What’s old is new again. That saying has a habit of applying to fashion, interior design, and sometimes consumer products. When it comes to consumer technology, it’s a bit more uncommon, since products and technology tend to improve over time and once something is deemed obsolete, it often stays gone. In the music industry, the first recording medium was vinyl. Recor albums were at one point the only real way for people to listen to recordings from their favorite artists. Over time, newer and more convenient mediums arrived - the cassette tape, 8 track tapes, compact discs, digital audio tape, and eventually the MP3 and other purely digital formats. Each was smaller and more portable than vinyl and as music listening became a truly individual experience with a mobile device and pair of earbuds, the idea of a full-size vinyl record seemed very antiquated.
However, the medium never entirely went away, as many audiophiles argued that the sound produced from playing a vinyl record was superior to any digital format. Then, at some point, the retro activity of collecting vinyl started to become cool. While record stores might be a thing of the past, vinyl started popping up in bookstores and other retail stores. Today, we have something of a full-blown revival of the vinyl record for a small but significant portion of musically inclined consumers. But, if you want to listen to vinyl, you need a record player or turntable. These were once ubiquitous facets of every home stereo system (a thing that in itself no longer exists for most people). So, what’s a consumer to do if they want to play an old album they found in the basement? They need to go out and buy a turntable.
Having just gone through this experience myself, I thought I would provide a few tips and recommendations if you’re ready to jump back into the world of vinyl.
Record Player vs. Turntable
So, you’ve decided to buy some equipment to play that old vinyl album you found in a box in your closet. Your first option is likely to be selecting between a portable record player or a more traditional component style turntable.
Record players come in a lot of designs and flavors, but you might think of one as a fully contained system that let you plug in, put on a record, drop the needle, and have sound emitted from one or more built-in speakers. They often look like little suitcases, with a carrying handle and lid that props up to reveal the integrated turntable within. Record players like this are typically less expensive than actual turntables and with that lower cost comes lower sound quality, due to the use of less expensive parts and manufacturing. But, if you just want to throw on a record and listen, a record player may be exactly what you’re looking for. They can range from $50 to several hundred dollars, depending on features, brand, etc. Just don’t expect a true high-fidelity sound system, when the speaker is basically built into a briefcase.
A turntable is typically just that - a single piece of equipment that plays the record, but does not include speakers or often a required amplifier or pre-amp, in order to actually hear the record you want to play. In the old days (when I went to college back in the 1980s) a turntable was a part of every kid’s dorm room stereo system, along with a tuner, amplifier, equalizer, tape deck, and eventually a CD player, and at least 2 big heavy speakers to blow out the windows of your dorm room. Today, most people do not have a stereo system, so turntables have changes to meet the needs of consumers. Many versions now include an amplifier, so you just need to connect a pair of speakers, plug in and play away. Costs can run from $150 to well over $1,000, depending on quality.
Bluetooth vs. Wired
Back in the day, the only way to connect a speaker to a music source was to run speaker cable across the room. Today, we all have Bluetooth speakers in our homes, and turntables have adapted to this as well. You will need to decide if you want a more old-school turntable that requires wiring to a set of speakers or one that can simply sync up to any Bluetooth speaker and start cranking out the tunes. Audiophiles will argue that hard wiring your speakers is the only way to go if you want top-quality sound. But, the convenience of Bluetooth is hard to beat. So, consider your room layout and whether you want to pony up for a new set of wired speakers instead of just tapping into the JBL Flip 4 that sits on a shelf in your living room.
Quality and Price Points
Last up is cost. As mentioned, record players tend to be cheaper and might be a great starting point for a vinyl newbie or casual listener. Then, you might step up to a turntable if you want to get just a bit more serious and still only spend $150-200. If you find yourself becoming more of an audiophile, then all bets are off and you can easily spend $1,000+ on a great turntable.
