Every year, thousands of people across the globe venture out to brave the April showers (well… in the UK at least) and choose between hundreds of exclusive vinyl releases for Record Store Day. From one-off EPs to old album reissues - and even the odd mixtape - music fans will be prowling the streets to gather anything they can get their hands on.
It’s a trend that’s only growing in popularity, thanks to the rise and fall - and rise again - of the record player and vinyl album package.
So, with this news, you can either dust off your decades-old system or, even better, choose from the wide range of high-quality turntables modern music has to offer. But which would suit your needs best?
For the beginner – ION Air LP Belt Drive Bluetooth Turntable
If you’re just starting your record collection and looking for a reliable, good quality player that you can plug in and play anywhere, the ION Max Air turntable is the perfect choice.
It’s hugely popular amongst beginner record collectors because of the number of cool features you get for a reasonable, entry-level price. You get the option of three different speed settings for 33, 45 and 78 RPM records, so you can swap between the smaller singles and full-size LPs as much as you like.
The turntable has internal speakers so will work anywhere with a power source, but if you fancy a little more bass or texture to the sound, you can connect it via Bluetooth to your meatier sound systems. There’s also an aux port if you prefer a wired connection.
Get the ION Air LP Belt Drive Turntable
For the DJ – Audio Technica AT-LP120USB Direct Drive Turntable
This sleek, compact turntable is built for the on-the-go performer. Most casual record players are ‘paused’ by physically lifting the needle up, but this one’s ultra-responsive – you can press a button to start and stop play instantly at any point, which is very helpful if your mix requires a lot of track changes.
There are also a whole host of pitch-shifting controls and audio sliders to bring more flavour to the tracks and keep your audience on their toes.
An exciting addition for any avid collectors - if you have a bunch of vinyl that you’re worried will start warping over time, or just fancy listening to your records on the move, Audio Technica have included some Audacity recording software to easily and clearly digitise your music into MP3 form. Now you can leave the house with as many of your favourite tracks as you please!
For the true audiophile – Sony PH-HX500 Belt Drive Turntable
If you’re one to get technical about your music and fancy a super high-quality system that lets you hear every sound as the musician intended, this Sony turntable is the one for you.
There are a couple of hardware features that make this possible. The first is an internal phono EQ amp, which captures many more signals from the needle to send to your Hi-Fi system, making the sound much more textured than lower-quality turntables.
The second is the design of the record player itself. The body insulates the sound a lot better and its lightweight frame helps it clearly bring out all the low-end audio, so it won’t appear anywhere near as grainy as in other models.
This player also converts your vinyl into digital files, but thanks to these features the audio is in High Resolution, so even your MP3s will sound better.
Buy the Sony PH-HX500 Belt Drive Turntable
Still looking for the perfect record player for your new RSD 2019 releases? See our range of turntables
