The rubber mat is an upgrade from the RT80's felt mat, though they both have a built-in preamp. Its RT81 is one of the brand's best in terms of value, with California Chaney, a DJ and travel editor, calling it a “great starter turntable with impressive sound for its price point.” The RT81 also comes equipped with AudioTechnica's AT95E cartridge, which boasts impressive sound quality so your favorite Cream record doesn't sound terribly tinny. While in the audio home theater speakers game for a couple decades, Canada-based Fluance didn't start making turntables until recently. Record players-like, those briefcase-looking-things with built-in speakers-just aren't that great in terms of sound quality, and a hell of a lot of them may actually screw up your records. If you came here looking for record players, we have news for you: We don't want to recommend just any to you. The difference between a record player and a turntable From viewing and handling the sleeves, placing the tonearm, maintaining a mechanical piece of gear, plus hearing dust and imperfections, Hahn notes that diving into records opens folks up to a “huge, consuming hobby,” like finding new favorite record stores, getting into the nitty gritty of gear, and building out a record collection. Record sales were up 27% last year, and if you yourself are searching for the best record players to enjoy your new stack of LPs, we've got you covered.īut first, what is it about vinyl that has everyone rediscovering record stores again? For Francis Harris, co-founder and musical director of Public Records in Brooklyn, New York, it's less about sound quality (Harris champions CD as a “superior format') than it is about a “greater appreciation of the art form and the labor that goes into making a record.” And while a CD player is great and all, listening to analog playback, rather than digital, allows users to hear music as the artist intended.Īs opposed to just streaming a song on Spotify, playing vinyl also “adds an alternate tactile experience to your listening,” Peter Hahn, owner and founder of Turntable Lab in Brooklyn, New York, says.

In case you hadn't heard, vinyl is having a moment.

Technics record players for sale