There's a lot to be said for the convenience of streaming music, but it’s easy to feel like there's something missing from those soulless digital files that just can't do justice to our favourite classic albums or banging new anthems. They deserve to be treated to more warmth and depth than our smartphones can offer – and the only way to do that is with vinyl. If you're on a tight budget, that means seeking out one of the best budget turntables on this list.
Your favourite albums will never sound better than on a turntable, and right now is a good time to buy, as the range of options for smaller budgets has never been better. If you’ve been put off from investing by the cost and complexity, you can rest easy knowing that a great sounding, modern turntable can be yours for well under £300.
But more than that, setting up a new turntable has never been simpler. What’s more, if you’re into your modern tech, the new-breed of decks includes great USB and Bluetooth turntables to give your listening sessions even more of a boost.
- These are the best turntables for all budgets
- Read more: how to buy your first vinyl record player
- 9 cool vinyl record storage ideas
What is the best budget turntable you can buy today?
There are really two ways you can go here, depending on how much effort you’re willing to make for that glorious, analogue audio.
If you’re looking for a simple plug and play budget turntable, by far the best option for you is the . It comes with a built-in phono stage and a first-time set-up that’s an absolute doddle. What’s more, this USB-connected deck can rip your records to a connected computer in glorious hi-res audio formats, so you can keep the tunes cranked on the go.
For such a cheap, feature-loaded turntable, the Sony sounds great. However, if you’re willing to dispense with a few bells and whistles it’s possible to get even better sound for similar money. For that, the is the ultimate budget deck overall in this list.
It’s a pretty straightforward turntable to set-up, however it doesn’t have a built-in phono stage so you’ll have to factor in some extra budget for an external one or find a stereo amp that has one. If sound quality is your number one priority though, it truly is worth the investment.
If you'd like to explore these great budget record players even deeper, you might want to check out our Rega Planar 1 vs Sony PS-HX500 head-to-head article where we take a detailed look at the pros and cons of each deck.
Choosing the best budget turntable for you
Sound quality
So, what should you look for when shopping for the best budget turntable? It might sound like an obvious point, but sound quality should be the biggest priority by far. If you don’t care about sound quality, then a record player probably isn’t for you.
Go with known brands
While no company has a perfect record in this arena, sticking to the established, well respected brands, is a very good start – a turntable is a very specialised, precise and delicate bit of kit, after all, so you want to go with a brand you can trust.
These days, the most consistent name in turntables, let alone the best budget turntables, has to be UK company Rega. Rega hasn’t produced a bad model in as long as we can remember. Austrian brand Pro-Ject offers a fantastic range, too, while Sony and Audio-Technica are particularly good at marrying true hi-fi audio quality with more modern features such as Bluetooth and USB recording. If it's tech you want, these are the brands to consider.
- The 15 greatest classic rock albums to own on vinyl
- Clever tech! Check out our pick of the best smart speakers
- The best album boxsets you can buy right now
What features do you need?
Speaking of features, think about whether you’ll actually use things like Bluetooth or USB recording. They’re nice to have, but you don’t want to waste your budget on tech you won’t use, and the tech-iest turntable is almost never the one that sounds the best.
What is a phono stage and do you need one?
If you’re boarding the vinyl bandwagon for the very first time, you'll need to familiarise yourself with some key components, particularly the phono stage. This is essentially a step-up amplifier (often referred to as phono amps) that increases the record-player’s tiny output to a level that a standard stereo amplifier can work with. Many turntables, even those in our best budget turntables list below, have a phono stage built-in, as do some stereo amplifiers. For some, like the Rega Planar 1, a phono stage will be an additional cost, but one we feel is worth the investment.
Generally speaking, though, a phono-less turntable that goes through an external phono stage before getting to the amplifier will sound best, so consider going down that route if you’re serious about audio quality. The best phono stage at this end of the market is undoubtedly the which will set you back around £90.
- Explore the best media streamers around
- These are the best Blu-ray players right now
- Try the best budget wireless headphones right now
How much initial setup are you comfortable with?
Setting up a turntable can be a fiddly operation, with components that need fitting and careful adjustment, but some are simpler than others. Some also have automatic functionality to lighten your load.
The above means that you only have to press a button for the tonearm to move into place and drop the needle into the groove at the start of the record. Fully automatic and semi-automatic turntables will lift the needle from the groove at the end, too.
For many people, a little initial tweaking and manual operation are keys to the charm of turntable ownership, and the simplest decks are often the best-sounding.
The best budget turntables to buy right now
1. Rega Planar 1
Simply the best budget turntable if sound matters most
Launch price: £249 | Operation: manual | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: no | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 12x45x36cm
If you want fancy features such as Bluetooth and USB recording, this Rega isn’t for you. Heck, it’s one of the only turntables here that doesn’t have a built-in phono stage, which means you’ll need an amplifier that’s got one or will need to budget for an external unit.
But it is the best-sounding turntable available for this sort of money. If you want to hear your just-bought or much-cherished records just as intended, the Rega is how you do it.
And don’t go thinking this is a cold, complicated deck. On the contrary, it produces a really fun sound and is pretty straightforward to set-up. If you’re prepared to be just a bit adventurous, this is the deck to buy.
Read the full Rega Planar 1 turntable review
2. Sony PS-HX500
User-friendly, feature-packed, sonically capable – a perfect first turntable
Launch price: £299 | Operation: manual | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: yes | USB recording: yes | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): - 10x43x37cm
On paper, the Sony PS-HX500’s big selling point is that you can use it to rip your records – in hi-res, no less. That’s useful, sure, but the top reasons to buy it are that it’s exceedingly simple to set-up, has a built-in phono stage and, for a feature king, it sounds great.
This is one of the best budget turntables for making the most of your cherished vinyl by playing and even recording it (just plug in your Mac or PC and download Sony’s bespoke software) with all of its detail, clarity and texture intact.
But this Sony turntable doesn’t require a degree in audio engineering to set-up and you don’t need to buy a phono stage on top. It’s the perfect choice for the first-timer determined to take vinyl seriously.
3. Audio-Technica AT-LP3
Automatic for the people
Launch price: £199 | Operation: fully automatic | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: yes | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 13x44x35cm
Those suitcase turntables you see all over Amazon, Argos and even Urban Outfitters are designed to bridge the gap between vinyl enthusiasm and analogue actuality by building everything in and making it as hands-off as possible.
But here’s the thing: those suitcase turntables sound bloody awful, and unless you’re boarding the vinyl train for entirely hipster reasons (as a Louder reader we certainly hope that’s not the case), you simply must do better.
Better is the Audio-Technica AT-LP3, which has a completely automatic action (start the record at the touch of a button and finish it without lifting a finger) but sounds downright excellent for the money, with a balanced, natural sound that doesn’t mask your tune of choice.
Read the full Audio Technica AT-LP3 turntable review
4. Sony PS-LX310BT
The best budget Bluetooth turntable you can buy
Launch price: £183 | Operation: fully automatic | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: yes | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: yes | Dimensions (hwd): 11x43x37cm
If you’re looking to marry old-school hi-fi with new-school cool, this Sony is the turntable for you. The big draw is Bluetooth, which you can use to send that rich, analogue audio via the digital, wireless domain to a pair of Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker. Wires? In the bin.
On top of that the tonearm action is automatic, so the needle will find your record’s groove via a button-press and will extricate itself at the end with no intervention necessary.
Crucially, the PS-LX310BT also sounds great. Detailed, punchy and direct, this is a deck that reveals the details lurking in the depths of those black disks and brings them to the surface in fun, bubbly fashion.
5. Pro-ject T1
A plastic-free record player with a big dollop of bass; ideal for rock
Launch price: £239 | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: no | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 10x42x34cm
If you’re keen that your affordable turntable has a premium look and feel, the new Pro-ject T1 could be the one for you. This entirely plastic-free deck is brilliantly solid and weighty, and it comes more or less ready to rock - you need only place the platter and belt yourself.
The T1 is light on fancy features - there’s no Bluetooth or USB recording, and you’ll need to add a phono stage - but that’s because sound quality has been prioritised.
While the Rega Planar 1 is the no-frills deck to choose for sheer clarity and detail, this Pro-ject counters with a smoother, weightier, bassier sound that will suit a lot of the rock and metal vinyl you’ll be spinning.
6. Lenco L-85
The best budget turntable for plug-and-play simplicity
Launch price: £100 | Operation: semi-automatic | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: yes | USB recording: yes | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 15x42x36cm
It looks like a kid’s toy – and is almost as cheap – but the Lenco L-85 is actually a semi-automatic, belt-driven turntable with a built-in phono stage and the ability to record via USB. It’s as plug-and-play as vinyl gets.
It's old school enough – it comes with a pair of RCA cables so you can plug the L-85 into your stereo amplifier and get started straight away – but it's 21st century enough too: a USB port means you can convert your vinyl into MP3 files.
A great starting point for anyone who's just getting into vinyl or digging out their old records from the garage.
Read the full Lenco L-85 turntable review
7. Pro-Ject Primary E
A fantastic budget turntable from a respected brand
Launch price: £159 | Drive: belt | Cartridge: Ortofon MM | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 (manual speed change) | Built-in phono stage: no | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: | Dimensions (hwd): 11.2 x 42 x 33cm
While it’s a basic deck, the belt-driven Primary E does its job very well. Set up is a breeze and everything from Zeppelin to Rush sounds well balanced and clear with enough body to do the bottom end justice.
If you’re looking for your first turntable, not only would this look great as part of your setup, but it sounds great, is built to last and won’t cost you the earth.
8. Denon DP-300F Turntable
A chic record player from the audio masters
Launch price: £299 | Operation: fully automatic | Drive: belt | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: yes | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 15x42x36cm
The Denon would make a gorgeous addition to your setup, and its sound is detailed and airy, with an automatic start/stop feature that means your needle won’t be worn down at the end of the record.
There’s no USB output, but do you really need one when almost every song you ever wanted is on Spotify or Apple Music? All in all, the Denon DP-300F is a great looking turntable from an established, tried and trusted name in the industry.
Read the full Denon DP-300F turntable review
9. Pro-Ject Essential III
A funky budget turntable that's so easy to setup
Launch price: £279 | Operation: manual | Drive: belt | Cartridge: Ortofon OM 10 | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Built-in phono stage: no | USB recording: no | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 11x42x33cm
Pro-Ject is a relative newcomer to the field. They started out as vinyl sales seemed to be on a terminal slide but carved out quite a reputation in the last 20 years as vinyl itself has made its comeback.
Pro-Ject have two budget turntables priced below this – the (£150) and (£190) – but calls the £240 Essential III its “first true hi-fi offering”. It may be made out of MDF but it doesn't look or play like a ‘budget deck’ – and you can even upgrade it...
The Essential III A turntable comes with an acrylic platter upgrade (called the Pro-Ject Acryl-IT E) for an extra £40 – and it's money well spent.
Read the full Pro-Ject Essential III turntable review
10. Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB
One of the best budget turntables around has just been updated
Launch price: £199 | Operation: semi-automatic | Drive: direct | Cartridge: moving magnet | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45, 78 | Built-in phono stage: yes | USB recording: yes | Bluetooth: no | Dimensions (hwd): 14x45x35cm
Audio Technica’s long-running AT-LP120USB was recently replaced by this updated model. The original was without doubt one of the best budget turntables you can buy on account of a clean, solid sound, integrated phono stage and USB recording.
Many features that made it a top deck have stuck around on the 120X, including quality USB recording, switchable input and 78rpm speed (the only turntable in this list to offer that option).
Key changes include an improved, slimline design, plus updates to the motor and anti-skate control that have been introduced to improve overall performance.
This budget turntable is direct drive, so there’s no belt to worry about and, like its predecessor, setup is super-simple and beginner-friendly.