Vinyl Turntables: Where to Buy and Which One to Choose?

Retro fashion does not leave the modern world. While clothing styles are inspired and literally copy the 80s and 90s, music sticks to its old choices when it comes to media. Vinyl record players have been trending for several years now, and the records themselves are being produced in such quantities that they didn't even see the years of the format's original heyday.  

What is the secret to such love and how to choose a good vinyl player – we will discuss in our article. 

Vinyl players as a gift

Maybe this will be news to someone, but the outstanding scientist Thomas Edison invented the phonograph (the first type of gramophone) before the electric light bulb. I would like to conclude that this is due to his cheerful disposition and desire to listen to music even in the dark. But in fact, the goal of technical development was to record voice messages and transmit them using the telephone. And already in 1877 the first model was patented.  

The design of the first phonograph provided for both recording and playing sound. A cylinder wrapped in foil rotated around a fixed axis, and a stylus applied lines of sound waves to the foil, which were captured by a diaphragm. To play the recording, the stylus passed along the engraved lines and transmitted vibration to the diaphragm, which "sounded" the recording through a tube. Edison's expectations that the device could be used to record telegrams and lullabies for a child within the family circle were exceeded a thousand times. The device became so popular that improved models and new patents appeared almost every day.

If Edison settled on the idea of ​​cylinders for recording and reproducing sound, his successor Emil Berliner reformatted the mechanism to use zinc disks covered with wax. Such flat disks were much cheaper to produce, and in addition, it was possible not to be limited in the number of the same recording. Within a few decades, discs became the most popular format and completely replaced cylinders, which were too expensive and fragile to transport, from the market.  

In the 1930s, records began to be made of polyvinyl chloride with additives to make the discs stronger and more wear-resistant. Later, all records began to be made of this material, which is why they were called "vinyl". Further improvements concerned mainly the motor mechanism and the tonearm - a lever with a needle at the end that is lowered onto the record. Stylus is the name given to needles for vinyl players, because at the beginning of the industry, real metal needles were used for a while, which moved along the grooves in the discs. 

Along the way, the gramophone lost its spectacular tube thanks to the sound wave transducer and speaker, turning into a gramophone (named after the company Pathé). But thanks to this evolution, we got a compact music player with high-quality sound. 

Vinyl players: types and popular brands 

Despite the rather active market since the moment of its invention, our ancestors rarely worried about the question "how to choose a vinyl player?". As a rule, the choice was determined by price and availability.  

Today, we have a great opportunity to choose the best vinyl players, because with the renaissance of vinyl, many manufacturers are improving classic models using modern technologies. The least futuristic, but very convenient functionality determines the division of vinyl players into three types - manual, semi-automatic and automatic. It depends on whether the tonearm with the stylus is lowered onto the record manually or independently. In a semi-automatic model, the tonearm raises itself after the last track is finished, and in an automatic one - it lowers and raises itself after pressing a button. This feature can protect the record from careless scratches with the needle. 

Modern models of vinyl players differ mainly in appearance, the presence of additional functions and technological subtleties that affect the sound quality, the difference in which is only noticeable by avid music lovers and connoisseurs. We will mention only a few of the most popular manufacturers with their main advantages. 

Crosley vinyl player. Most models of this brand are designed for amateurs both at the professional level and in the sense of retro lovers. Crosley vinyl players are made in the form of suitcase turntables in all possible colors. They are convenient to move and store. In addition, most models have built-in Bluetooth for playing music from a phone or other device. Perhaps music lovers will not be impressed by the perfection of the sound, but these players will definitely be the best choice for beginners in the world of vinyl. And for experienced customers, the company produces premium models with improved sound and additional functionality. 

Sony vinyl player. Players of this brand will also be a worthy option for a beginner who is just getting acquainted with vinyl sound. They are usually equipped with Bluetooth and a phono equalizer. The design of these models is more strict, even minimalist, which can be an advantage if you choose a player for a person with restrained taste who will not appreciate retro styling.  

Audio Technica vinyl player. The Japanese brand of high-quality music devices produces powerful devices for every taste. Their players look restrained and minimalist with a touch of high-tech style. Despite the serious functionality, all models of this brand are quite affordable. But the format – The players do not have built-in speakers, so they require connecting speakers, a stereo system, or wireless headphones via Bluetooth. This has a positive effect on the sound quality, although it burdens buyers with additional devices. 

Models of all brands have their fans, so we recommend that you be guided by your own tastes and level of quality requirements. 

How to use a vinyl record player records?

The return of vinyl records allows us to slow down and remember the pleasure of knowingly imperfect things and sounds. Affordable vinyl record players give us a great opportunity to do this.