crosley record player

Our Record Player can be the crown jewel of our home, but do they need to be expensive? I believe that the Vinyl hobby doesn’t have to be expensive. Because of this I’ve researched what options are out there and have listed our top 5 Cheap Record Players.


5. Wockoder, Belt-Driven Record Player

Wockoder cheap record players belt driven turntable

Pros:

  • Price: $48-$59, which is very affordable.
  • Great gift for a beginner, due to its low price and simplicity.
  • The wood material feels great and solid, but the record player does not feel too heavy or cheap.
  • Very easy to use, unpack > plug in > play.
  • Comes with built-in speakers.
  • Bluetooth receiver, so you can play music from your phone or mp3 player.
  • Line out & Aux inputs on speakers, amplifiers and other devices.

Cons:

  • Mediocre built-in speaker audio quality. This can be solved by connecting the record player to your own stereo setup.
  • Some buyers have complaints about rigidity of the record player, causing wobbling and skipping issues. If you’re interested in how to fix this, check out this article.
  • No bluetooth transmitter, so you can’t use your bluetooth speakers.

Click to see our full review

Click to open on Amazon


4. Byron Statics, Portable Record Player – Cheapest of Cheap Record Players

ByronStatics cheap record players portable turntable

Pros:

  • Price: $34-$40, so an extremely affordable option.
  • Perfect gift for children & beginners. Mainly because of its low price & simplicity.
  • Belt-driven that can play 7″ and 12″ records.
  • Jack-in for headphones.
  • Ability to use RCA connectors with your own stereo setup.

Cons:

  • No bluetooth functionalities, even though the Amazon listing does give this impression. Keep this in mind.
  • Record skipping issues. If you’re interested in how to fix this, check out this article.
  • Feels fragile, so don’t drop it.
  • Mediocre built-in speakers, the mediocrity mainly becomes apparent when playing on higher volumes.

Click to see our full review

Click to open on Amazon


3. Victrola, Suitcase Record Player

Victrola cheap record players suitcase turntable

Pros:

  • Price: $42-$60, this is obviously a very affordable price.
  • Very easy to use, unpack > plug in > play.
  • Bluetooth receiver for playing music from your phone for example.
  • Portable, light enough for a child to carry, but not flimsy.
  • Tonearm is well-weighted.
  • Comes with replacement needle.

Cons:

  • Quite some reports on damage during shipping. Victrola does offer a 30 day return policy. Just keep this in mind.
  • No bluetooth transmitter, So you can’t use your bluetooth speakers.
  • Mediocre built-in speaker sound quality.

Click to see our full review

Click to open on Amazon


2. Audio-Technica, AT-LP60XUSB

Audio-technica record player turntable AT-LP60XUSB

Pros:

  • Start/stop automatization, you’ll have to press set the correct record size setting, press play and everything will be taken care of for you. It’s similar to a robot.
  • USB connection to PC & Mac is possible to record what you play. Ideal for if you need to digitalize your vinyl collection.
  • Phono preamp, allowing for Aux or Line inputs on speakers, amplifiers and other devices.
  • Mini-jack & Dual-RCA.
  • Anti-resonance materials, these materials prevent vibrations from reaching the stylus. So less distortion & skipping.

Cons:

  • Price: $90-$129, now this is actually still cheap, but when looking for something cheaper this might just be too expensive.
  • Installation is not as simple as most record players on this list. It comes with a visual manual, that’s not too accurate in its description.
  • No bluetooth transmission, so you can’t use your bluetooth speakers with this one.

Click to see our full review

Click to open on Amazon


1. DigitNow, Bluetooth Record Player – Our Favorite of Cheap Record Players

DIGITNOW record player bluetooth turntable

Pros:

  • Price: $60-$75
  • All-in-one, plays & records: vinyl, casette tapes, radio.
  • It can record without any extra software to sd-card or through USB.
  • General agreement about good recording quality.
  • Bluetooth receiver for playing music from your phone for example.
  • Easy-to-use, with gadgets like a remote control for muting, changing channels, etcetera. Which is very rare at this price range.
  • Can be connected to your own stereo amplifier/speakers.

Cons:

  • Built-in speakers have mediocre audio quality. Lack of bass & sound artifacts at high volumes. Solved by connecting good speakers.
  • Some buyers have reported issues with skipping and wobbling. I’ve written an article for this though. Check the article out here.
  • Issue regarding a short tonearm, leading to it not being able to finish the last track on some of the larger LPs. I haven’t been able to confirm this though.

Click to see our full review

Click to open on Amazon


Hopefully you found what’s best for you! However if you still haven’t decided yet, I’d like to suggest to take a look at our other Top-Lists. Otherwise I’d like to suggest you ask around on either Vinyl Subreddit, Discogs Forums, or Vinyl Collective.

Here they are again starting on the left with the best first:

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