Do you need an expensive record player?

Say you’re in the market for a record player — you’re faced with many options. Some of the options might be as cheap as $250, some upwards of $500, or maybe you’re eyeing one under $50 at a thrift store. You want what will be best for your vinyl collection, both in terms of sound quality and keeping your records in good condition. But, the vast range of prices might have you wondering if price really matters at all.

Well, the short answer is yes — and no. Every record player is different in some ways, and while price doesn’t guarantee anything, it can be a generally good guideline to work off of. So, here are some of the things to consider when looking at record players, and how more expensive ones may fare over the cheaper options.

Your best bet is in the moderately-priced range

Most people won’t need an expensive record player

My best piece of advice regarding a turntable is to not cheap out, lest you end up having to replace it within a few years. But, don’t go overboard either — you can find perfectly good record players for only a couple of hundred dollars at most that will last you a very long time. Price is only one possible indicator of how good something is. What’s really important is the actual specs and performance of the record player.

It’s also most important to get the features you want or need, regardless of whether that’s on a super expensive record player or a mid-range one. Most record players will have two speed settings, one for 45RPM records, and one for 33 1/3RPM, but if you have 78s or 16s, you’ll need a turntable that can play those, too. You also need to make sure the record player has the correct inputs and outputs for your existing audio setup, so you can start using it without having to get new cables.

When to purchase a cheaper or more expensive turntable

There are situations where you’re justified in spending more or less

Oftentimes, a cheap record player will have a cheap motor, have very noticeable frequency wobble (also known as flutter and wow), and if the arm is improperly balanced or too heavy, it can scratch into the grooves of your records, wearing them down and ruining them over time.

I’ve personally seen this happen in the past with cheap, trendy, mass-produced record players from places like Amazon or Urban Outfitters. Popular ones that come to mind are suitcase-style record players, Crosley or Victrola, that go for around $50. They’re not made to last — they’re made to look cute in your apartment and never be used.

A situation where it’s safer to buy a cheaper record player and potentially risk some damage is if your collection isn’t super precious to you and didn’t cost much in the first place. If you’re only going to be playing bargain bin records that are already a bit scratched up, maybe you won’t care as much if the grooves get a bit deeper, or you hear some skips. In this case, sure, buy a cheap record player. But if you ever do want to get more pricey records that you want to preserve for longer, that’ll make buying a cheap record player a bit futile. I still wouldn’t recommend going for a Crosley or Victrola record player in this case, but rather something from Audio-Technica or Sony.

On the other hand, if you buy something really expensive, say, in the $500 to $1000 range, you might not always be getting your money’s worth. They might perform well, but you’re likely getting a turntable with equal performance to a much cheaper one — it just might have a fancier exterior or have brand recognition driving up the price. These expensive record players might also have features you don’t really need. For example, wireless Sonos speaker compatibility would be useless if you don’t have a Sonos speaker in your home.

But sometimes, a more expensive record player can ensure better preservation of your records, not to mention sound better, too. If you have a precious record collection in great condition that you spent good money on, you’re more likely to keep it in good condition using a pricier, well-built turntable. When it comes to these, your best bet is going to a retailer that knows their stuff about record players rather than buying one off Amazon or Best Buy.

Your whole audio setup matters, too

A great record player with bad speakers won’t sound too nice

It’s also worth mentioning that no matter how much you spend on a record player, if you have records that are in bad shape or low quality speakers, your music isn’t going to sound any better. The sound quality you get from your setup is dependent on all parts of that setup being reliable. You’re going to get much better sound from a mid-range turntable with great speakers than a great turntable with bad speakers.

This all isn’t to say that expensive record players are never worth it, though. If you can verify that the turntable you’re looking at is made with high quality materials, built to last, and has a good reputation, then it’s likely going to be worth it if you have the money to invest in it. Even though I think mid-range is the best way to go, they can still be hit or miss.