So many of you can be buying the turntable for the first time hoping to make a turntable the highlight of your Hi-Fi system, while others will be trying to replace your current record player and upgrade your audio.
No matter whatever the case is, below is the collection of the finest record players under $500 that can assist you in narrowing down your options. Read more.
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon:
- It has a Belt drive Motor.
- It has a speed of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It has Stylus Ortofon (2M Red).
- The Dimensions are 19.2 x 15.6 x 9.7 inches.
Pros:
- A heavier platter with great damping capabilities, a silent DC motor, and a carbon-fiber tonearm that lowers resonance are all engineered to produce the cleanest, rhythmic, and spacious sound for the money.
- Clear sound with a high amount of detail.
- It is Upgradeable with a wide range of finishes.
- A high-quality plinth.
- When the Debut Carbon was first released, it caused quite a stir on the internet as it is quite affordable.
- The Debut Carbon is currently one of the greatest sounding turntables available for the money.
- The Ortofon 2M Red Moving Magnet cartridge, which is worth $100 on its own, takes up the finer aspects of the music and won’t need to be replaced anytime soon.
Cons:
- It’s just a simple turntable that only plays records, Pro-Ject has concentrated on making the core essentials as fantastic as they can be.
- It lacks an auto-returning tonearm and pitch control, both of which would be wonderful additions.
- Because this doesn’t have a built-in phono preamp, you’ll need to buy one separately.
Audio Technica AT-LP5
- It comes with a Direct drive motor.
- It has a built-in Phono preamp.
- Its speed is 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It has an (AT-95EX) Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 21 x 9 x 16 inches.
Pros:
- Amazing detail and broad soundscape.
- Plug and play system with a built-in phono preamp that can be bypassed.
- USB ports allow you to digitize recordings. Audiophile turntables such as the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon and Rega Planar 1 miss this option.
- Audio Technica is known for providing some of the finest value for money when it comes to turntables.
- The AT-LP5 is distinctive in that it is built as a HiFi deck yet is powered by a direct-drive motor. This is easily bypassed, which means you can always run this through a more powerful one if you want.
- The AT-LP5 contains the AT-95EX, a redesigned and upgraded AT-95 cartridge. Since it seems as good as carts 2 to 3 times its price, the AT-95 is labeled as the “giant killer.”
- Although changing the cartridge is straightforward thanks to the detachable head shell, it’s unlikely you’ll be replacing the AT-95EX anytime soon.
- Basically, the AT-LP5 is among the ideal turntables for consumers looking for high-fidelity audio with a simple plug-and-play setup.
Cons:
- A hefty plinth is less attractive than most of the slimmer options on this list.
Rega Planar 1
- It comes with a Belt drive Motor.
- It operates at a Speed of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It comes with a Rega Carbon Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 4.2 x 17.6 x 4.6 inches.
Pros:
- It has outstanding construction quality and a simple setup.
- Extensive upgrade potential.
- Many people compare the Rega Planar 1 to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon when it comes to choosing the finest audiophile turntable under $500.
- Many people claim that the Planar 1’s superior build quality contributes to its excellent sound.
- Many Planar 1 owners love modifying their Planar 1 with time because of the excellent quality thermoset plinth.
Cons:
- The included cartridge isn’t as nice as the others on our list.
- US purchasers have to pay a significant premium.
- The Rega Carbon cartridge is a relaunched AT-91, and the RB110 tonearm is nice, but it’s no match for the carbon-fiber tonearm on the Debut Carbon.
U-Turn Audio – Orbit Special
- U-Turn began as a Kickstarter effort in 2012 and has since created a brand for themselves through their low-cost turntables.
- It comes with a Belt drive motor.
- It operates at a speed of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It has an Ortofon 2M Red Stylus. The same is used in the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon.
- The dimensions of the U-turn audio- orbit special are 14.2 x 17.6 x 4.6 inches.
- It is manufactured in the USA.
Pros:
- Open and powerful sound system.
- This simple turntable is a thing of beauty, with a solid wooden plinth of flat cut maple or rift walnut and a clear and beautiful acrylic platter.
- The Orbit Special is the top of the range, with a larger price tag than the Orbit Basic & Orbit Plus due to its stronger base, higher-end cartridge, and inclusion of a cue lever.
- The platter can be spun at 33 1/3, 45 RPM with the external belt drive, which avoids motor noise.
- Precision OA2 gimbal tonearm with little distortion and reliable tracking. They generate a sound that is clear, detailed, and lively when used together.
- Setup is simple with factory-set anti-skate.
Cons:
- Manually changing speeds is one of its biggest cons.
- You just have to worry about accurately adjusting the counterbalance.
- You’ll also need to connect it to a separate phono preamp. Although U-Turn does offer an Orbit Special model with a built-in preamp.
Music Hall MMF 2.2
- It comes with a Belt drive motor.
- It operates at speeds of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It has a Music Hall Magic 2 Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 11 x 20 x 16.2 inches
Pros:
- For being a superb beginner turntable, the MMF 2.2 is frequently compared to the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon & Rega Planar 1.
- The Music Hall Magic 2 cartridge produces a warm, detailed sound that is well balanced.
- The vibration damping feet allow being much more tolerant of uneven surfaces.
- It has its own unique tricks that set it apart from the competition.
- It has an adjustable tonearm, which allows you to change the angle of the stylus in relation to the groove. This is referred to as changing the Vertical Tracking Angle (VTA) in technical terms.
- Aside from that, the Music Hall MMF 2.2 incorporates leveling feet that can be set to accommodate for minor surface discrepancies. This makes it more accommodating for individuals who don’t have a completely flat surface on which to set up their turntable.
Cons:
- The Music Hall MMF 2.2 is very difficult to locate.
- Music Hall is perhaps most known for its high-end turntables (those that cost more than $5,000).
- The turntable lacks the Debut Carbon’s showy carbon-fiber tonearm.
- It also lacks the Rega Planar 1’s large aftermarket tinkering community.
- Although VTA isn’t a regular feature, many turntable fans like adjusting the VTA until everything sounds right.
Sony-PS-HX500
- It comes with a Belt drive Motor.
- It has a Phono preamp.
- It can connect to a USB.
- It operates at a speed of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It has a Sony Moving Magnet Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 18.5 x 16.3 x 6.2 inches.
Pros:
- The DSD AD converter on this turntable can convert analog signals to DSD format, which is one of the finest quality audio formats available.
- The PS-HX500 is clearly among the most cost-effective solutions to digitize your record collection into a high-resolution format.
- Dropping the needle generates a rich, detailed sound, and the sound comes through with clarity and richness.
- Plug-and-play setup with built-in phono preamp for ripping.
- It comes with vinyl to hi-res WAV or DSD audio formats.
Cons:
- Aesthetics and build quality are average.
- It’s not worth it unless you plan on making use of its high-quality Converter (A/D).
- Because the A/D converter costs a lot of money, folks who just want to listen to the records should choose a different model.
Audio Technica AT-LP1240-USB XP
- It comes with a Direct-drive Motor.
- It has a Phono preamp.
- It can be connected to a USB.
- It operates at a speed of 33 ⅓, 45, 78 rpm.
- It has an AT-XP5 Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 8.7 x 12 x 7.5 inches.
Pros:
- Powerful direct-drive motor with plenty of torque.
- Heavy-duty design.
- One of the best price Super OEMs for DJ-ing available in the market.
- The Audio Technica AT-LP1240-USB XP, which was released in 2019. The turntable features everything a DJ needs, including a starting torque of >4.5 kgf. cm, +/-10 percent changeable speed, a reverse control button, and an AT-XP5 DJ cartridge.
- This Audio Technica deck offers the best deals at a low price.
- The AT-LP1240-USB XP is unquestionably a Super OEM, which is by far the most popular type of turntable for DJs on a tight budget.
Cons:
- If you don’t intend to mix or scratch, get something different.
Denon DP-300F
- It is Automatic.
- It comes with a Belt drive Motor.
- It has a Phono preamp.
- It operates at a speed of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It comes with a Denon DSN-85 Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 15 x 17.1 x 4.8 inches.
Pros:
- Among the few high-quality completely automated turntables available is the Denon DP-300F.
- Learners to vinyl as well as those with shaky hands will enjoy the cueing mechanism, which prevents the needle from wearing down and scratching the record.
- The removable head shell makes it simple to replace it with a Denon DL-110 or Audio Technica AT-440 cartridge, which will vastly increase sound quality.
- Given the DP-300F’s low price, purchasing the turntable and an upgrade cartridge will almost certainly be less expensive than purchasing any of the other turntables on this list.
Cons:
- The DSN-85 cartridge isn’t particularly impressive.
- The included cartridge is of ordinary quality.
- Manual cueing is an important aspect of the vinyl experience!
Pro-Ject Essential III Bluetooth
- It comes with a Belt drive Motor.
- It operates at a speed of 33 ⅓, 45 rpm.
- It comes with an Ortofon OM10 Stylus.
- The dimensions of the product are 13 x 16.9 x 4.4 inches.
Pros:
- If you want a clean and almost entirely cable-free record player setup, the Pro-Ject Essential III Bluetooth would be ideal.
- Stream audio wirelessly to your wireless speakers
Cons:
- Despite the similar pricing, it falls short in several areas of Pro-Debut Ject’s Carbon.
- The tonearm is made of aluminum rather than carbon fiber, and even the Ortofon OM10 cartridge isn’t quite up to par with the 2M Red. As a result, the sound is a little less detailed, but it has a higher wow and flutter rating.
- Bluetooth is expensive; for the same money, you can acquire a better-sounding turntable.
Conclusions:
Without a doubt, there are some excellent turntables available for less than $500. That’s fantastic, except it makes picking the ideal one for yourself even more difficult. We believe the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon provides the best value for money when it comes to pure listening. It’s the only turntable on this list with a carbon-fiber tonearm, which is usually only seen on far more expensive turntables. One of the finest cartridges here is the Ortofon 2M Red.
However, the Rega Planar 1, Audio Technica AT-LP5, and U-Turn Orbit Special are all excellent choices. The best thing to do, as usual, is to try to see and hear them all so you can make your own judgment. We wouldn’t suggest buying a turntable with Bluetooth built-in, but we can see why this may be useful in some scenarios.
So, this list should have assisted you to filter down your options for the ideal turntable under $500. Feel free to comment below if you have any queries or suggestions!
