To finish off our little series about record collecting we’ve gone back to basics with a bluffers guide on some of the best turntables currently out there. Using ‘What Hi-Fi’s’ guide (and they should know best right?) to the best turntables available in 2015, with prices to suit all pockets. So if you’re a seasoned collector and are looking to upgrade you may find something to suit here or, if you’re new to buying vinyl and are looking for a decent entry level turntable, hopefully this will give you some pointers. Each picture has the link to the ‘What Hi-Fi’ review should you want to explore further – and don’t forget, once you’ve got your new shiny new turntable check eil.com for our incredible range of vinyl, reissues, new releases, collectables and much, much more.
PRO-JECT ELEMENTAL: This Project Audio turntable can be bought for as little as £159 (max £200) – What Hi-Fi had this to say “While this record player isn’t going to stun with authority or outright punch, in each area we think it delivers enough to satisfy with the kind of equipment it’s likely to be partnered with. Those who want a good-quality record player at an entry-level price should start here. They won’t be disappointed” Find more info herePRO-JECT ESSENTIAL II: This little beauty can be bought for under £400 – What Hi-Fi gave it some glowing praise, “the Pro-Ject Essential II delivers a sound that’s full of life and drama. We’re pleased by the deck’s scale and composure – these qualities aren’t very common with this kind of product. There’s a good amount of detail and enough refinement from that Ortofon cartridge to stop things getting edgy, too” find more info hereREGA RP 3: Yours for around £600 – what’s the verdict? “Make no mistake: this is a top-class record deck for the money. It’s easy to set up, easy to use as long as you don’t mind the manual speed change and sounds as musical as they come. The RP3 is a great buy and a worthy Award winner”. Find more info hereCLEARAUDIO CONCEPT: This Clearaudio is priced around the £1000 mark and has the speed and manoeuvrability to give the lie to those who believe vinyl reproduction can only be warm and wallowing – it’s got the sort of alacrity digital formats offer without sacrificing their mastery of tempo. If you feel the need for an outstanding turntable, don’t think twice, more info hereREGA RP8: Although Rega is quite rightly recognised for the quality of its more affordable decks, this more high end model is priced a little over £2000. The likes of the RP3 particularly have dominated their sector and our Awards for far more years than we care to remember. But when the company really goes for it, shooting for the stars rather than trying to meet a price point, the results are spectacular. If you have the budget for the RP8/Apheta combination, jump right in. You won’t be disappointed, more info hereVPI PRIME: VPI started back in 1978. Since then it has made some terrific decks and we think the Prime should be considered one of them. By high-end standards it’s aggressively priced around the £5000 mark while delivering a scale of engineering and sound that’s hard to better for anywhere near this price. Sure there’s no lid, and you’ll have to pay extra for a decent cartridge. But once you do, we think the Prime is good enough to remind you why you got into hi-fi in the first place, more info here
What Is A White Label? Before a record gets an official release white label promotional copies are often distributed to radio stations, DJ’s and music industry employees. NB* ‘Test Pressings’ are often grouped with white labels, […]
Here at eil.com we realise not everyone’s pockets are so deep they can stump up the readies for that uber-collectable slab of vinyl, CD boxset, vintage memorabilia etc. With that in mind, we’ve put together this new […]
For anyone who collects vinyl, we know that some of the most highly wanted pressings tend to be those classed as Audiophile. Those with the best hi-fi equipment will always want the best quality sounding […]
Be the first to comment