low friction bearings, standard half-inch cartridge mount and adjustable counterweight, so can upgrade cartridge for higher performance
• Automatic antiskating setting
• Phenolic resin, flywheel effect platter
• 33 1/3 and 45 rpm speeds by switching belt between pulleys

Requirements

• Nil

Suitability

Classy and stylish entry into true high quality vinyl playback, as is the Rega Planar 1, but since the built-in preamp cannot be bypassed, a touch limited in terms of upgradability. Still, you can upgrade the cartridge to another moving magnet or similar output model, but you will require stylus pressure gauge to properly install it because there is no calibration on the counterweight. I personally reviewed this one here.

3. Thorens TD 170-1

If there’s a legendary brand in turntables, Thorens is it. It has been around in one form or other for almost 140 years, and for most of them has been producing ground-breaking turntables. The Thorens TD 170-1 is the entry point to the brand.

Features

• Available in two models, the TD 170-1 has standard phono output while the TD 170-1 EV has a phono preamp built in, making it ready to plug and play
• Easy setup with pre-installed Ortofon OMB 10 moving magnet cartridge
• Low 1.5-gram tracking pressure helps preserve your vinyl recordings
• Proper antiskating adjustment built in
• Three speeds – 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm – so can also play shellac 78s (with a suitable stylus)
• Speed selection buttons
• Fully automatic, so no need for dexterity in starting and stopping records

Requirements

• Standard model needs phono pre-amp

Suitability

Thorens is a name you can trust. You can choose whether you want to pay extra for a built-in preamplifier. The automatic function means you can start and stop records easily.

4. Yamaha TT-N503

Most turntables lean towards traditional analogue purity. The Yamaha TT-N503, though, is for those who want to combine analogue vinyl and 21st century network audio. It works with Yamaha’s MusicCast wireless multiroom network audio system.

Features

• Belt drive
• Adjustable tonearm with adjustable antiskating
• Removable standard head shell, allowing easy cartridge swapping
• Built-in phono preamp built in, making it ready to plug and play. Preamp can be bypassed.
• Pre-installed Audio-Technica moving magnet cartridge with 3.5 grams tracking pressure
• Music streaming services built in
• Two speeds – 33 1/3 and 45 rpm – with speed selection button

Requirements

• Best value for those with existing Yamaha MusicCast wireless audio system

Suitability

Incredibly flexible for those with a Yamaha wireless network system, the TT-N503 doesn’t skimp on the traditional turntable virtues. I do think that the 3.5-gram tracking pressure is somewhat higher than I’d prefer, so I’d suggest upgrading the cartridge. Fortunately, with a properly adjustable arm, that’s easy enough to do.

5. Thorens TD 201

We’ve already looked at Thorens’ entry-level turntables. But with the Thorens TD 201 we’re getting serious. Nothing automatic here, this is traditional pure manual turntable magic, with a twist to make it highly compatible with all of today’s gear.

Features

• The TD 201 turntable has a phono preamp built in, making it ready to plug and play, but this can be bypassed with a switch
• Belt drive
• Easy setup with pre-installed Audio-Technica AT3600 moving magnet cartridge
• 5 grams tracking pressure
• Standard removable headshell
• Proper antiskating adjustment built in
• Fully manual
• Two speeds – 33 1/3 and 45 78 rpm – with speed selection switch

Requirements

• Nil

Suitability

The Thorens TD 201 is a fine turntable with an excellent tone arm. The standard cartridge’s 3.5-gram tracking pressure is higher than I’d prefer, so I would suggest that you move quickly to upgrade the cartridge.

6. Audio-Technica AT-LP7

You may have noticed that a whole bunch of turntables come with pre-installed Audio-Technica cartridges. That’s because this Japanese company has been in the business for a long time, developing excellent gear. You may have seen some rather cheap and cheerful Audio-Technica turntables at mass product retailers. That doesn’t detract from the quality this company can produce when it sets its mind to it, such as with the AT-LP7.

Features

• Belt drive
• Fully manual tonearm with adjustable antiskating and vertical height adjustment (a rather high-end capability)
• Removable standard head shell, allowing easy cartridge swapping
• Built-in phono preamp, making it ready to plug and play. Preamp supports both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. Preamp can be bypassed.
• Pre-installed moving Audio-Technica VM520EB moving magnet cartridge with 2 grams tracking pressure
• Can swap standard elliptical stylus for advanced profile styluses
• 20mm thick, anti-resonance, polyoxymethylene platter
• 40mm thick MDF chassis
• Two speeds – 33 1/3 and 45 rpm – with speed selection switch

Requirements

• Nil

Suitability

The Audio-Technica AT-LP7 is an all-round quality piece of kit from the box, with plenty of potential for upgrades, including simply buying and slipping in an advanced profile stylus, or moving up to a low output moving coil cartridge.

7. Thorens TD 102A

The purists may scoff, but there are certain advantages in automatic turntables. At least, in those which are designed to perform as well as manual models, such as the Thorens TD 102A. We really like the fully manual Thorens TD 201, but the Thorens TD 102A adds not only automatic convenience, but some performance improvements.

Features

• The TD 102A turntable has a phono preamp built in, making it ready to plug and play, but this can be bypassed with a switch
• Belt drive
• Easy setup with pre-installed Audio-Technica AT VM95E moving magnet cartridge
• Cartridge can be easily user-upgraded by swapping standard stylus for micro-linear or Shibata profile
• Acceptable 2.0 grams tracking pressure
• Fixed headshell, makes swapping cartridges harder but improves system rigidity
• Proper antiskating adjustment built in
• Fully manual
• Two speeds – 33 1/3 and 45 78 rpm – with speed selection switch

Requirements

• Nil

Suitability

The Thorens TD 102A adds user convenience and a significantly improved cartridge to the previous Thorens model. The ability to upgrade the cartridge with an easy-to-install stylus is a real bonus.

8. Rega Planar 3 with Exact Cartridge

UK turntable maker Rega gets into seriously audiophile territory with the Rega Planar 3 fitted with the Rega Exact cartridge. There’s no phono pre-amp. To reward you ears with this turntable, you’ll need a system ready to accept the output from a moving magnet cartridge.

Features

• Rega Exact cartridge features advanced “Vital” stylus profile
• Low 1.75-gram tracking pressure helps preserve your vinyl
• Easy setup with cartridge pre-installed
• Rega RB330 tonearm with standard half-inch cartridge mount and adjustable counterweight, so can upgrade cartridge for higher performance
• Adjustable antiskating setting
• 12mm glass flywheel-effect platter
• 33 1/3 and 45 rpm speeds by switching belt between pulleys

Requirements

• Phono preamp

Suitability

Highly respected turntable/cartridge combination from the iconic British brand. It can be upgraded by the addition of a dedicated power supply which includes push-button 33/45 speed switching. I personally reviewed this one here.

9. Thorens TD 402 DD

Thorens is a little unusual in its refusal to insist that one or the other technological solution is superior to all others. So it has both belt drive and direct drive models at the high-ends of its ranges. The Thorens TD 402 DD is only a modest fraction of the cost of Thorens’ top of the line direct drive turntable model, but it still offers supremely satisfying performance.

Features

• The TD 402 DD turntable has a phono preamp built in, making it ready to plug and play, but this can be bypassed with a switch
• Direct drive, with fast speed acquisition
• Easy setup with pre-installed Audio-Technica AT VM95E moving magnet cartridge
• Cartridge can be easily user-upgraded by swapping standard stylus for micro-linear or Shibata profile
• Acceptable 2.0 grams tracking pressure
• Removable standard head shell, allowing easy cartridge swapping
• Proper antiskating adjustment built in
• Almost fully manual, but can be set to stop turntable rotation at end of record
• Two speeds – 33 1/3 and 45 78 rpm – with speed selection switch

Requirements

• Nil

Suitability

The Thorens TD 402 DD provides a good quality cartridge, a very reliable high-torque direct drive motor, lovely finish and quality sound. You can use the built-in pre-amp or go for your own external unit. The cartridge can be easily upgraded with advanced profile styluses or replaced entirely, thanks to the configurable tonearm. I personally reviewed this turntable here.

10. Thorens TD 103 A

Back to belt drive, the Thorens TD 103 A combines automatic start/stop convenience with the next step up on tone arm design and the ability to play 78s.  It expects you to provide a suitable phono preamp, whether built into your amplifier, or a standalone unit.

Features

• The TD 103A turntable provides pure output from the installed cartridge
• Belt drive
• Easy setup with pre-installed Ortofon 2M Red moving magnet cartridge
• Cartridge can be user-upgraded to Ortofon 2M Blue with nude elliptical stylus by simple swap
• Nicely low 1.8 grams tracking pressure
• Proper antiskating adjustment built in
• Automatic start and stop, especially useful for those uncomfortable with manual handling of delicate records
• Three speeds – 33 1/3, 45 and 78 rpm – with speed selection switch
• Removable standard head shell, especially useful for switching the cartridge suitable for 78rpm records

Requirements

• Phono preamp

Suitability

The Thorens TD 103 A comes with the next step up in cartridge performance, a first-class tone arm and deck performance of the first order. With 78rpm available, it’s of course especially useful for those who may want to retro back into the recordings of seventy or more years ago.

What Are My Other Options?

We’ve limited ourselves to a couple of thousand dollars here, but there seems to be almost no limit to how much you can spend on a high-end turntable. Still, the turntables we’ve described can deliver great performance.

But perhaps you’d be prepared to stretch a little more into truly high-end audiophilia. In that case, you might consider the AVID HIDI Ingenium Play&Play turntable. Yes, it’s a little above our $2K limit, but it’s an entry into the real high-end of analogue audio performance.

Looking For Something Else

Finally, remember that all of these turntables can be upgraded, most commonly with an improved tonearm cartridge. In our experience, the cartridges pre-installed in turntables tend to be at the lower end of the scale that the turntable will full support. Going better on cartridge will simply deliver better performance.

Conclusion

We hope this guide to turntables priced at less than $2,000 will help you on your path into the joys of real, quality analogue audio.