Record Players for Your Home and What You Need to be Playing
This month we’re pairing these record players for your home entertainment system with new records for 2022
Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB
Offering high-fidelity playback at a reasonable price for its quality, the Audio Technica AT-LP is a stylish and well-built turntable with the added functionality of a built-in preamp and USB port (allowing you to convert your audio into digital files). Intuitive design and a plethora of features make this both the audiophile and newcomer’s perfect reasonably priced disc spinner.
Spec
Operating speeds: 33, 45, 78rpm
Phono and line support with USB
Direct-drive
Dimensions: 17.80” (W) x 13.86” (D) x 5.57” (H)
£289 gear4music.com
Pair with…
Wet Leg, Wet Leg
Out now – Isle of Wight’s Wet Leg are releasing their much-anticipated self-titled album. Firmly on the radar of any indie-rock/pop lover, female duo Rhian Teasdale and Hester Chambers deliver French disco-inspired guitar anthems exploring sexuality and youth – accompanied by stylised and expressive vocal performances.
Rega Planar 2
The big brother of the Rega Planar 1, this iteration of the Planarbseries is superior to its earlier carnation due to more premium build components – overall producing a much crisper sound from a foundation that was already sonically brilliant. Planar 2 provides impressive attention to detail, great bass response and wraps it all up in a luxuriously sleek aesthetic. However, with no in-built preamp, make sure you pair it with a stereo amplifier with a phono stage.
Spec
No electronic speed change
No inbuilt phono support
Belt-drive
Dimensions: 11.7” (H) x 44.7” (W) x 36cm (D)
£475 Lintone Audio, Gateshead
Pair with…
Dawn FM, The Weeknd
Out now – the second entry into The Weeknd’s 80s synth-pop revival trilogy, Dawn FM recruits the likes of Jim Carey, Tyler The Creator and Lil Wayne to produce an album which is less catchy but more artistically inspired than its predecessor, After Hours. Following the narrative structure of listening to an almost dystopian radio station hosted by Jim Carey, Dawn FM breaks up poppy R&B bliss with segments of arty spoken word narration.
Technics SL-1500C
If all you need is ultra-premium sound reproduction, this is the definitive turntable for bunder a grand. It’s a no-nonsense, simple record player with great build quality, impressive bass, and considered design – such as Technic’s emblematic S-shaped arm, built-in preamp, direct-drive motor and precision engineering.
Spec
Operating speeds: 33, 45, 78rpm
Phono and line support
Direct-drive
23” (H) x 16” (W) x 12cm (D)
£899 Peter Tyson, Newcastle
Pair with…
The Dream, Alt-J
Out now – Alt-J’s fourth studio album is a return to form for the Leeds based alternative-indie trio, producing the quirky textures and sounds they’re renowned for but with a rejuvenated sense of experimentation. Groovy, ambitious and sonically rich, this LP is shaping up to be the best the band has produced in a decade.
Sony PS-LX310BT
Form meets function with this sleek bluetooth turntable from the audio kings at Sony – allowing you to spin your discs without the restriction of cumbersome wires. Perfect for connecting to sound bars or reference monitors on the other side of your man-cave, this turntable produces a clear and stable sound with a simple set-up guide. The PS-LX comes with an aluminium stabilising tray, adjustable gain switch, and one-step audio playback which uses motors in the arm to automatically lower and place the needle on your record without lifting a finger.
Spec
Operating speeds: 33 and 45rpm
Bluetooth connectivity
Phono and line output support with built-in Phono EQ
Belt-drive
Dimensions: 17” (W) x 4 3/8” (D) x 14 ½” (H)
£249, stockists regionwide
Pair with…
The Overload, Yard Act
This is the debut LP from Leeds based post-punk newcomers, Yard Act. This LP has found universal and resounding appraise, sounding like a love-child of Jarvis Cocker and Gang of Four; The Overload is a must listen for any punk fan wanting a post-pandemic dismantling of life in suburban England.
