Choosing a first turntable: preamp, Bluetooth and stylus

All-in-one or a separate player

There are two kinds. An all-in-one has the speakers built in or included: plug it in and play. Lenco makes several, such as the LS-55WA with built-in speakers and the LS-300WD with two separate speakers.

A separate turntable connects to an amplifier and speakers, to active speakers or to a headphone amplifier. The advantage is that you can choose the parts separately and replace them later: a different stylus, better speakers. The rest of this guide is about that kind.

Automatic or manual

With an automatic player you press start: the arm moves to the record, lowers onto it and returns by itself at the end. Examples are the Audio-Technica AT-LP3XBT, the Sony PS-LX3BT, the Denon DP-300F and the Pro-Ject A1.2, which Pro-Ject calls fully automatic. Handy if you'd rather not place the arm yourself, or if children use it too.

With a manual player you lift the arm and put it down yourself, usually with a small lever that lowers it gently. Pro-Ject makes many manual models, such as the E1.2 Phono and the Debut Pro B. Audio-Technica calls the AT-LPW50BT manual.

Belt or direct drive

The platter turns through a belt or through a motor directly beneath it (direct drive). With belt drive the motor sits beside the platter and the belt damps vibration; the AT-LPW50BT and the DP-300F say so in their names. With direct drive there is no belt to replace after some years. Technics and Thorens make direct-drive players, such as the Technics SL-40CBT and the Thorens TD 402 DD. For listening at home, both work.

Preamp and Bluetooth

A turntable gives a very weak signal that first has to go through a phono preamp. It sits in an amplifier with a phono input, in the turntable itself or in a separate box. Many beginner players have one built in: the name then says "Phono", "preamp" or "Plug & Play", as with the Pro-Ject E1.2 Phono and the Rega Planar 1 Plus. On many players you can switch the built-in one off if your amplifier has a phono input; check the manual, because not every player can. According to Rega, the Planar 1 Plus goes to a line input and never to a phono input.

With Bluetooth the player sends the sound wirelessly to headphones or a speaker. Sony lists it for the PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT, Pro-Ject for the E1 BT and Audio-Technica for the AT-LP3XBT, among others. These players also have ordinary outputs for an amplifier.

Separate preamps are under phono preamps, such as the Pro-Ject Phono Box S2 and the NAD PP 2e. What do you need to connect your turntable? shows what you still need and how to connect the cables.

Cartridge and stylus

The cartridge sits at the end of the arm, and the stylus (the needle) sits in the cartridge. Most beginner players use an MM (moving magnet) cartridge, whose stylus can be replaced without removing the cartridge. Pro-Ject lists the Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge for the E1 BT; House of Marley lists an Audio-Technica cartridge for the Stir It Up 2.

A stylus wears. How long it lasts is in the cartridge's manual. With Ortofon you can upgrade within the 2M series by changing only the stylus: the 2M Blue stylus fits a 2M Red cartridge, as does the 2M Red stylus itself. Replacement styli and other accessories are under turntable accessories.

On a manual arm you set the tracking force with the counterweight at the back of the arm. The cartridge maker gives that force in grams. On plug-and-play models it is set at the factory.

Speeds

LPs play at 33⅓ rpm, singles at 45. Almost every player does both. Old shellac records play at 78 rpm: for those you need a player that can do 78 and a separate stylus, such as Ortofon's 2M 78. Every player is under turntables, with prices from several shops.