PHONO PRE AMPLIFIER
CLEANING TOOLS
USING CARBON FIBRE BRUSH
CLEANING RECORDS
WHAT EQUIPMENT TO BUY
For beginners budget and available space are deciding factors
I will only address buying NEW gear because buying USED is too complex to cover
SMALL BUDGET $250USD
To begin with, most people decide to spend very little because they wish to "see if they like it" so opt for below entry level equipment. Or on the spur of the moment buy a suitcase player or have been gifted one.
Another reason could be you have heard that records sound better than digital. While this is a hotly debated topic, records can only sound better than digital IF you spend a lot to get great sound equipment. Digital can provide nice sound at very affordable cost and is more convenient.
To be frank, majority of suitcase players like Crosley, Victrola and alike should be avoided because they have a cheap mechanism which does not track well and is prone to skipping & inconsistent speed and often breakdown. Image below depicts the tell tale look of this bad mechanism.
However if you must buy an all-in-one player the 1 By One H009 All-In-One Turntable is acceptable. Don’t expect audiophile sound, but it will work OK and does have a proper tone arm with adjustments.
Plus this model has Line/Phono output so you can upgrade to external powered speakers or a main amplifier with passive speakers which will make a big improvement over the built-in speakers.
MEDIUM BUDGET $500USD
For this a separate turntable and separate powered speakers are in order. This will enable you to position the speakers in more ideal location to be able to enjoy proper stereo sound.
Examples to consider are ones like the audio-technica AT-LP120XBT-USB or AT-LPW40WN depending on which style you prefer. Fluance is also well worth considering. A proper turntable needs to have adjustable counter weight, adjustable anti-skate and standard head shell which can take a wide variety of cartridges.
Popular brands of powered speakers to consider are Edifier and Klipsch.
IMPORTANT: All record playing systems requires a PHONO PRE AMPLIFIER (PPA) in the audio chain. So you need check if the turntable has one built-in, which is usually indicated by a switch on the back labeled LINE/PHONO so you can choose to use the built in PPA or not.
Klipsch R-50PM pictured above are an example of powered speakers with PPA built-in so they will work with any turntable.
Edifier speakers DO NOT have a PPA so you must either have a turntable with PPA built-in or buy an external PPA to connect between turntable and power speakers.
AUDIOPHILE $$$$$
This is when you feel the need to really step up the Sound Quality (SQ) and therefore costs get bigger as the increases in SQ get smaller. It can be beneficial to develop a relationship with a local Hi-Fidelity store because you get to see and hear the gear and if the guy knows his stuff can advise you properly.
Expect to be spending $1,000USD and above for the turntable alone and selecting a Moving Magnet (MM) or Moving Coil (MC) cartridge to go on it. For example this UK made Rega P3 turntable. Note that these turntables may not have an interchangeable head shell, but different cartridges can be fitted.
Then choose a dedicated separate stereo amplifier from almost limitless choices. Perhaps something like this Yamaha for example at around $3KUSD.
Floor standing speaker to get that big sound stage. With so many to choose from I can’t even pick an example.
Page revised Oct 26, 2024
Since the 1970s I have been an audio & music enthusiast, worked in pro sound installation, & still buy CDs/records