Read on to discover the best turntable for any budget in 2025...
Best turntable for your budget 2025... you don't need a second mortgage!
Costing a whopping €157,990 (£135,000) and weighing 220 kilogrammes, the Transrotor Artus FMD looks more like a prop in a sci-fi movie than a record player. It’s a wonderful example of the lengths audiophiles are willing to go to get the very best from their vinyl collection (and if you are similarly inclined, head to transrotor.de to find out more).
- Would you spend a million pounds on a hi-fi? What if it sounds like nothing you've ever experienced?
But, just like you don’t need a Patek Philippe to tell the time, buying and enjoying a turntable does not need a second mortgage. With vinyl sales continuing to surprise – the market grew by 10.5 per cent in 2024 with 6.7 million sales – the number of great-quality, good-value turntables also continues to rise.
From Audio-Technica to Sony, Technics, Rega and Pro-Ject, there is no shortage of designs available, and navigating your way through tonearms, platters, cartridges, stylus and phono stages can be a baffling experience. But I hope to cut through the jargon and make it easy for you to choose the turntable that’s right for your budget.
Best turntable for your budget 2025... What to look out for?
Bluetooth vs wireless
The first thing to consider is your existing hi-fi. Most turntables are designed to be plugged into a stereo amplifier which then powers speakers but, increasingly, Bluetooth designs can stream to a compatible speaker or headphones. These are convenient, but sound quality will take a dip compared to a wired solution of a similar price. Thankfully, most wireless designs – Cambridge Audio’s Alva ST (£599; cambridgeaudio.com) remains one of the best – can also be plugged in. I’m not going to discuss turntables with built-in speakers here, as I’ve yet to be impressed by one, but I will let you know if that changes.
Phono preamp
A turntable’s cartridge produces a very low-amplitude audio signal from the record, and this needs amplifying before it can be used with most audio equipment. Known as a phono preamp, many new turntables have a basic one built in, and many amplifiers have them as standard, so you can just plug-and-play. However, for the best audio quality, an external preamp such as the well-priced iFi Zen Phono 3 (£249; ifi-audio.com) is worth budgeting for.
Belt- or direct-drive system
To spin, turntables use either a belt- or direct-drive system. Belt-drive models, like the award-winning Pro-Ject Primary E (£199; richersounds.com) keep motor noise to a minimum, as any vibrations are partially damped by the rubber belt. Belt-driven models do not offer as much torque or speed consistency as direct-drive models like the classic Technics SL 1210 MK7
(£799; technics.com), though.
Eliminating unwanted vibrations
Eliminating unwanted vibrations is the Holy Grail for turntable designers. Heavier components, especially the plinth (base) and platter, do a better job at this, as will vibration-absorbing feet, while your choice of tonearm will also impact on quality. A well-designed, adjustable aluminum tonearm, like those on the lower-cost Rega or Pro-Ject decks, do a brilliant job for most people. The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO 2 (£599; richersounds.com) is a rare, and excellent, mid-priced design with carbon-fibre tonearm.
Cartridge and stylus
And the final piece of the puzzle is the cartridge and stylus (needle), as it plays the pivotal role in sound reproduction. Cheaper turntables come with a pre-installed cartridge, such as the reliable Ortofon OM 1S and Audio Technica AT-VM95E. But – you guessed it – if you upgrade you will instantly hear the difference, which is why most premium turntables don’t come with a cartridge, as audiophiles tend to have their favourites. For me, the multi award-winning Goldring E4 (£199; goldring.co.uk) strikes the perfect balance between value and performance.
Best turntable for your budget 2025... Extras to consider
Manual, automatic, or semi-automatic?
Manual turntables require you to start the motor and place the needle on the record yourself. At the end, the record keeps spinning until you lift the tonearm. Automatic models do it all for you, while semi-automatics stop the motor and/or lift the tonearm, but you cue it up manually.
Build quality and upgradability
Even at lower prices, look for models with replaceable parts like the cartridge, stylus and belt. This ensures your turntable remains upgradeable. Leading brands design all their turntables to grow with you, meaning a stylus swap or tonearm upgrade can be done over time.
Speed
Not all turntables switch seamlessly between 331/3 and 45 RPM records. Some require manually moving the belt to a different pulley. Spending slightly more often gets you electronic speed control.
Best turntable for your budget 2025... We recommend...
Audio Technica AT-LP3XBT £280
This fully automatic belt-driven turntable blends analogue charm with modern conveniences, making it an excellent choice for those people just discovering, or finally returning to, the joys of vinyl. The fully automatic push-button operation is a bit clunky, but makes dropping the needle risk-free, even for kids, and I like that the tonearm has weight balance and anti-skate adjustments to help maintain the condition of your records.
It comes with the dependable AT-VM95C cartridge too, so you can upgrade over time. But it also has a switchable preamp for easy connectivity to any wired amplifier, plus they’ve added Bluetooth for wireless streaming too. I’m not as fond of the plastic build, or the manual speed changing, but it’s still a turntable that’s easy to like.
Rega Planar 1 £329
A legend in the entry-level turntable world, the Planar 1 effortlessly juggles ease of use, impressive performance and long-term value. It arrives ready to play, with a Rega Carbon cartridge pre-installed and tracking force already marked. The RB110 tonearm has precision bearings and automatic bias adjustment, which also helps keep faff to virtually zero.
It’s a belt-driven turntable with a 24v synchronous AC motor that ensures speed stability and low noise, while the minimalist gloss-laminated plinth looks far more premium than it should. It requires an external phono stage, you have to switch speeds manually and at 4.2kg it’s not heavy, but the performance punches above that slight weight.
Denon DP-3000NE £2,300
Costing £133,000 less than the Artus FMD (left) makes this gorgeous turntable a complete bargain! OK, I’m being flippant, and for most of us £2,300 is a huge investment, but if you’ve got a high-quality hi-fi, this will be a beautiful analogue addition. Beneath its flawless ebony veneer lies a sophisticated direct-drive system that ensures precise speed control and a blistering sense of rhythm.
Its robust construction combined with dense aluminium platter and finely engineered bearings ensure minimal surface noise and smooth rotation, while adjustable vibration-damping feet keep things rock solid. While indulging in a fresh 180g pressing of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake (LSO/André Previn; Warner Classics), I was taken aback by the captivating presentation, drive and control of the performance, as well as the turntable’s ability to tease out the subtle details and physical bombast of the whole orchestra.
