Vinyls back, baby!
I see you, non-novices) then allow us to help.
Heres how to find the perfect record player for you.
Educate yourself on the basics
What is a turntable?
What are the parts?
What do those parts do?
Heres a helpful graphic from ThingLink.
Some turntable literacy can go a long wayespecially in determining what kind of machine you want to invest in.
Are you a DJ who will depend on this gear?
You might value aesthetics (in which case, Urban Outfitters aint a terrible place to shop.)
If youre a DJ, its likely youll want a turntable with a direct-drive function.
Youll also want to connect to external devices (like mixers or computers) via USB.
Automatic turntables lift the tone arm and place it on the record for you.
Its convenient as all hell, but also means theres more possibility for malfunction.
If placing the needle on the record makes you nervous, then you might want to go automatic.
(Its exactly what it sounds like: turntables with speakers embedded in its body.)
Just know that a solid speaker system can also put you back a couple hundredto multiple thousands of dollars.
Stereo systems are often bigger!
They call it equipment for a reason.
Are you happy with a lower-end turntable and a basic speaker system?
Or are you looking for something extravagant with huge monitors, not unlike the live music experience?
Dont forget about secondhand stores
And eBay!
Just see to it you test the thing before buying.
Its a risk you have to take when shopping online, but sometimes the finds are worth it.
Music stores are always a good resource and could probably use your business.
If not, a good pal with a foundational knowledge of this stuff should prove effective, too.
