The turntable is more popular than ever, and for good reason. An incredible amount has happened since the first record player, which was called the phonograph and invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. Back then, the record player produced a mechanical playback of a disc made of asbestos and shellac, and the sound traveled from the cartridge into a horn that acted as a speaker. Recording worked the other way around, with the music being captured by the horn, which sent the music down to a cutting needle that made the grooves that would later be played back.

Fast forward to today, when turntables sound better than ever, have become easier to get started with, and records are now made entirely of completely harmless vinyl. The playback of the groove is the same, but the movements of the cartridge are now turned into electricity, which is generated in the cartridge and passed on to an amplifier. As a result, the sound reproduction is so good that many consider it the very best.

You can start with a turntable for DKK 3,000 and get a really nice all-round performance, along with easy setup and simple operation. Some expensive turntables depend on you having experience and skill with setup, as they almost come as kits, where you then have to make the adjustments yourself using a headlamp, a wet newspaper, and a ruler. But you can also choose a top turntable from one of the manufacturers that has the expertise and equipment to deliver the turntable adjusted exactly as it should be. The days when turntables were complicated are over.

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A good-quality turntable can deliver a sound you rarely hear from sources such as streaming or CD. The turntable has a very distinctive warm, analogue sound, and that is why you will often find that your mind relaxes and you get a different and better experience of the music. The turntable is also a faithful and reliable player that does not depend on the internet, a Bluetooth connection, or other dark magic that we have no control over. The turntable plays when you lower the cartridge onto the record, quite simply.

With a turntable, you can also dive into millions of LPs from back when music was in original master quality and not copied. The fact that LPs can be bought for modest prices today, and that LPs are still being released, all helps to make the turntable a modern and attractive way to play music.

Lastly, there is the concept of focus. Today we can both watch TV and listen to music through all kinds of streaming devices, and yet we do not really “hear” the music. It just keeps playing in a steady stream, whether we are exercising, cooking, or sleeping. The turntable, on the other hand, demands your attention, and just the fact that you have to find the record and put it on the turntable is often enough to bring you into a state of calm and focus that is necessary for you to get the full experience of what the musicians intended with the music.

You can get a perfectly decent turntable for 3,000 DKK, just as you can get turntables at absurd prices. Basically, the difference between cheap and expensive turntables should be that the more expensive they are, the more precise, quiet, and great-sounding they become. And precision is important when you are dealing with groove movements as small as just a few thousandths of a millimeter.

You are free to choose between “plug and play” solutions, where the manufacturer has fitted the cartridge, or do-it-yourself solutions, where it is necessary to know what you are doing when setting up the turntable. Get advice from us before you buy, so you get exactly the right setup for your system and your needs.

Typically, this will mean a better tonearm, better motor, better platter, and better plinth. Better means less play, less noise, and greater precision, all to read the record without affecting the sound with flaws such as distortion and poor speed stability. An expensive turntable is not necessarily better than a cheap one, which is why it is wise to have them demonstrated in the shop. Within a brand, however, you should assume that the most expensive one is the best.

A rule of thumb is that the more automation you get for a given price, the poorer the sound will be compared with a manual turntable in the same price range.