The 10 Best Record Players Under $100
Buying record players isn’t just a 20th century pursuit. The 21st century has seen a resurgence in record player sales, growing every year since 2012. The distinct, warm sound known to vinyl records ushers in memories of years past. We would love to help you in selecting the perfect record player to use for years to come.
10. Audio-Technica AT-LP60
If you’re not looking to drop a fortune on the best turntable in the world and don’t necessarily care about squeezing every last drop of fidelity from your LPs, the Audio-Technica AT-LP60 is a perfect starting point. It’s portable, can play most vinyl and is by far the most inexpensive turntable we have on this list. It’s also totally automatic, meaning it’ll queue a record and return the arm to resting position without requiring a manual lever.
The only caveat with a turntable this cheap is that it won’t grow with you as your vinyl collection expands. The built-in phono preamp means you’re stuck with it, however you can replace the needle once it wears out.
While there are cheaper, poorly engineered turntables on the market, it’s not worth it, as you risk damaging your precious records with poorly aligned and improperly weighted tonearms. Vinyl is expensive so we recommend the AT-LP60 for beginners just looking to get started.
9. Musitrend
As we make our way through the list, there’s bound to be a few turntables that hit our marks so squarely in the middle that there isn’t as much to show off when it comes to their features. There’s nothing horribly wrong about this player, but there’s nothing about what’s right that stands out in a surprising or notable way, either.
It’s a good price, good build, good features. There’s nothing wrong with not being the greatest, and there’s just enough style in this model that somebody’s gonna love it more than we do.
8. Wockoder
This cheeky player just so happens to be the best seller on Amazon… no mean feat by any standards. We’re not saying this means it’s the best record player out there, but for the budget price range it certainly tells you something.
The built-in speaker is bluetooth ready meaning you can use it to play songs from your phone or tablet or any other bluetooth capable device. With a pretty snazzy and old-school vintage look, this player will be a great addition to any interior
7. Jensen JTA-230
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Don’t let the size of this turntable fool you: it’s not as heavy as it looks. All that room inside of its boxy build houses an assembly of components that offer solid, dynamic playability for audiophiles on a budget.
All those knobs both large and small give you plenty of options for demanding the best sound possible from a device built to withstand even the pickiest of tuning. When we want to capture the fullest sound possible from a vinyl album, we need knobs, glorious knobs.
6. ION Audio Max LP
Holy Don Draper, Batman–the mid-century cleanliness and light wood body on this build drive us mad, man. Those speakers look small but ought to manage a mighty sound with specs like these. Something else we can appreciate: full enclosure. The offset center for a lot of the budget players on this list looks jaunty and fun, sure.
It’s a good way to save on space when not in play–but we live in fear of the accidental elbow knocking the dust cover on top of an LP and doing more damage than simply interrupting us getting our groove on. Kudos to ION for thinking of the clumsy ones.
5. Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Bluetooth Suitcase Turntable
With the Vintage 3-Speed, Victrola have managed to create a perfect entry level product for someone who cares about both performance and aesthetic. The device itself is quite something to behold, and with the sheer variety of color combinations on offer, you’re sure to find something that fits your stringent requirements. Sound quality is good, though bass is lacking.
The portability of this device can not be overstated, and the suitcase design has rarely been as well realised as it is in the Vintage 3-Speed. Victrola have done well to cram a lot of tech into a small, lightweight package, and this will be welcome news to anyone who intends to travel with their turntable a lot. A strong option.
4. Numark Pt-01 Touring Record Player
Stylish and compact, with features and connections galore, the Numark PT01 Touring is a unique and very cool portable turntable at a great price. But it’s far from perfect. What you gain in portability and features you lose in sound quality and build. There’s still a lot to like about this turntable, but it’s not likely to be for everyone.
It is a shame that no USB power brick is included so as to charge the battery, but the very fact that you can charge the device for up to four hours of playback is a pretty great feature nonetheless, and purchasing a USB power brick will not set you back a huge amount in the grand scheme of things.
3. 1byone Belt Drive 3 Speed Stereo Turntable
There is one very unique aspect of this turntable that hasn’t been found in any of the others that we reviewed – and it’s the ability to rip vinyl directly onto a USB thumb drive without the need of computer.
Depending on your scenario, this may be an incredibly useful feature if you plan on going through a stack of old records and ripping them.
However, without the ability to name the files that are coming off the record, it will require some additional legwork once you get the files onto your computer.
Another nice feature is that the speakers are front-facing, making this a terrific budget turntable for crowded environments.
2. Boytone BT-17DJS
If the AT-LP60 is one of the most streamlined budget turntables, then this one by Boytone has to be one of the most decked out offerings on this list.
If you want the most out of your record player and plan on using this to fill the slot for a few other devices then it’s definitely worthy of your consideration.
Focusing on the playback of records in particular, this turntable by Boytone can play at 33, 45, and 78 RPMs – therefore you will never have to worry about compatibility.
When playing your records, you do have a few options for output. The unit itself does contain two speakers on either side, along with a headphone jack, and finally RCA output on the back.
1. Victrola Classic Turntable
The Rolls Royce on our list of budget turntables is without a doubt the Victrola 6-in-1 Classic Turntable.
This turntable by Victrola has it all. First on the playback options, you can spin any of the popular record formats including 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPMs.
But once you take a break from your records, you can switch over to AM/FM radio to catch the news.
Once done listening to the radio, you have the option to play your favorite playlist whether it’s on iTunes, Google Play, or Spotify through the use of a Aux line, or if you have a iPhone 7 (or any other type of smartphone), you can also connect to this unit via a Bluetooth connection.