Bring back your vinyl with new technology

Do you have a giant record collection from your decades of music listening and thought the days of listening to them long gone? Well… apparently they aren’t – there’s groovy, modern turntables on the market that can help you really enjoy your records again. And today we’re going to take a look at your options for a solid, high quality sound that connects with your modern sound systems with ease.

We’ve spent some time cruising around online considering the terminology of the vinyl world, and firstly, we want you to note that the most important thing to know if you are looking to play those old vinyls on new equipment is that the terminology for the equipment is now known as a “turntable” rather than a “record player”. Perhaps this stems from the crossover era where DJs used to proudly mix their music using records, slowing down pace with the speed of the turns, and “scratching” for unique breaks of sound.

Then the other thing we want to note is the incredible technical diversity of the turntables that exists today. There are many elements in a turntable that can vary widely, and you will certainly find that the different features, as with most technical devices will tend to cause the price to vary significantly too.

You’ll need to look for a couple of specific areas of variety:

Does it have a drive that is belted or direct?
Is your tonearm straight or curved, and hollow or solid?… each will vary the price.
Is the cartridge based on ceramic, moving magnet or moving coil?
Is the platter made of wood, glass or metal
And what material is the plinth made of… wood, metal, fibre based materials or glass?
And then you might want to know about the technical options too…
Still want to buy a record player?

And, from our golden days of record player ownership, some things haven’t changed… the more solid the record player the less it will likely to be affected by the movement that goes on around it.

If you are just looking to listen to your well-loved records it is unlikely that you’ll need a direct drive player and will in fact probably prefer a belt-driven model which has less internal vibration. And, according to one review, moving magnet and moving coil cartridges are better than ceramic ones. Then, technically speaking, you’ll need to take a look at the amplifier you plan to hook it up to and consider if it has a dedicated setting called “phono” as this means that you can buy a turntable without a built in preamp… which might save you a few bucks.

So now, we’ve taken a look around at the reviews to show you a few of the more popular everyday turntables that are on offer. We’ve stuck to the non-DJing models figuring most people in our world really just want to listen and love the music…

The Audio-Technica AT-LP60

One that has hit the international market but is yet to be formally released in Australia is the Audio-Technica AT-LP60, a comprehensive model, with a built-in preamp, a metal platter, a clean plastic lid, and a premounted phono cartridge. It is priced at $100 in the US on Amazon, which often offers free shipping, but if you want to buy it in Australia our much higher imported prices that seem to be closer to $200-$300 at the moment sadly.
It will connect to a stereo amplifier, AV receiver, computer, Bluetooth speaker system or other devices with an analog audio input. This model is CNET’s recommended budget turntable for those who just want to listen to music.

Audio Technica AT-LP60 Fully Automatic Belt Driven Turntable

Other models you might however like to be aware of are:

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, a winner of many awards for casual listening, it is most recently being lauded for having a carbon fibre tone arm… that is, just like a golf club its arm has been made with a cutting edge material that apparently reduces vibration and maximises sound quality. It has a belt drive with a synchronious motor, a larger than average platter size and a sold heavy-weight base.
It is not particularly cheap at $399 on Amazon but the reviews are exceptional.

Pro-Ject Debut Carbon 2M-R Turntable Red (Red)

The Crossley CR49
This turntable will bring back more nostalgia than most with its retro styling. It has a belt-driven turntable, a tan coloured case and built in full range speakers too, so you can listen on the go! And I just love its classic 1950s style.
And on Amazon it is just $112 approximately. But it doesn’t qualify for free shipping.

Crosley CR49-TA Traveler 3-Speed Turntable with Stereo Speakers and Adjustable Tone Control (Tan)

Tell us today, how often do you get out your old records and give them a play?  Have you been curious to get a new turntable that will bring back the nostalgia of the golden days of records?