12 Best Turntables (2024), Tested and Reviewed

Vinyl Listening Accessories and Tips

Before you plug into your system, the main accessory your turntable whitethorn request is simply a phono preamp if it's not built-in. Phono preamps instrumentality the turntable's people quiescent awesome and bring it up to enactment level—the level your stereo expects from CD players, portion decks, and integer devices. The phono awesome is usually passed to the amp done the reddish and achromatic RCA inputs connected the back. There are plentifulness of good, inexpensive options for phono preamps. We similar the Art DJPreII ($65). The Rolls VP29 ($59) is different bully one, portion U-Turn's Pluto 2 ($109) is the aforesaid arsenic what's built successful to immoderate of its apical turntables. I wouldn't walk little than $50, but you don't request to walk brainsick wealth either. You tin skip the ones that outgo hundreds of dollars until you person a nicer turntable, but if you privation to upgrade further, I similar the Cambridge Audio Alva Solo preamp ($199).

If you privation ultra-simple speakers that brace brilliantly with your luxe turntable (especially the Orbit Theory), U-Turn's Ethos speakers ($449) are an intriguing option. Reviewer Ryan Waniata had admittedly debased expectations astatine first. Their plan is stout and stylish, but there’s nary app oregon remote, and their dearth of inputs (just 3.5-mm, RCA, and Bluetooth 5.1) provides little versatility than astir powered bookshelf speakers. The insignificant hum connected powering up is simply a telltale motion of their potent toroidal transformer, portion A/B amplification keeps vinyl successful the analog realm. Their saccharine dependable signature provides depth, instrumental texture, and rushing dynamics. He adored them for records similar my go-to tester, Brubeck’s Take 5, though helium wished for immoderate EQ to chill things retired connected brighter Japanese Beatles pressings. Therein lies the rub. You’ll get humble inputs and controls, but if you're aft daring analog simplicity astatine its purest, the Ethos deliver.

If you privation much adaptable speakers, you'll find large options successful our Best Bookshelf Speakers and Best Audiophile Gear guides (also linked above), arsenic good arsenic amplifiers and different gear.

Other basics you'll request are tied to attraction and setup. You'll privation a grounds brushwood (often included with turntables), a mode to cleanable your stylus, and a level to marque definite your turntable is acceptable up properly. Check retired this video to spot precisely what you request to bash earlier you play your archetypal record. Additionally, WIRED Contributing Editor Chris Haslam is presently investigating a grounds unwarping device, truthful we'll beryllium definite and adhd that soon if it ends up moving arsenic planned.

Lastly, if you request a spot to store each those LPs and 45s you've been buying, effort a Flipbin. The institution makes handsome table-top bins for safely displaying and protecting your records. Check retired our Best Vinyl Accessories usher for more.