Most Popular Turntable: Technics SL-1200MK2
Whether you’re listening to old records handed over to you or your first time playing vinyl, you need a reliable turntable. Last week we asked you about your favorites , then looked at the top 5 players and put them to a vote. It’s time to highlight your favorite.
They may not be the most audiophile-friendly, or are made of high-gloss glossy material, and may technically be discontinued (although several people are working on this), but Wheels of Steel, Technics SL-1200MK2 (and subsequent MK3, 4 and 5) took first place in our poll with 42% of the votes cast. Maybe it’s because they are so well known and loved – especially among musicians, DJs and producers – as turntables to perform with or just listen to, that can get damaged and almost never need to be repaired or replaced. Maybe this is because these are just cult works of musical technology. Either way, you love them, and we strongly encourage you to scour your local record stores, eBay, and other stores to find a great deal for one (or two!)
The second place with almost 18% of the votes went to Pro-Ject Debut Carbon , an excellent player with a good reputation and a good reputation, which will delight music lovers and ordinary music lovers. It’s well built, beautifully designed and sounds great. The third place is taken by the more budgetary model Audio-Technica AT-LP120 USB , which gained just over 16% of the total number of votes. It’s a Technics clone in many ways, but it can be connected to your computer as easily as it can to your home entertainment system, making it a great tool for recording mixes or digitizing your old recordings for posterity. Fourth place and 12% of the votes went to the Audio-Technica AT-LP60 , the smaller, belt-driven and less feature-rich cousin of the 120, which is also the cheapest player in the roundup. Buy carefully. In fifth place is the Rega RP1 with only 12% of the votes, its minimalist design and quality sound have earned the praise of both beginners and collectors.
To learn more about each of them, as well as honorable mentions not listed here, be sure to return to our full Hive Five feature .