Vinyl records are experiencing a resurgence. Once considered lost to the annals of time, they are now fashionable and in demand again. Whether it's spinning a new collector's edition record or a nostalgic journey into a forgotten musical past, you'll need a record player.

But which is the best record player for you?

Our Recommendations for the Best Record Players in 2023

A black Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB
Best Overall

Premium Quality at a Midrange Price

The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB is a renowned direct-drive turntable perfect for audiophiles and DJs. It’s sturdy and durable, delivers outstanding audio, and is available in three stylish designs. You can also convert your vinyl collection to digital formats to give your precious records longevity. 

Pros
  • Aluminum platter reduces vibrations
  • Built-in Pre-amp
  • S-shaped tone arm
  • High torque
  • Pitch control for DJs
Cons
  • No Bluetooth

Audio-Technica is one of the most popular professional-grade audio brands. If you've ever been inside a recording studio, you'll likely find Audio-Technica equipment. Their needle cartridges are even used on other turntables.

The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB is one of the company's finest turntables. The physical design of the record player gives the optimal playback experience. The sturdy S-shaped tonearm, aluminum platter, and direct-drive motor all contribute to the stellar audio output. Considering the quality of the turntable, it's available at an unbeatable price, too.

This model is a direct-drive turntable, so there is no belt spinning your records. It’s more durable, has stronger torque, and offers more consistent speed. Additionally, variable pitch control means you can use it in a DJ setup. By adding another deck and a mixer, you’ll have affordable and reliable wheels of steel for mixing your old soul, funk, and house records.

Like many modern record players, there's a USB output, allowing you to record your vinyl records in digital formats. It’s available in black, silver, or a rather eye-catching black accentuated with bronze trimmings.

A turquoise Victrola Vintage Suitcase Turntable
Victrola Vintage Suitcase Turntable
Most Affordable

Nostalgia and Style at a Pocket-Friendly Price

The suitcase-style is the most popular retro design for a record player. Victrola produces suitcase turntables in an abundance of designs and colors. While the audio it offers is average, you can easily connect external speakers with an RCA cord. The Victrola Vintage Suitcase Turntable is an affordable option for on-the-go vinyl playing. Whether you take it on vacation or to a house party, it offers style and quality at an affordable price.
 

Pros
  • Portable
  • External speaker support via RCA
  • Lightweight and transportable
  • Huge amount of designs and colors
  • Simple controls
Cons
  • Bluetooth input only
  • Flimsy platter and no mat
  • Lightweight tonearm

If you want to play your records on the go, the Victrola Vintage Suitcase Turntable is for you. As the name suggests, it’s housed within a suitcase, allowing you to lock it up and take it with you. You can even pack it up and take it on vacation, although you might want to protect the fragile components in bubble wrap.

This style was popular in the 50s and 60s, so you can combine vinyl and style nostalgia with this retro record player. It’s also available in a mind-boggling number of designs and colors, so anyone can find a style to suit.

There is no internal battery, so you'll need to plug it into an outlet for power. The record player operates at 33, 45, and 78 RPM, and there's a 3.5mm jack for you to plug in headphones. There’s also an RCA output to connect external speakers if you need better audio than the integrated speakers provide. Furthermore, its Bluetooth connectivity lets you wirelessly stream from your smartphone to the record player’s speakers.

A silver Audio-Technica AT-LP60X turntable
Audio-Technica AT-LP60X
Best Value

Outstanding Balance Between Value and Performance

An upgrade on the popular AT-LP60 turntable, the Audio-Technica AT-LP60X offers upgrades on the tonearm and headshell, as well as a sturdy platter to counter vibrations. Sound quality is superb, with deep low frequencies and well-tuned mids, and it comes at a surprisingly good price offering an excellent balance between value and quality.

Pros
  • Budget-friendly
  • Excellent audio
  • Sturdy
  • Nice color choice
  • Easy setup
Cons
  • Plastic build
  • No 78RPM
  • No Bluetooth

Audio-Technica produces high-quality audio equipment even at the lower end of the budget scale. And while the AT-LP60X isn’t as affordable as retro-style suitcase turntables, the step-up in audio excellence is worth the little extra. Of course, you can’t expect the most detailed soundstage at this price. But you do get excellent value, and your records will resonate low and midrange frequencies to please all but fussy audiophiles.

It’s a fully automatic belt-driven turntable that comes with an RCA output cable that you connect via the 3.5mm jack. You also have the choice of line-level or phono output, and teaming the turntable up with a premium stereo system works fantastically well with boosted bass giving your vinyl real body.

Despite the plastic chassis, the turntable is robust. It features a sturdy, anti-resonance, die-cast aluminum platter, and the tonearm is also designed to reduce vibrations and improve tracking. It’s available in silver, black, or brown and is a worthy addition to any music system setup.

A blue Kedok Suitcase Record Player
Kedok Suitcase Record Player
Best Suitcase Style

A Retro Record Player at a Retro Price

The Kedok Suitcase Record Player is an affordable suitcase-style turntable that offers excellent aesthetics to any room. You can boost the audio quality by connecting to external speakers via the RCA outputs, while you can also stream from your smart devices to the turntable's integrated speakers. It’s lightweight and transportable and available in several eye-catching colors.

Pros
  • Easily transportable
  • Affordable
  • Auto-stop function
  • Aesthetically pleasing
Cons
  • Average speakers

Another chic 60s-style turntable that comes at a very pleasing price is the Kedok Suitcase Record Player. While it doesn’t have the style and color selection offered by the Victrola model, it still has a few aesthetically pleasing colors the fashion-conscious will love. Record players like this are an excellent decoration even if you don’t own many records because they brighten any room and bring retro sophistication to your living space.

Like the Victrola turntable, the speakers are of average quality. They can still comfortably fill a small- to medium-sized room, but to get the most out of the record player, you can connect to external speakers via the RCA outputs. It also features auxiliary and Bluetooth inputs and a headphone jack.

This record player is easily transportable. You can lock up the turntable and carry the lightweight suitcase anywhere. Like the Victrola, you can even take it on vacation, although you should wrap the delicate parts and bring it on as hand luggage if flying.

A House of Marley Stir It Up turntable
House of Marley Stir It Up Turntable
Most Eco-Friendly

Sustainably Sourced Materials and Quality Audio

House of Marley focuses on the values and legacy of reggae legend Bob Marley. As a result, their products consist of sustainably sourced materials and deliver excellent audio quality. The House of Marley Stir It Up Wireless Turntable features an Audio-Technica MM cartridge that delivers quality bass in a nod to the turntable’s inspiration while it also features convenient Bluetooth connectivity.

Pros
  • Excellent audio
  • Stylish design
  • Eco-friendly
  • Bluetooth output
  • Vinyl to digital recording
Cons
  • Some Bluetooth setup issues

The Stir It Up Wireless Turntable is a product from House of Marley, the audio company established by reggae legend Bob Marley's son, Rohan. Given his father's reputation, House of Marley has a strong focus on high-quality audio and eco-friendly products.

This record player is a stylish, belt-driven, two-speed turntable capable of playback at 33 or 45 RPM. The Audio-Technica MM cartridge and built-in preamp are integral to the turntable’s high-quality audio. They deliver plenty of punch in the bass, but you can switch to your own choice of preamp, should you desire. There's also an autostart feature and good anti-skating to help protect your vinyl.

The Stir It Up Wireless Turntable is an updated edition of the original, this time with Bluetooth connectivity included. The Bluetooth 4.2 connection allows you to stream your records to a wireless speaker rather than relying on a cabled connection. As a result, you can place the turntable anywhere in your home.

In keeping with the House of Marley philosophy, the turntable's main body is furnished in responsibly sourced bamboo. The slipmat is made of the company's REGRIND silicone, composed of upcycled post-consumer waste. Additionally, the record player comes equipped with a 3.5mm headphone jack and USB port for recording your vinyl records to digital format.

An Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1 Vintage Record Player
Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1 Record Player
Best Vintage

Stunning Aesthetics with Turntable, CD Player, and Radio

Another record player giving that back-in-time feel is the Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1 Vintage Record Player. It boasts a CD player and AM/FM radio on top of its quality turntable and has a stunning design that enhances the look of any room.

Pros
  • Can connect external speakers
  • Good quality built-in speakers
  • CD player and radio
  • Beautiful vintage design
Cons
  • Vinyl to MP3 album songs not recorded individually

While retro suitcase-style record players offer superb value, you can step back even further in time and pick yourself up a stunning vintage-style unit that provides a whole lot more. The Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1 not only has a quality turntable, but it also boasts a CD player and an AM/FM radio.

All this is housed in a bulky but striking real-wood vintage radio-style body. It’s available in three choice colors: cherry, black, and walnut, and is accentuated with brass knobs and buttons for a real back-in-time feel. This record player will undoubtedly enhance the aesthetics of any living space and look particularly impressive sitting proudly among old vinyl collections. It also ensures all those other long-stored-away music formats are called on again.

Despite its old-fashioned looks, it also has contemporary features. Bluetooth connectivity (input only) allows you to stream podcasts and music from your smart devices, and vinyl to MP3 recording gives you digital backups of all your precious records.

The speakers can fill an average-sized room and offer good audio quality. You can connect to more powerful external speakers via the RCA outputs if you feel the need to crank it up a bit. The unit also has a bass and treble equalizer, allowing you to fine-tune your music to a degree.

A black Technics SL-1500C turntable
Technics SL-1500C
Best for Audiophiles

Stunning Audio for Sound Lovers

The Technics SL-1500C is an excellent choice for any music fan and audiophile. It’s not a DJ toy like most other Technics turntables, but the build is quality, and the audio is heaven. The built-in preamp may not suffice for serious audiophiles, who will likely have their own phono stage waiting to push this deck to the limits anyway. For the rest of us, it’s a simple turntable that delivers breathtaking sound and an excellent platform to push ourselves upwards toward audiophile enlightenment.
 

Pros
  • Auto-lift function
  • Robust and sturdy
  • Excellent Ortofon 2M Red cartridge
  • Easy setup
  • Superb sound
Cons
  • Pricey
  • Built-in preamp is pointless for audiophiles

With regards to quality audio equipment, you really have to take your hat off to the Japanese. Audio-Technica products shine brightly, but you can't beat Technics when it comes to grade-A premium turntables. While the company’s record decks are generally engineered for DJs, there is no adjustable pitch control on the SL-1500C, so it is aimed squarely at the audiophile.

It features a coreless direct-drive motor with advanced speed control. The frame is well-damped, as is the underside of the aluminum platter. The S-shaped tonearm is a solid variation of that found on the 1200 series and features adjustable height and extra counterweight for heavy cartridges and headshells. It comes complete with an excellent Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, and the setup is simple, allowing you to enjoy your vinyl straight out of the box.

However, the turntable comes with a built-in preamp that no audiophile will take seriously. The casual listener may feel it’s enough, but once you plug this into a premium phono stage, the fun really starts. You’ll get crisp sounds with clearly pronounced details and a well-defined soundstage. It’s not a cheap turntable by any stretch of the imagination. But you get what you pay for.

What to Consider When Budgeting for a Record Player in 2023

There are record players out there to suit every budget. Like any product, the quality varies, but you can find some surprising bargains at the lower end of the scale, while the top end graces turntables that will turn your vinyl into high-resolution heaven.

You can find suitcase-style and other retro turntables at pocket-friendly prices. Among the best are the Victrola Vintage and the Kedok Suitcase record players. They may be a little on the fragile side, but if you take care of them, they can last a while and offer a decent platform to play your vinyl on. Not only that, but they are seriously decorative, and you can usually connect them to external sources to improve the audio.

At the other end of the scale, serious audiophiles need to pay considerable sums to really enjoy their passion. The Technics SL-1500C provides superb sound and is highly durable. However, the price can be off-putting for most. Audio-Technica offers excellent record players and is renowned for its focus on quality audio. The AT-LP60X provides fantastic value and quality to the average listener.

If you are a serious listener yet don’t want to pay premium prices, you can’t go wrong with the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB. It is a direct-drive turntable that offers outstanding sound quality. It’s also well-built and feature-packed, and with its pitch adjustment slider, you can use it in a DJ setup, too.

A black Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB
Best Overall

Premium Quality at a Midrange Price

The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB is a renowned direct-drive turntable perfect for audiophiles and DJs. It’s sturdy and durable, delivers outstanding audio, and is available in three stylish designs. You can also convert your vinyl collection to digital formats to give your precious records longevity. 

Pros
  • Aluminum platter reduces vibrations
  • Built-in Pre-amp
  • S-shaped tone arm
  • High torque
  • Pitch control for DJs
Cons
  • No Bluetooth