As the audio editor for Tom's Guide, I spend a large part of my day listening to music from streaming services, but when the work day is over, I like nothing more than dusting off my record collection and spinning some vinyl.
Records have made a resurgence in recent years, so now there's a lot more choice when it comes to finding a record player. And the choices can be confusing.
I've put in the work to find out — and at the end of my vinyl journey, I've found that the characterful Rega Planar 1 Plus is the best turntable around.
It's well priced, it sounds excellent, and thanks to the built-in pre-amp, you can use it with your Sonos system. I also think it's one of the best-looking Turntables around.
I've rounded up my favorite record players available right now, from portable powerhouses for outdoor listening to customizable heroes, like the U-Turn Orbit Special. If you're looking for an all-in-one package that contains everything you need to get spinning, then make sure you check out the Pro-Ject Colorful Audio System — It's one of the best things I've tested in 2025.
Remember that Vinyl is completely analog as well — to that end, there are certain devices to keep things clean and to get the best sound, that you should also invest in.
My favorite turntables
The P1 Plus is the ultimate package. A very good built-in pre-amp, and a simplistic style which boasts some incredible sound quality. It's completely manual operation might put some off, but it's the best turntable package I've tested yet.
The starter turntable for everyone — the Pro-ject Primary E is a great-sounding turntable for a great price. It also happens to look super slick, with great style. You'll need a phono pre-amp as well.
If you have an idea of what you'd like your turntable to have inside, then heading over and customizing an Orbit Special might be the way to go. Choose a color (out of many), select a platter, and more. It costs as much or as little as you'd like too.
Meet the testing team
Tammy is Tom's Guide's Audio Editor, and she brings a lifetime's experience using audiophile equipment to her testing. With a vinyl collection that grows by the month, she's a true vinyl fanatic. I've tested a whole bunch of different record players, including all the entries on this list. If it can't play Led Zeppelin's Kashmir with suitable aplomb, it doesn't go on the list.
Record players — what does it all mean?
Despite their burgeoning popularity, there's an awful lot of complex language surrounding turntables and their functions. If you don't know your cartridge from your lift arm, I'm here to help.
Platter
This is what your record sits on, and lets your record spin. The material it's made out of can affect the sound of the player — ideally, you want something heavy that's not going to resonate with vibrations. Glass is considered excellent, although most are plastic or cast metal.
Plinth
This is the surface that the platter and the rest of the player sit on. You want this to be isolated from vibration as much as possible, so you'll often find vibration-damping feet underneath.
Tonearm
This is where all the magic happens — it's the long arm that you move over the record. These can be made of metal, or even more exotic materials like Carbon Fiber. You want this to be as light as possible, but also very rigid.
Cartridge
You'll find this at the end of the tone arm. It houses the audio wizard bits that take the wiggly groove on your record and make it into a sound. These are sometimes upgradeable.
Stylus
This is the bit that sits on the record and reads the groove for the cartridge. There are different kinds of styluses, but the most common you'll find are conical and elliptical. These get worn out over time and need replacing after a certain number of uses. Sometimes called a needle.
Best turntable overall
If you're looking for a turntable that works perfectly with your Sonos speakers, look no further than the Rega Planar 1 Plus. It has a built in phono pre-amp, so you just need to plug it in with an adapter. It sounds epic as well, and while it costs more in the U.S. than the U.K., it's still an excellent turntable for just about everyone.
Rega is a household name in my native U.K., making excellent turntables since the 1970s. The Planar 1 Plus is the brand's level deck, and it includes a phono pre-amp so that you can get up and running straight out of the box.
It's a manually operated turntable, so it needs a bit more work than the other models on the list, but that results in a very tactile, satisfying experience. It's not too fiddly either, thanks to some excellent design touches.
In my mind, one of the best bits about the player is the way that it looks. The Walnut finish I tested looked far more premium than its price would suggest, and fitted in well with more expensive equipment.
Sound is really where it's at, though. Rega is all about energy, and the Planar 1 Plus has boundless enthusiasm when you get spinning. It's a beautiful deck, and sounds better and more characterful than anything else in its price range.
There are decks that sound better and cost a whole lot more that those with more money and stronger audiophile tendencies will like slightly more (mostly from Rega). But the package you get here is undeniably incredible.
Read the mini review
Design
The Rega Planar 1 Plus is a very simple turntable. From the top the only thing you see is the tone arm mechanism and the "Rigid phelonic resin platter" on to which you place your records.
There are a couple of color options. The Walnut I tested is a veneer on top of MDF, and then there are Black and White Matte options. Whichever you choose looks great, although I'm partial to the wood-like finish of the Walnut deck.
It sits on three dapened feet to mitigate vibrations, and the clear dust cover slips over the to. The hing mechanism is part of the lid itself, so you don't notice the slots as much if you don't want to use it.
Setting up
Everything is nice and easy with the Planar 1 Plus. You lift the platter from the deck, where you'll find the belt pre-attached to the spindle. Pull the belt from the spindle to the motor, and then put the platter back on top.
The tonearm is easy to set up as well. The counterweight comes seperately in the box, but you don't need to adjust it to get it working. Just slide it onto the end of the tone arm.
Plug in the power cable and the RCA connectors of your chosen speaker system, and you're away. If you're using an amp with a phono channel, make sure you don't use it. Instead, use a line input.
Ease of use
As a completely manual turntable, it's slightly more involved to use. You'll need to change the speed by lifting the platter and changing the position of the belt on the motor. It's then hidden again by the platter.
Otherwise, it's the same as another turntable. Turn it on with the switch on the lower left-hand corner, raise the queuing lever, and then move the tonearm over the record. lower the queuing lever. When the record is finished, there is no auto stop — you'll need to raise the arm with the queuing lever and bring it back to rest.
There's a helpful clip on the tonearm rest, so there's no chance of accidentally knocking it out of place.
Sound
This is where the Rega Planar 1 Plus really sings. There's some excellent detail and resolution out of the homegrown Rega cartridge, and the built-in phono pre-amp takes a great signal and keeps it excellent before it reaches your amplifier or speakers.
It's perhaps lean, edging on the side of energetic as opposed to muscular, but it sounds excellent no matter what you play it through. I found a turntable that sounded better than its price would suggest, with plenty of control and engagement.
Dua Lipa got me dancing, and Bloodbath got me headbanging — I couldn't ask for more.
- Read the full Rega Planar 1 Plus review
Best value turntable
The Primary E is a great turntable if you're looking to get into vinyl — although you'll need a phono pre-amp to get up and running. It sounds good for the price, and it's simple set up will do you very well indeed.
First things first — the model we looked at is the Debut E that comes packaged in the Colorful Audio system E. It's essentially the same model, although the latter features electronic speed control. The audio bits and build quality are very similar, however.
The Primary E features everything you need in a turntable. It's got a platter, a belt, and a motor to drive the platter, and then a tonearm with a cartridge to read the record that you put on the platter. It's simple — but it's also great.
There' so much of that wonderful vinyl tactility in the Primary E. Everything is hand operated, with very little in the way of electronic interference. That doesn't just make it a more pleasing physical experience, but also saves you some money.
With the money saved, Pro-ject has made a turntable that sounds incredible for the price. It's an energetic, compelling listen, and it's loads and loads of fun. If you're looking to get into Vinyl properly, this is the way to do it.
Just bear in mind that if you're going to hook it up to some of the best desk speakers or a Sonos speaker, you'll need a separate phono pre-amp.
Best customizable turntable
If you want a record player that you can properly spec out, then the uber customizable U-turn Orbit Special is a great option. The version we had sounded excellent, and all options featur the same top-notch build quality.
One of the most fun things about turntables is the customization that so many options offer. None, however, are quite as customizable as the U-Turn Orbit special. I can't think of a turntable with so many options available straight from the factory.
There are an incredible number of options available for the turntable, from the normal Orbit basic all the way up to the most expensive Orbit Theory model. You can choose the material of the platter, the plinth, and even the kind of feet the turntable has.
My Orbit Special lives in the middle of the line, and it's the blue model (one of seven different color options), and it has some great specs for the price. It sounds excellent too, and it barely needed any setting up when it arrived into my eager fingers.
My choice gives me solid electronic speed control, a high-mass acrylic platter, and the Ortofon 2M red cartridge. It all adds up to a very solid platform that you can upgrade with different components down the line, should you want to.
Read the mini review
Design
I really like the way that the Orbit family of turntables look, with a comparable style that's consistent through the range. That not only ties the line together, but also makes it trickier for the unaware to detect if you've spent less on your turntable, which is cool.
They're all put together very well, with a good quality of craftsmanship from the U.S. factory in Woburn. My favorite finishes are the Blue or the Walnut, with the acrylic platter. Bear in mind that different finishes and platter materials will cost more.
Setting up
Depending on how you've specced out your turntable, you'll find different setup. Up to the Special, you need only sit the platter on the spindle, and then wrap the belt around the motor.
If you've bought the Theory, you'll have to set up the counterweight, which adds a little complexity to the deck. Alongside that, you'll also have to dial in the feet to make sure the deck is flat. There's a spirit level in the box to help you do this.
Ease of use
This will depend on whether you chose an option with an electronic speed controller or not. If you've gone for a fully manual deck, you'll need to swap the belt between the 33 and 45 rings on the motor side.
Electronic speed control is managed with a switch on the front left corner of the deck. From there, you just need to move the tonearm over the record, and lower the tracking lever down to bring the stylus onto the groove.
There's no auto start stop, so you'll need to use the quieing lever to lift the arm back out of place when you're finished listening.
Sound
Thanks to well-damped components and the excellent Ortofon 2M red cartridge, our Special sounded excellent. It was warm and welcoming, and no matter the genre you spin up, you'll find an engaging, fun listening experience.
You can opt for more impressive cartridges the further up the range you go, into the 2M Blue and Bronze cartridges. These are both stellar options, although the bronze will only really make a difference if you've invested in your audio setup.
- Read the full U-Turn Orbit Special review
Best portable turntable
The Audio Technica Sound Burger is more than a fun, retro gimmick. It's a great turntable that also happens to be portable, with some excellent sound quality and fabulous style. It's a bit finnicky sometimes, but it makes up for it in panache.
Audio Technica has a long history of making turntables, and the Sound Burger is a larger part of that legacy than you might expect. It was first released in 1983, and then in 2022, the firm released this — an identical model that housed some modern convenience.
Look, I love this thing. There's something crocodilian about its shape, as it snaps open and closed to swallow your records. In the review I said "It’s not trying to look retro, because it is retro." It's the 80s reborn in the best way.
It's also a very solid turntable beneath its colorful plastic shell, thanks to the AT cartridge at its core. It's a slightly edgier sound, with less low-end on offer, but there's plenty to enjoy with the Sound Burger.
It's the portability that lands it here though. There's a 12 hour battery on board, as well as the 3.5mm output. Bluetooth rounds out the feature set, and makes it perfect for trips to record fairs.
Read the mini review
Design
I mean, just look at it. When I had the turntable sitting on the dining room table, my mom asked me if it was something old — and then remarked that it looked "like a round crocodile." I love the way it looks, especially in yellow.
To some, it might seem a bit plasticky, but it's still built very well. It certainly doesn't feel like it's going to fall apart in use, or when you put it in your backpack. There are a couple of foibles — the transport screw, the losable record clamp — but it's almost certainly earned its 'design icon' status.
Setting up
This is about as easy as they come — from the moment you get it out of the box, there's no adjustment to do at all. There are speed adjustment screws in the bottom if things are running a bit fast or slow, but everything else is set up from the factory.
That does mean there's no customization. You can't change out the cartridge for example, and there's no way to change the slightly weighty tracking force.
Ease of use
It's a very simple turntable to use, but it's fiddly in places. First of all, you need to remove the travel screw at the back of the player. Then, you need to open the player, move the tonearm to its rest position, and place the record on the platter. Clamp it down with the clamp-cum-adapter.
It starts spinning when you move the tonearm over the record — and then you need to carefully place the stylus onto the record. Don't drop it — it'll skip, and potentially damage the record or the stylus. That's the fiddly bit. Once the record is finished, you have to do everything in reverse.
And make sure you remember the travel screw, otherwise the tonearm might slip while in transit risking potential breakage.
Sound
The Sound Burger sounds good. Will it stand up to the other options on the list? No, but then it's also far cheaper than both of them. There's a focus on the high-range frequencies in the Sound Burger, making for a more detailed listen.
Playing over Bluetooth doesn't diminish the sound very much either, which is a big bonus. I had a lot of fun listening to my test vinyls on the Sound Burger, and I reckon you will too.
- Read the full Audio Technica Sound Burger review
Also Tested
The all in one solution
One of the most intimidating parts of choosing a new record player is often the thought of having to align all of the correct parts of a stereo system so that you can get the very best out of your vinyl.
The Colorful Audio System E makes this selection a whole load easier, As you can get everything you need in one box. That's an amplifier, a pair of passive bookshelf speakers, the turntable, and some top-quality cables to connect everything together.
Does it save you money over buying everything separately? No, but it does mean that everything matches well, with complementary design touches and color schemes.
The turntable at the core of the system, the Debut E, is a gorgeous piece of kit, and it sounds excellent when paired with the Speaker Box 5 E Carbon. I loved playing my vinyl through them during my testing.
The amplifier is very flexible as well. There are extra inputs should you want to add in other devices at a later date, and the remote control in the box is very intuitive. I particularly liked the Bluetooth connection, so you could play streamed music from your phone over your fancy speakers.
- Read more about the Pro-Ject Colorful Audio System E
Don't forget to buy
Vinyl is a tricky beast — there's plenty of extra stuff you should consider picking up so that you get the best out of your records, and that they last for a lifetime. These accessories will maximise your vinyls potential.
More vinyl jargon busted
Some of the language in the guide still causing you some confusion? No problem, here's more of everything you need to know about vinyl records. You'll be an expert in no time!
Phono stage/pre-amp
The signal directly from the stylus and the tonearm is actually very weak, and you need to make that signal louder. That's where a pre-amp, or phono stage, comes in. It takes the signal and boosts it for your speakers or main amplifier to play. Some players have this built in, while others need a separate unit.
Tracking weight
This is the force with which the stylus presses into the groove of the record. This changes depending on the cartridge, although it's usually between 1.5-3g. Some very heavy tracking forces are said to damage records, although this is mostly anecdotal.
Anti-Skate
Because vinyl spins, the stylus can often find itself moving to the outside of the record. This is called skating. To counteract this, turntables often have anti-skate devices that pull the stylus into the groove, to stop things from skipping around. This has to be adjusted. It's usually a dial, or a counterweight that sits at the end of the tonearm.
Vibration-dampening
Vibrations can cause a lot of problems during vinyl playback, and you want to make sure that they don't make their way to the stylus. To this end, many turntables are filled with vibration-damping devices to make sure that the sound is as good as it can be.
33/45 RPM
These are the speeds at which your records play. Make sure you choose the right one for your record, otherwise, you'll be in for a comedic audio performance. Some players change between these speeds manually, where you adjust the drive belt, while some are electronic. These you change with a button, or a switch.
Belt drive/Direct drive
This is the method that drives the platter, and thus, spins the record. Belt drive is the most common, and it uses a belt from a smaller motor to move the larger platter like a bike chain moves a wheel. A direct drive motor sits directly under the platter to drive the movement. This is often more reliable, but also a lot more expensive and difficult to fix if things go wrong.
FAQ
Still got some questions? No worries, I'm here to help!
Why do none of these have built in speakers?
A turntable lives and dies by its ability to isolate the record playing from external vibrations. By adding speakers to the turntable, you're adding extra vibration potential — and something has to give. Generally, these built-in speakers sound extremely bad, with no bass so as not to disturb the playback of the record. Completely all-in-one units are good for saving space, but they never sound good.
What about 78s?
Wow! A blast from the past. Every single player on this is incapable of playing 78s — you'll need to look for a different deck. There aren't many released today that are capable of playing such old vinyl, so you'd actually be better off looking on eBay for something from the correct period.
Yes, I know it's a shame that there's nothing new that plays these records, but they need different equipment. Different speeds are just one element — you'd also need a different stylus and cartridge.
Does vinyl really sound better?
Well that's a loaded question — it depends on who you ask. I'd say that it sounds different — it's a warmer, more natural sound. For me, the best part of the vinyl experience is the more manual, tactile use. The way that vinyl feels is almost as important as the way that it sounds, but you'll still want to make sure that you've got the best equipment possible.
How we test
I'm extremely thorough in our testing of turntables, making sure that I look at every single facet of the performance of the device.
Setting up
I want to evaluate how easy it is to get the turntable situated and playing. That means testing how easy it is get the tracking weight, anti-skate, and other features dialled in, and how much stuff you have to screw in. Does it come ready to go from the box, or did I have to build the turntable when it arrived?
Features
What extras does the turntable offer, and do they work well? Is there a special tonearm, is there interesting anti-skate, or is there a built-in phono pre-amp? I evaluate what they actually add to the deck, and their function.
Build
These tend to be expensive devices, so we want to make sure that they're constructed and that they're going to last. I look at the tonearm mechanisms, the materials that the plinths and platters are made of, and even how the dust cover hinges function. If it's not built well, I don't want to see it.
Sound
I listen to it! The turntable joins the Tom's Guide testing audio system for a whole two weeks, so that I can really evaluate its quality. It's then compared to the turntables on this list, so that we can work out where it should sit on the list, or whether it even makes it at all. The Tom's Guide testing system is:
- iFi Zen Phono 3 pre-amp
- NAD C-399 amplifier
- KEF LS50 Meta speakers
