How To Draw A Vinyl Record Player

The best record players are more in demand than ever. Vinyl itself (and indeed physical record sales) might not be bigger than ever, but the format's resurgence isn't something you can ignore: sales have grown every year for over a decade and now make up around 20% of physical sales. Yes, I know most people stream on a subscription basis now, but it's still an impressive comeback.

Thing is, if you're not spinning that wax on one of the best record players, you're not doing it right. You might be destroying your records, putting too much weight on the stylus and wearing out your grooves; you might be using a sub-standard cartridge, and not getting the best sound available to you. Picking up one of the best turntables is an investment in your own enjoyment as much as it is an investment in making that vinyl collection last as long as possible.

But everyone wants a record player with a different specialism. You might be looking for the most stylish record player around. You might be looking for a DJ deck, something you can hook up to mixer and safely (ish) scratch and mix your records together. Maybe you're looking for the ultimate in sound quality. Maybe you're on a budget, and want a cheap record player that won't murder your albums. Whatever your goal, we've got the turntable for you.

Get the best deals on record players this Black Friday

Bagging a new record deck as you pick through the best Black Friday deals is a win, win, especially if it comes with lots of money off. That means you'll have more cash to spend on extra vinyl to play on your new purchase. Lookout for deals on Amazon as well as the more specialised audio outlets on the web.

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The best record players we've tried

Pro-Ject Essential III on white background

1. Pro-Ject Essential III

Best record player for most people

Specifications

Weight: 5kg

Speed: 33/45

Output: Analogue with pre-amp

Dimensions: 415 x 335 x 112 mm

Reasons to buy

+Solid sound reproduction +Fancy styling in multiple colours +Optional pre-amping +Fantastic price

Reasons to avoid

-Slightly awkward setup procedure

The mid-market for record players is certainly not empty – there are a host of other turntables, such as the Rega Planar 1 and Audio-Technica's AT-LP5 that work plenty hard in the space – but the Pro-ject Essential III hits the high notes for us. Setup isn't that easy, requiring you to monkey with two individual counterweights on the tone arm, and fit the turntable's drive band yourself.

After that, though, it's joy all round. The Pro-Ject Essential III sounds superb given the asking price, with a poised and wide soundstage producing an enjoyable sound across a range of genres and volume levels.

It's not unkind on the eye either, with a variety of high gloss finishes that will slot into most surrounding decor.

There's a Bluetooth version – Pro-Ject Essential III BT – on the market too. It's not the best Bluetooth turntable going, only carrying SBC Bluetooth, but it sounds remarkably good all things considered, and the lack of cables means you're flush with options on where to put it in the room.

Please note that the Essential III has now been usurped by the Pro-ject T1. It's a similar and similarly priced deck to the veteran Essential, and we will have a replacement review very shortly.

2. Technics SL-1200GR

The best premium record player is an update of THE classic DJ deck

Specifications

Speed: 33/45/78 plus multi-speed

Output: Analogue

Dimensions: 453 x 372 x 173mm

Weight: 11.2kg

Reasons to buy

+Tough as old boots +Brilliant sound output

Reasons to avoid

-It really does look very 'DJ deck' -Supremely expensive

Technics reinvented and revitalised its SL-1200 DJ decks with the launch of the SL-1200GR and SL-1210GR – the former silver, the latter black; they are otherwise identical.

With rock solid build quality, easy set-up by record player standards, immense bass, and a hugely exciting and involving sound, this is much more than just a DJ deck. In fact if you are a DJ, you might be better off scouring eBay for a second-hand SL-1200 from the 90s – these decks last forever.

For home listening, there are few turntables that are more enjoyable to own than the Technics SL-1200GR. Just make sure you have enough space, and that you're strong enough to lift it – these things are hefty.

• Read our full Technics SL-1200GR review

3. Pro-Ject Primary E

Best cheap record player

Specifications

Speed: 33/45 (manual)

Output: Analogue

Dimensions: 420 x 330 x 112mm

Weight: 4kg

Reasons to buy

+Extremely tidy +Very competent playback

Reasons to avoid

-Three-footed design -Manual speed change

You can get cheaper record players than this, but realistically we would not suggest paying less than £150/$175 for a turntable, unless you just want to use it as a room accessory.

You get what you pay for, and Pro-ject's entry-level player hasn't seen the company going the route of tacking on nice-looking mod cons while skimping in other areas. No, this is the record player stripped down to its most basic form.

Its mains-fed motor runs at a constant speed, for example, so if you want to change from 33 to 45rpm you'll need to manually move the platter-looped belt to a different spindle. There are only three feet on the bottom, which means you'll need to take care lifting the lid if it's attached.

Instead of cramming in the features, Pro-ject has gone heavy on the design – this is clean, attractive stuff – and on creating a very credible playing experience. Everything comes pre-adjusted and pre-installed (apart from that belt), so it's ready to go right out of the box with the perfect tracking force.

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Elipson Chroma Carbon RIAA on white background

4. Elipson Chroma Carbon RIAA BT

Best Bluetooth record player

Specifications

Weight: 5.8kg

Speed: 33/45

Output: Analogue with pre-amp, Bluetooth, USB

Dimensions: 450 x 380 x 120mm

Reasons to buy

+Super-rigid tone arm +Decent wireless audio output +Solid pre-amp

Elipson's top-line turntable pulls down a lot of features from the truly high end and puts them in the affordable price bracket, things like the super-stiff carbon fiber tone arm, which cuts down on arm resonance for a truer, tighter sound. It also packs a newly rejiggered digital belt drive motor, both quieter than Elipson's previous engines and, in conjunction with the two-part platter, made for consistent speed and accurate pitch.

On the end of the tone arm is a not-too-shabby Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, not a cheap item in itself, which uses an elliptical stylus that should (if you get the balance right) prevent your records from wearing out too quickly.

And yes, there's Bluetooth; it's aptX, meaning a much higher resolution than some other record players, and there's USB connectivity too if you're looking to back up your records to a PC. All of this digital tomfoolery is backed up by a RIAA pre-amp, which pulls double duty by enabling you to hook up to any auxiliary connection – handy if your amp doesn't have a phono stage of its own.

Audio-Technica AT-LP5X on white background

5. Audio-Technica AT-LP5X

Best USB record player

Specifications

Weight: 7.3kg

Speed: 33/45/78

Output: Analogue with pre-amp, USB

Dimensions: 450 x 352 x 157mm

Reasons to buy

+Perfectly neutral design +Remarkable sound quality for the price +USB output is a neat extra +Not over-expensive

Reasons to avoid

-Plastic body

You do not have to spend the world to get a record player that sounds like it knows exactly what it's doing. AT's freshly-upgraded AT-LP5X is evidence of this: even with its plastic base it's built well, sounds tremendous, and handles itself with precision and grace.

It's bundled with Audio-Technica's newest generation of its AT-95 cartridge, the AT-VM95E, a moving magnet tucked inside a more rigid housing which apparently gives a higher output and better frequency response, and it's on the end of a J-shaped tonearm that allegedly helps minimise tracking errors. Whatever the science, we know this: the AT-LP5X sounds great.

You have the choice of line or phono level output, along with USB if you fancy transferring your vinyl so something more accessible. Its direct-drive motor can now play 78s, and it's even less prone to interference than before since Audio-Technica has pulled the power supply out of the chassis of the record player and moved it to the plug. This is a turntable that will run and run. Treat it well and it'll stay consistent for years to come.

6. McIntosh MT5

Best audiophile record player

Specifications

Speed: 33/45/78

Output: Analogue

Dimensions: 483 x 444 x 178mm

Weight: 14.3kg

Reasons to buy

+Look at it +Just look at it +Then listen to it

Reasons to avoid

-Costs as much as a small car

McIntosh's reputation precedes it like a motorcade precedes a presidential trip to the shops: if you've noticed it, you can't turn your eyes away. This meticulously made, ultra-weighty record player backs the fanfare up with strong leadership. It has a glowing magnetically suspended platter, with high-end bearings that mean incredible smoothness and precision, a tone arm factory-adjusted for perfect playback, an included moving coil cartridge with an elliptical diamond stylus and... well, just look at it. This is gloriously excessive.

You'll need your own pre-amp, but if you're spending £9,000 on a turntable you've probably already got a good pre-amp. If you haven't, you're someone who's prepared to spend £9,000 on a turntable, so you can probably afford one.

How to buy the best record player for you

There's a whole lot of choice in the turntable world, but if you're new to vinyl and want something that's going to get the job done and give you as many options as possible there's certainly hardware out there to suit.

We've chosen a record player with direct drive, meaning the motor spins the platter directly rather than transferring power through a belt. This vastly simplifies setup, and adds a definite bump to longevity – there's much less maintenance required.

You can go belt drive if you like, but our choice also has a bunch of output options, a built in pre-amp so it can be connected to any hi-fi, and a cartridge good enough that you're not going to feel the need to upgrade after five minutes of listening.

It even has a USB output, so you can digitise the sound of your vinyl, if you like. It really is a do-everything unit, for a great price.

Hardcore vinyl enthusiasts may get a little squeamish about using a turntable with Bluetooth; taking that beautiful analogue sound and crushing it into a digital datastream no doubt feels a little sacrilegious. To you, we say you're quite right. You'll hate listening to vinyl that way even if it sounds brilliant, and that's OK. There are countless phono-only options.

For everybody else, Bluetooth offers convenience: routing to different speakers, and even straight to wireless headphones, is easy, and you can put your record player wherever it's convenient (vibration willing) rather than being forced to slot it into an existing hi-fi setup.

You'll notice that the Technics SL-1200GR ranks high in our list. That isn't because we use it for mixing and scr-scr-scr-scratching – although you certainly good use it for that. No, it's because the qualities that made the SL-1200 line of DJ decks so essential in nightclubs also make it a great choice for the home. And that's especially true if you are nostalgic for your rave days, of course…

The Technics also marks the last price point at which record players could be described as 'affordable'-ish. After that, as with any branch of the hi-fi tree, it's possible to spend just about any amount on a record player if you really want to. The law of diminishing returns does rear its ugly head, of course – the difference between a player costing many thousands and one costing around £1,000/$1,500, as the Technics does, is not going to be night and day, to a lot of peoples' ears.

But climb that tree and you'll find its branches contain a whole lot of incredible design, beautiful sound, and turntables deserving of hosting your precious vinyl collection.