#HEYDAY TURNTABLE REVIEW BLUETOOTH#

Right now, the best phono stage at this end of the market is undoubtedly the Rega Fono Mini A2D. Generally speaking, a phono-less turntable that goes through an external phono stage before getting to the amplifier will sound best, so consider going down that route if you’re serious about audio quality. For some however, like the Rega Planar 1, a phono stage will be an additional cost, but one I reckon is definitely worth the investment. Many turntables – even those in our best budget turntables list – come already packing a built-in phono stage, as do some stereo amplifiers. This is essentially a step-up amplifier – often referred to as phono preamp – that increases the record-player’s tiny output to a level that a standard stereo amplifier can work with. If you’re boarding the vinyl train for the first time, you'll need to familiarise yourself with some key components, and in particular the phono stage. What is a phono preamp and do I need one?

#HEYDAY TURNTABLE REVIEW BLUETOOTH#

For example, will you need Bluetooth functionality or the ability to record via USB? On paper, these features are great to have but there's no point wasting your budget on bells and whistles you are unlikely to use and, truthfully, the tech-iest turntable is almost never the one that sounds the best. It really comes down to what you want to do with your record player.

If it's tech you want, these brands should be top of your list. They haven't produced a bad model in as long as we can remember.Īustrian brand Pro-Ject offers a fantastic range, too, while more mainstream brands like Sony and Audio-Technica are good at marrying true hi-fi audio quality with more modern features such as Bluetooth and USB recording. These days, the most consistent name in turntables, let alone the best budget record players, is arguably UK company Rega. While no company has a perfect record in this area, going with the established and well respected brands, is a good place to start – a turntable is a very specialised, delicate bit of kit, after all, so you want to go with a brand you know you can trust. If you don’t care about sound quality, then a record player probably isn’t for you and you should stick to basic streaming. What should you be looking for when shopping for the best budget turntable? It might sound like an obvious thing to say, but sound quality should be your biggest priority. (Image credit: Pro-Ject) How important is sound quality? It also has Bluetooth built in so you can connect it up to your Bluetooth speakers or headphones, happy in the knowledge you won’t get tangled up in wires.

Not only is Sony a trusted brand in the turnable and tech world, but this belt-driven model sounds top drawer and comes with a built-in phono preamp. If you require a fully automatic budget record player, a great option is the Sony PS-LX310BT (opens in new tab). When choosing one of the best budget turntables, there are a couple of ways you can turn depending on how much effort you’re prepared to put in to fill your ears with that glorious, analogue audio. Best budget turntables: The Louder Choice It’s also worth pointing out here that some of the most recent models also include USB, and Bluetoooth turntables will give your listening sessions a bit of a tech twist. Take a look at the picks below, which also includes record players from Sony, Rega, Audio Technica and more, so we're sure you'll find something that suits. These will not only save you a bundle, but they all sound fantastic and are all worth a closer look. That makes sense as we're all having to watch our outgoings a little bit more carefully at the moment, and with some turntables on the market costing a considerable amount, I've decided to turn my attention to picking out some of the best cheap record players around.

Heyday turntable review