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Parker Hall
Gear
Streaming music giving you the blues? These turntables will help you rock on to analog audio at home.
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For Beginners
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB
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For Tight Budgets
Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT
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For Classy Looks
Fluance RT81 Turntable
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Best Sound for the Money
Pro-Ject Audio Debut Carbon Evo
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Vinyl's biggest selling point isn't the sound. It's the physical experience: shiny, delicate records; liner notes writ large; covers you want to frame and hang on your wall; and the way the stylus spins across the jagged surface, reproducing your favorite artists' music as if by magic.
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 reviews 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 tons of great record players to choose from, and most of them will easily connect to whatever audio system you already own. I've tested quite a few options, and these are my current favorites—from utilitarian, budget-friendly classics to more luxe options for those seeking audiophile-grade sound.
Be sure to check out our other audio guides, including the Best Gear for Learning Music and the Best Podcasting Gear.
Updated April 2024: We've added the Technics SL-1500C and U-Turn Orbit Theory.
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Parker Hall is a senior editor of product reviews at WIRED. He focuses on audiovisual and entertainment products. Hall is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music, where he studied jazz percussion. After hours, he remains a professional musician in his hometown of Portland, Oregon.
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