Best Turntable in 2020 Under 500 USD
Music always gets through us and gets us through. It’s an amazing way of celebrating life. The aesthetics of a vinyl player adds to the celebration. Imagine coming home after a tiring day at work, you set up your favorite vinyl record. A cup of tea, perhaps your favorite book too, accompanies you while you get lost in the beautiful warmth of your favorite LP record. Or perhaps you like to groove it in the parties. The elegance and warmth of the analog music is what has kept the turntables popular even in this 21st century. Audiophile or not, every ear deserves to experience the most natural beauty of music.
How do I choose the perfect vinyl player for me?
Budget is definitely a point to look for. How much are you willing to spend? If you have a lot of money to burn, then perhaps price point can be overlooked and focus should be made mainly on the features and qualities. But don’t worry, to get the best you don’t necessarily always need to spend more. You can get a turntable from anywhere between $200 to thousands of dollars. If you are buying a turntable for the first time, you wouldn’t want to spend a thousand bucks on it. If you are a professional or experienced with vinyl players, you are ok to spend big. For your convenience, we have made a list for the best turntables under $500 only.
When buying a turntable, the features of it should be really taken into account so that they best suit your needs. You can start by choosing whether you want a manual or an automatic turntable. Manual turntables and automatic turntables are completely opposite to each other. Next you can start by considering the accessories – what kind of speaker system you want with it. What your stereo system would be like as a whole? Do you need USB and Bluetooth functionalities? How much upgradeable parts do you want? You can check specifications like playback speeds, signal-to-noise ratio, speed variation etc.
Are a DJ looking for the perfect turntable to amp it up? Are you an audiophile who craves for analog sound? Or is this your first time experimenting with a turntable? Based on your needs, there are different uses of a turntable to be evaluated. If this is your first time buying a turntable, you would not require all the detailed specifications but a decent one to perform all the basics properly. If you are a DJ, you would probably want a direct-driven turntable. You would also want some USB functionalities to connect to external devices. If you are all about experiencing the best of the best, you would probably want to dig into the specifications more to satisfy your craving.
U-Turn Audio
Best Choice
Notable Specifications
Speed Consistency: External belt drive is used to remove any access motor noise and ensures speed consistency (33/45 RPM).
Anti-skate: An internal anti-skate is featured.
Tonearm operation: Cue lever is included for easy tonearm operation.
This elegant turntable comes in both flatcut maple and rift walnut to suit your classy taste. If you are new to the world of turntables or simply want to jazz it up with the best and willing to pay well for it, this is what you really want. All U turntables are manufactured in Massachusetts, USA. Almost all of the parts (85 – 90%) come from the US. The wood is collected from Wisconsin. The simple sleek design and functionality of this turntable will leave you mesmerized. If you are an audiophile, you really wouldn’t want your ears to miss any of the beats. It would feel like the all the instruments in the music are live right there in your room. If you are here to surprise your audiophile beloved one with a turntable, this is exactly what you want to purchase.
- Includes Ortofon 2M Red MM cartridge
- Comes with a dust cover
- Gimbal tonearm is precise
- Speed adjustment can be made manually
- Acrylic platter gives more improved speed consistency
- Does not have a built in preamp
- Does not come with a 45 center piece
Go on with this turntable to show your elegant taste in music and style. The turntable will not only give you quality music but the solid hardwood plinths will also add glamour to your home.
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon (DC)
Value Choice
Notable Specifications
Manual: For sonic reasons, this turntable has been made manual. It does not pick up at the end of the side.
DC power supply: For speed stability, DC power supply is used with ultra-precision frequency DC-driven AC generator.
In a time when analogue is the source we use and good turntables are high in demand, this Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC was designed to break all stereotypes and set new higher standards in the business. The eye-catching feature of this turntable is that a carbon tube is used for the tonearm. It is well known that a carbon tube for a tonearm increases stiffness and decreases any unwanted resonance. You will find this posh turntable in high-gloss black or shiny red, green, blue, yellow, silver or white as no-added-cost option. This turntable is destined to bring out everything in your records! Even the dust or scratch is something that wouldn’t be hidden. So better keep your records in great shape and get everything out there that’s been in your record using this turntable.
- Comes with dust cover
- Upgradable (platter, mat, cables, cartridge)
- Comparatively the platter is heavier
- Carbon Tube for tonearm
- Any phono amp is compatible
- TPE motor suspension
- Ortofon 2M red cartridge
- The plastic feet are stationary.
- No preamp inside
- No auto return
If you are looking for a quality vinyl experience without using absurd money, Pro-Ject Debut Carbon DC is exactly what you’re looking for. Whether you a first time buyer of a vinyl player or an experienced one, this player will certainly give you a quality experience.
Sony PSHX500
Most Expensive Choice
Notable Specifications
Music digitizing: Digitizes your favorite track.
USB connectivity: USB connector is B type and speed is USB2.0. It uses USB connectivity to transfer files to a computer.
DSD/WAV quality: Record at both DSD/WAV quality. Sampling frequency is 44.1 KHz/48 KHz/96 KHz/192 KHz.
Software: Turntable has its own software. The use of third party software is not guaranteed to work. Sony’s software is only used for ripping.
So your favorite track is stuck in your head all day? You want to play it but they don’t make portable vinyl players, right? Well, now you can carry your favorite track with you wherever you go. With its USB functionality and Sony’s own software, digitize your favorite track and carry it with you wherever whenever you want to! Never feel left alone because now you have your favorite track with you.
- Built-in preamp
- Plays at 33/45 RMP
- Rotating speed is adjustable
- Supports both phono and line output
- No auto stop at the end of record
- Controls on turntable and wires are tiny
- Cannot play 78s
- Does not convert to MP3
If you are willing to carry your music with you at its best quality, Sony PSHX500 is your guide to home. It’s almost like carrying your vinyl player in your pocket.
Fluance RT81
Cheapest Choice
Notable Specifications
Auto stop feature: This turntable has the auto stop feature but does not auto-return to the resting position. It has to be done manually.
Speed: Plays two speeds- 33 1/3 and 45 RPM.
Fluance RT81 is made of real solid piece of wood which is extremely polished and elegant with all its appearance. The audio from it is as if the artist were playing right in front of you in your living room. The turntable has been carefully and artistically to do some serious performance. The walnut finish just adds to its glam. It is a true luxury for such a low price. The preamps are from Texas Instruments and the RCA lines are gold platted to ensure the high fidelity audio in its purest form.
- Auto-stop feature
- Built in preamp
- Replaceable cartridge
- Comes with dust cover
- Heavy
- Does not auto return
- No slot for the 45 RPM adaptor
- The adjustment for the RPM is located on the bottom and might be hard to reach
As your first turntable, this would leave with an unforgettable beautiful experience. If you are an experienced in this field, this could be your next favorite turntable.
Audio Technica AT-LP1240
Notable Specifications
Speed: Plays all three speeds – 33, 45 and 78 RPM.
Manual: This is a fully manual turntable.
Are you a party animal? Perhaps you are looking for something to amp it up in the nightclubs or parties? If so, AT-LP1240 is built to serve your purpose and rock your party up professionally. With this elegant gloss-black and silver design, you can also party solo at home. It is designed to fit into any stereo or home entertainment system. This record player provides USB output for you to easily convert your favorite LPs to digital music.
- Built-in phono preamp
- Highly customized features
- Comes with dust cover
- Comes with dust cover
For a DJ out there, this a beast with so many customizable features. Tame the beast and keep your party rocking!
Akai Professional BT100
Notable Specifications
Bluetooth features: It can stream your favorite tune to any speaker with Bluetooth features.
Play speed: Only plays 33 and 45 RPM speed
Fully automated: BT100 is fully automated which includes auto return features.
Akai Professional BT100 has come to the show with all its elegance and style fulfilling your classical needs; a system which brings out all the best notes in your record without any unnecessary disturbance. To make it more enjoyable in your modern homo-audio system, it includes Bluetooth and USB features. You can blast your music in your Bluetooth supported speakers directly using this turntable. Don’t enjoy your jam only in your home now, convert it to digital files and rock up your portable music players too!
- Built-in phono preamp
- RPM adjustment
- Place for headphones
- USB features
- No pitch blend control
- No foot adjustment
If you are tired of looking for a perfect way to get your turntable to jam up with your speakers, this is what you should be looking for. At this reasonable price and incredibly cool look, this turntable is made to make your experience enjoyable and convenient.
As long as hearts are beating, they will always crave for music in its purest form. Vinyl records are built to store music in its truest form in analog. In all the chaos and hustles in our lives, we all deserve to sit back and relax to the beauty of music. Keeping this in mind, vinyl players are made to suit different choices. From death metal to blue, turntables are made to bring them all to live. Based on your personal choice and preferences, now you make a decision which vinyl record player you want to make the journey with.
