hey everybody welcome to our updated list of best turntables under a thousand dollars
now when shopping for your very first turntable the three to five hundred dollar range is a
really good place to start this is where most of the budding audio enthusiasts are starting out
and we have another great video that covers this topic so if that's a price range you're
interested in be sure to go ahead and check that one out too but stepping up from here
is where things start getting really interesting as you move up from a solid
entry-level turntable to better and more expensive tables it's really all about minimizing noise and
resonance while extracting as much information from the record grooves as you possibly can
while we sell turntables as expensive as ten thousand dollars and even higher for the average
listener the sub one thousand dollar table will last a lifetime so if you're looking to step into
your first serious turntable or simply want to buy one that will last forever you'll find it
on this list for more information on why you should consider this price range check out our
full article on audioadvice.com to dive even deeper into this subject and if you decide to purchase
one from us you'll get our exclusive audio advice tips and tricks setup guides which come straight
to your inbox with lifetime support so you can get the most out of your system without damaging your
record collection and keep your high-end turntable running smoothly okay now let's get started
now it is worth mentioning that this list is in no particular order but we do start from the lowest
price to the highest so first up is the pro-ject debut carbon evo the evo is an evolution on the
best-selling debut carbon dc and serves up a host of improvements over the previous version
with a choice of nine beautiful finishes and tech that filtered down from the x1 turntables the evo
is probably the best value out there for around 500 you'll get thermoplastic elastomer or tpe
damped feet a new motor using the same damping and an upgraded platter that also uses tpe the evo
also comes with the classic project carbon fiber arm and it includes a great performing cartridge
the semico raniere plus the internal crystal generator for the motor is something normally seen
on more expensive turntables this ensures that you always get great speed so we have to say the evo
is one seriously impressive table for the money okay up next we have the rega planar 2. we just
love rega turntables and the planar line is truly a feat of engineering we have their entry level
planar 1 listed as one of our favorite turntables under the 500 price category and the planar 2 and
planar 3 both made it onto this under 1,000 list planar 2 was developed and released alongside the
planar 3 so this one benefits from a lot of the research and development that went into that table
it features rega's one piece rb220 tonearm which includes a rega carbon cartridge which is a $65
value pre-mounted you'll also get an acrylic laminated plinth which is available in gloss black
white or red a 24 volt low noise motor and a beautiful float glass platter if you want
to step it up from the planar 1 but aren't quite ready for the benefits and the costs of the
planar 3 for less than seven hundred dollars the planar 2 is a really good compromise
up next we have the rega planar 3 turntable the planar 3 has been one of the best selling
turntables at audioadvice.com ever since it first came out in 2016. it's an incredible
turntable and this one comes in gloss red gloss black and gloss white it's under a
thousand dollars without a cartridge but you can get the rega elise pre-mounted for
less than twelve hundred dollars now if you wanna step things up for just a few hundred dollars more
we also sell a ton of these with the rega exact 2 cartridge as well the planar 3 comes with a float
glass platter and a one piece rb 330 tonearm it's also the first in the planar lineup to include
double bracing which makes the table more rigid and reduces even more resonance it even comes with
the same motor as rega's higher end turntables and another thing we really like about the planar 3
is its upgrade path accessories like a tungsten counterweight and external ttpsu power supply are
all great upgrade options if you want to improve the sound more later down the road this is the
perfect turntable to provide incredible sound while also providing an upgrade path that really lets
you grow with it over time we recommend reading our full rega planar 3 review as well as a rega
planar comparison where we compare and contrast the planar 1 the planar 2 and the planar 3 all
together all right moving on up next on our list is the mofi studiodeck mobile fidelity sound labs
or mofi has been around since the 70s when they first invented the concept of procuring master
tapes of classic recordings cleaning them up and then pressing them onto the best vinyl available
now a few years ago they introduced a line of turntables with the help of two great designers
that would be alan perkins and mike latvis so at just under a thousand dollars the technology and
the craftsmanship you'll find in this turntable are just simply incredible for this price point i
mean the platter the plinth the tonearm and the cartridge were designed by alan perkins of soda
and more recently spiral groove the bearing is top notch with an inverted bearing much
like you'll see on much more expensive tables and this supports an almost four pound delrin platter
now most tone arms in this price range are nine inches but the studio deck gets a 10 inch fully
adjustable arm which really improves tracking and the studio tracker moving magnet cartridge comes
pre-mounted so there are years it sounds fantastic for the money i also love the fact that this table
has an upgrade path that allows you to give it the performance level of the more expensive
models by adding the mike lapis design feet and damping weight now for the same price as the mofi
studiodeck pro-ject audio offers another cool model the x1 the x1 is similar in appearance as
the esprit model but the acrylic platter really is about all there is that remains the same
pro-ject included a brand new tone arm that's fully adjustable for a wide range of cartridges and it
even uses some of the damping technology from their most expensive tables this tonearm has
some amazing bearings to reduce friction for better tracking a samiko raniere cartridge is
included which even has an upgrade path when you upgrade the stylus now this means when your stylus
does wear out you could purchase one for the highly rated moonstone and have a big improvement
the feet use tpe or thermoplastic elastomers for better isolation and they're adjustable
to get it perfectly level pro-ject also improved bearing and motor isolation here
and the built-in precision electronic speed control ensures you'll get more consistent
speed and this gives you the convenience of switching between 33 and 45 with the push of a
button i also like the fact that pro-ject throws in a great pair of interconnect cables that cost $69
if purchased separately now this beautiful and great sounding table gets eight finish
coats with a final hand polish and it comes in black white or a walnut veneer all right and
finally the last one on our list is another great pro-ject turntable this time it's the pro-ject rpm3
carbon turntable if you're looking for the perfect combination of style and substance the rpm3 carbon
could be the winner in this price category i mean just look at this table the design is minimal the
circumference of the round plinth is essentially just large enough to fit the record it's a slick
looking table and this one comes in black white or red the chassis is specifically designed for
low resonance with an inverted platter bearing and ceramic ball it features an ultra precision output
dc driven ac generator motor which basically means minimum amount of noise will be able to make its
way to the stylus the rpm3 carbon also comes with a heat treated tonearm and this is made
from a combination of carbon fiber aluminum and resin finally it comes with the semico bluepoint
ii moving coil cartridge alright now all of the turntables we've discussed here are manual
belt drive turntables they're all built with the goal of minimizing noise and resonance to give you
the very best possible listening experience for the money choosing your dream turntable really
does come down to personal preference so if you're still on the fence about a table that's best for
your needs head on over to audioadvice.com and chat live with one of our turntable experts they'll be
happy to help you out and we also have a great tips and tricks setup guide to send out when you
purchase from our website that gets you up and running fast so if you have any questions just
give us a call or stop into one of our raleigh or charlotte north carolina award-winning showrooms
and we'll be happy to help you find the perfect table for your record collection
or that special music lover in your life in the meantime thanks for watching this video and if
you've enjoyed watching it please be sure to give it a like and subscribe to our channel so
you never miss the latest home audio or home theater content and we'll see you next time