Best Turntables Under $500 - (2023) | HiFi Hippo (2024)

Pros

Premium cartridge: The Ortofon 2M Blue cartridge is already a premium-level phono cartridge that comes standard with every RT85. This gives your vinyl recordings rich mid-tones and tons of definition in the bass, much more so than other cartridge and turntable pairings

3 lb acrylic platter: There are not many turntables in the price range that come out of the box with a 3-pound solid acrylic platter. Not only does an acrylic platter negate the need for a turntable mat due to its anti-static properties, but its weight adds a level of stability and dimension to the music, breathing new life into your record collection.

Versatility: The RT85 is an extremely versatile turntable because of the neutral sound it produces. It’s the best turntable in this price range for any genre of music whether it be jazz, hip hop, or electronic.

S-shaped tonearm: An S-shaped tonearm is not something you often find on a mid-to-entry level turntable, yet Fluance has included it in the RT85’s design. This aluminum tonearm is similar to that of the Technics SL-1500C – a turntable over twice the price.

Gold-plated RCA outputs: Gold-plated electrical connections, especially for RCA cables, provide superior sound quality compared to standard metal.

Cons

Quality of the gloss finish: Some people have noticed that the quality of the glossy finish is imperfect with small blotches and bumps here and there.

MDF plinth: While Fluance boasts a “solid wood” plinth, that wood is MDF, a cheaper piece of engineer wood that lacks sonic character and looks bland. While this shouldn’t have a huge effect on the vinyl audio quality, it is something to be aware of.

Plastic tonearm mechanism: Despite the high quality of the tonearm itself, the cue lever feels flimsy and cheap. I feel the plastic construction intensifies this feeling as it’s a stark contrast to the aluminum construction of the tonearm.

Pros

One-piece design tonearm: Easily one of the most defining features of the T1 is the tonearm. Its one-piece aluminum design glides along records smoothly, reducing the chance of friction damaging records. This design feature is present in many of Pro-Ject’s higher-end models, yet those chose to include it as well in their sub-$500 unit.

Ease of use: The T1’s simplistic design means that any can use this turntable. The speed switch and tonearm mechanisms worked flawlessly. Additionally, upon unboxing, I was able to use this turntable right out of the box without fiddling with adjusting the counterweight. It just works.

Balanced sound: Similar to the RT85 above, the T1 provides a neutral, balanced sound with a wide sound stage making it perfect for a variety of different musical genres.

Built-in phono preamp: While not everyone will use it, a built-in preamp typically is seen as a positive in a turntable’s design – especially at this price point. While many higher-end turntables will come without them, if you aren’t planning on purchasing a stand-alone unit yet, this turntable will have your back.

Cons

The included cartridge could be better: The included Ortofon OM5E, while a fine cartridge, definitely isn’t maximizing the T1’s fullest potential. This is a sub-$100 light tracking cartridge and you might find it struggles to track on older, lighter records.

Short power cable: One big annoyance I and many other owners of this turntable found is the power cord is a little short. While I wouldn’t consider this a dealbreaker, it has the potential to create some annoying situations when installing.

Stiff dust cover: I found the hinged dust cover to be a little more stiff compared to what I’m used to. This didn’t affect my listening experience, but it caught me off-guard when switching the side of the record.

Pros

Appealing design in a variety of colors: U-Turn really focused on individuality when designing the Orbit Plus. While most people think of turntables as a machine that serves a very specific function, U-Turn obviously sees them as decorative pieces of furniture in which people express their creativity.

Made in the USA: U-Turn is a small business based in Boston, MA in The United States. If you’re based in the US, you’ll know that many folks prefer to buy from domestic, small businesses when possible. Not to mention, seeking customer support is a much more streamlined process than with some of the other bigger manufacturers on this list.

Quality cartridge… for the turntable: You might be thinking to yourself, “wait, doesn’t the Orbit Plus have an Ortofon OM5E? That’s the same cartridge this guy ripped on earlier in this review.” You would be correct. However, keep in mind that that cartridge was paired with the Pro-Ject T1, a turntable over $100 more expensive than the Orbit Plus. The Ortofon OM5E does not have bad sound quality by any means, and I’d wager it makes a lot more sense being paired with a turntable at this price point compared to the T1.

Easy maintenance: The external belt allows for easy changing of the belt when the time comes.

Cons

Built-in preamp costs extra: The standard Orbit Plus does not come with a built-in phono preamp. That will cost you around $70 more on the Orbit Plus with Built-in Preamp. Of course, my recommendation is to use an external preamp anyways, but I understand that might not always be feasible or desired.

The belt can have trouble staying in place: One of my biggest issues with the Orbit Plus is the belt. Simply put, it can be a huge pain to deal with and often needs to be readjusted. Additionally, the belt is extremely thin, meaning slipping, especially with heavier records.

It’s just plain simple: The U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus is just a turntable. It doesn’t have all the bells and whistles that some of the other turntables on this list have. It does one job and one job only.

Pros

Great starting point: The RT81 is an awesome starting point for anyone looking to upgrade from a record player to a turntable or even just straight into vinyl fresh. While the turntable comes with everything you need to get started, it can be upgraded and outfitted with a better cartridge, external phono preamp, and an improved platter mat for improved performance.

Surprising bass performance: Similar to its big brother above (RT85), the RT81 comes with a solid MDF wooden plinth that really helps with bass response. While in higher-end turntables, MDF is seen as a downside, at this price point you’re lucky to even get real wood, so this plinth is a huge plus in my eyes.

Built-in phono preamp: We’ve mentioned this before, but a built-in phono preamp can sometimes be seen as a downside, however, we’re recommending this as one of the best turntables for beginners. Out of the box, you’ll be ready to plug directly into a set of powered speakers and start playing your vinyl without the hassle of purchasing other stereo components.

Cons

Hollow aluminum platter: I noticed the platter isn’t heavy… like at all. In fact, if you remove it from the plinth and flick it, you’ll hear a loud, resonant “ping!” This is not ideal. Ideally, platters should have high mass and density to mitigate vibrations and not add additional resonance during record playback.

Low-quality rubber mat: You’re going to want to upgrade platter mats pretty early on. The standard rubber platter mat on the RT81 attracts tons of static and does a pretty poor job of isolating the record itself.

Pros

Full of features: The Audio Technica LP120 models are some of the most feature-dense turntables on the market. From three playback speeds, USB and Bluetooth connectivity (depending on the model), and pitch control with a quartz speed lock, the LP120 has features you won’t typically find on a belt drive turntable of the same price.

Versatile: While this turntable is designed with DJs in mind, the LP120 is perfectly capable as a casual listening turntable as well. In fact, the direct drive motor will bring your records up to speed faster than a belt drive turntable would.

Historic design: The LP120 is modeled after the iconic Technics SL-1200 which is the standard for most DJs. Audio Technica makes DJing accessible to the masses by incorporating this historic design.

USB connectivity: The USB port allows you to sample records or make digital copies of your vinyl collection.

Cons

Quality control can be an issue: The LP120 is constructed by Hanpin turntables in China. While Audio Technica does weigh in on some of the design attributes, they’re just responsible for making the cartridges and marketing the turntables.

Poor support & documentation: I’ve personally had issues with Audio Technica’s support for turntables and other audio equipment I own. Documentation for the LP120 specifically can be a little convoluted. While the setup is generally easy to follow and there are plenty of guides on YouTube, support for this product if it breaks can be a headache – in my experience.

The built-in phono preamp is not a long-term solution: While some would argue that the built-in phono input is enough to get you by, you really are doing yourself and your records a disservice by continuing to use it beyond your first few months with the turntable.

Pros

Fully automatic functionality: Let’s face it, the primary reason to consider the Denon DP300F is that it’s one of the better fully automatic turntables on the market. It seamlessly pivots the tonearm and drops it onto the record and when the side is complete, it picks itself up and pivots the tonearm back to the resting position. No need to worry about falling asleep while listening to records and damaging your cartridge anymore!

Included phono preamp: The DP300F comes standard with the built-in phono preamp. This just adds to the convenience of this turntable. If you’re considering a fully automatic turntable, you likely don’t value sound quality as highly.

Cons

Cheap cartridge: One of the biggest issues I have with the Denon DP300F is the DSN-85 cartridge it came with. This is one of the most budget cartridges Denon offers and you can certainly tell. The sound, in my opinion, was muddy and lacked detail. To the untrained ear, you might notice, but I certainly did. You’ll definitely want to consider upgrading the cartridge early on with this turntable.

Aluminum platter: While it’s not a deal breaker, an aluminum platter adds unnecessary resonance that heavy, dense platters don’t suffer from.