Vinyl’s best-selling product The point is not the sound. It’s the physical experience: shiny, delicate plates; liner notes are written large; covers that you want to frame and hang on the wall; and the way the stylus rotates across the jagged surface, magically reproducing the music of your favorite artists.
Maybe you’ve always been interested in building a setup for listening to LPs and 45s, but you don’t know where to start. Maybe you’re like WIRED review editor Julian Chokkattu, who owned a record but no turntable to play it on. Maybe you’re just looking for an upgrade. No problem: there are plenty of great turntables to choose from, and most of them can easily be connected to whatever audio system you already have. I tested quite a few options, and these are my current favorites: from practical, budget-friendly classics to more luxurious options for those looking for audiophile-quality sound.
Be sure to check out our other audio guides, including the best music learning gear and the best podcast gear.
Updated April 2024: We added the Technics SL-1500C and U-Turn Orbit Theory.
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