In 2019, consumers purchased almost 20 million vinyl records. A new record was set in the first half of 2020 when vinyl album revenues totaled over $200 million. It’s been a long time coming, but this marks the first time in the U.S. that vinyl surpassed CD sales since the 1980s! This does not even account for the far larger number of used records sold every day.
Maybe it’s about a longing for being able to hold the media in your hand and look at the cover art. Maybe it’s about the quality and the experience. Whatever the reason, there’s no denying that the Vinyl Revival shows no signs of slowing down.
At Audio Advice, we were around in the heyday of vinyl. Our first store opened in 1978. It’s been a long time since we’ve sold as many turntables as we do today, but we couldn’t be happier. We have the same fondness for listening to records that a new generation is discovering.
Some in this younger generation are deciding to buy all-in-one turntables that have everything including the speakers built into one box. Honestly, these are more of a novelty than a piece of audio equipment. These tables simply don’t produce that sound vinyl is known for and can even damage your records.
Stepping up from there, you’ll find a lot of pretty nice tables in the $300-$500 range. This is where many of the budding audio enthusiasts are starting out. You can get a good quality table in this range and we've covered the top 10 tables under $500 here.
The next level up, however, is where things start to get really interesting. As you move from a solid entry-level turntable to better and more expensive turntables, it’s really all about minimizing noise and resonance while extracting as much information from the record grooves as possible.
In the $500-$1,000 range, you will find a number of fantastic turntables. Even in modest systems, you should be able to hear some clear differences between a basic turntable and the turntables we’re discussing here. While we sell turntables as expensive as $10,000 and even higher, for the average listener, a sub-$1,000 table will last a lifetime.
With decades of experience, our team has curated a list of the best turntables under $1,000. If you’re looking to step into your first serious turntable or simply want to buy a turntable that will last forever, you’ll find it on this list.