Record player us, MeFi!

August 7, 2020 1:58 AM

All my husband wants for his 40th is to finally have a record player. I've thoroughly consulted Wirecutter, but we have some snowflakey factors that are making it hard to figure out what our setup should be. Details below the fold.

The biggest complicating factor for us is where to put the damned thing. Our living room would be ideal, but the most obvious place to put it would be our built in shelves, but they're only 28cm deep, so probably wouldn't accommodate a standard turntable. I'm assuming it would be, uhm, bad news if the turntable jutted out over the shelf by a few centimetres. I'm reluctant to buy a sideboard or similar, because we have a very active and grabby toddler, plus I don't want our living room to get too cluttered with furniture (we live in a London flat for reference).

We have shelves in our office, immediately next door, that would be perfect. In an ideal world, we'd set up the turntable (and amp? do we need an amp? I find amps so confusing) and output the sound to either bluetooth or wireless speakers in the living room. Is this a terrible idea? If we do go this route, should we opt for bluetooth or wireless speakers? I hate hate hate the Sonos app but I could learn to live with it. Ideally, we'd also invest in speakers that work with the record player, but would also have Bluetooth so we could stream from our phones and computers.

We are NOT audiophiles. We're millennials who are used to streaming everything through Spotify, but my husband loves music, loves discovering new music, and already has quite a few records.

This is legitimately doing my head in, so I'll greatly appreciate any advice!

posted by nerdfish to Technology (16 answers total)

My suggestion, out of many you’re likely to get here: keep it simple.

Something like the Audio-Technica LP120X (it’s what I use) will have a built-in pre-amp so all you’ll need to do is hook up powered speakers (like the kind you’d use for a computer, with a subwoofer) but still gives the option to upgrade to a separate amp and speaker set-up should you want/need to.

The LP60 (not as ‘manual’ as the 120, but could be just right for your needs) also has a Bluetooth-ready model.

Decent ‘entry level’ turntables like these also won’t ruin the vinyl, and at least with the LP120 you can upgrade the stylus in the future.

Space-wise, most turntables will sit just right on top of a single IKEA KALLAX unit.
posted by macdara at 2:37 AM on August 7, 2020 [4 favorites]

Back in the stone age, there were 'components': receiver (which was radio and amp for tape and turntable), tape deck or turntable, speakers. Nowadays with all the newfangled Blue-tooth and ... stuff. You can skip right over all kinds of steps and just get a bluetooth turntable that'll connect with speakers.

There is almost infinite variety of set-ups to be had and for each set-up infinite opinions about which is best. So, really, you have to go check them out live and decide what sounds best for you.

As for installation, I attached a shelf to the wall (it's a solid masonry wall) on the advice of some forum. It hangs over the low book case where the 'receiver' which also hangs over is. On the book-case it jumped around too much. As I set it up, it is high enough to be out of reach of small kids and looks integrated with the bookcase.
posted by From Bklyn at 2:40 AM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]

We have a Sonos system (which we've had for a while) and my husband literally just bought a turntable for our anniversary present. This set up is somewhat contrary to what you are specifically asking for, but hopefully it gives you some leads because we have similar requirements - London flat with a toddler and my husband is a similar music demographic to yours.

We bought this Audio-Technica AT-LP60XUSB and it is plugged into the Sonos Play 5 (the old version that I don't think Sonos will be supporting going forward). hey do a bluetooth version as well but we got the USB to be able to use the Sonos we already had.

It is on a sideboard along with the Play 5, but we've also had this for ages. We also have been having issues with the Sonos app but still sticking with it because the benefits still outweigh any other systems.

I haven't had an issue with the toddler messing with it. She's not tall enough to see what's going on and the turntable lid is enough to deter her from it. I'm quite happy with the turntable, really easy to use and minimal design. We've used it almost everyday now!

(I'll direct my husband to this thread in case he has any other technical insights to share, he looked into this quite a bit. I just told him what color to get the turntable.)
posted by like_neon at 2:49 AM on August 7, 2020

Response by poster: Sorry to threadsit, but I'd really prefer to not add extra furniture or shelves to the living room, so I'd love to know if it's possible too have a turntable in a different room to the speakers.
posted by nerdfish at 3:07 AM on August 7, 2020

like_neon's husband here. Your situation sounds exactly like ours.
The main issue with using the turntable via Sonos is that you need a component with a line-in.

If you don't already have one you'll need to spend an extra £200-300 to get one. This means that the turntable needs to be close enough to be wired into that component, and then once its set up it could be in streamed to your other sonos components in other rooms.

The line-in will then show up as one of your sources in the Sonos app, so you can select to play the line-in source in another room (just like you can play the TV audio in another room if you have a soundbar).

You can also enable auto-play so that when the record starts playing it comes on a particular speaker without having to select it, which helps if you hate the Sonos app.

We have the old Play5 so have been able to use that rather than buying a new one. Downside of that is that the Play5 is end of life and Sonos are trying to push people away from it. But that's a whole other story.

If you are happy that you can plug the turntable into one of your existing components (or will buy a new one to plug it into) then you can choose a suitable turntable.
My research turned up the same options that macdara mentioned, and for ~£120 the Audio-Technica LP60 seems to do a good job as a starter. I can see me maybe wanting a 'better' one at some point in the future but this one definitely does the job.

Regarding having the turntable in a different room. Yes it can be done, but if you are using Sonos you either need a long enough line-in cable to reach the other room or a component in the same room and then play from that source in another room. My personal opinion would be that it misses a big part of the 'experience'. It's going to be a pain to have to go to another room at least every 20 mins to change sides.
posted by toamouse at 3:30 AM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]

Sorry if this seems like a derail (and ignore me if it's not applicable) but is this purchase decision being made with his input? ....because if I badly wanted a turntable setup and then somebody else picked out a system for me, I'd grin and bear it but would feel a badly let down in not making that sort of choice for myself.

I think you'll need a shelf about 40cm deep to allow room for the dust cover to tilt back. The same space above too. Maybe you could extend the shelf out by laying another piece of painted plywood on top of it and screwing it down?
posted by bonobothegreat at 3:58 AM on August 7, 2020 [9 favorites]

Part of the enjoyment of putting a record on is watching it spin as you listen to it. The other part is the analog nature of record players, which contributes to their “warmer” sound. By moving the turntable to another room, and relying on digital / wireless techniques for transmitting the audio, you miss out on most of the fun of having records vs a streaming experience.

We have a Audio Technica LP-120X connected to a stereo receiver. The receiver has both A and B speakers—the A speakers are next to the stereo, the B speakers are outside. So, with a receiver, you can certainly have speakers in a different location, but you’ll have to pull wires to the location where you want your speakers.

Honestly, I’d just look for a stereo cabinet, some furniture that integrates into your living space, or modifying the shelves to fit the turntable.
posted by vitout at 4:00 AM on August 7, 2020 [4 favorites]

At one point I had an Audio-Technica LP60. It was an older version from 2008 or so. It was really pretty poor from an audio point of view and felt very cheap and plastic. It was dead simple though and worked reliably. Maybe the newer editions are better, but I wouldn't buy one for any serious long term use.
posted by DarkForest at 4:05 AM on August 7, 2020

I'm assuming it would be, uhm, bad news if the turntable jutted out over the shelf by a few centimetres.

Yup. Vinyl records are a very physical medium, the turntable needs to be both level and stable.

if it's possible too have a turntable in a different room to the speakers.

In theory, yes, but it could get complicated. You say you usually listen to Spotify, but how do you listen to that? Do you already have some kind of home stereo setup for listening to music? Adding onto already existing gear might be easier than figuring this out from scratch.
posted by soundguy99 at 5:11 AM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]

In its simplest form, for a record player that is not in the same room (as the OP is requesting), here is all you need:

1. A record player that has Bluetooth built-in, many folks have already mentioned the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT.(Although, as you will see, i don't recommend that particular model)
2. A bluetooth speaker system. These range from an inexpensive soundbar ($60) to a $4000 set of wireless speakers.

In the above setup, no amp is required and you could put the record player wherever you wanted, as long as it was within range of the speakers.

There are a few things to consider before you dive into this system, as a few other folks have hinted at.

• The Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT runs for about $150. The bulk of that price is actually the bluetooth connectivity, the same player without Bluetooth is $99 so, yeah audio quality is not its strength, but it is fine for casual listening. It has some very convenient features such as being fully automatic. For a record player that's in another room, the automatic end in particular, is very convenient. All this means is when the record ends, the tonearm will automatically return to it's "home", on higher end turntables you have to manually move the tone arm back when the record is done, something not so easy if you have a sleeping toddler in your arms perhaps. :)
• You do want to think about upgradeability. Getting into vinyl records is a bit addictive because there are multiple ways to improve the audio once you get a taste. The AT-LP60 mentioned above is *not* upgradeable, the cartridge (which is what holds the stylus) is fixed, which means that unlike higher-end players you can't replace it with something better.

Now, having said all that, there are much better Bluetooth record players on the market than the AT-LP60BT. I respect the reviewers at WhatHiFi and here is a list of their favorite Bluetooth record players.


I would try to get one that can start out as a convenient wireless option and when (not if, but when) you folks decide to upgrade you won't be locked into a turntable that isn't upgradable or can connect well to a serious hi-fi system.
posted by jeremias at 5:30 AM on August 7, 2020 [3 favorites]

Cut a piece of finish plywood (nicer looking) the size of the unit. Make the corners curved. Attach it to a shelf with plenty of self-stick velcro, glue, or, the lazy ugly way, with a couple big clamps With small children in the house, shelving or any tall cupboard should be attached to the wall. I used small wedges at the bottom to secure bookshelves, not sure that's adequate. With a grabby toddler, zip ties can be used to secure stuff to cabinets sometimes.
posted by theora55 at 6:03 AM on August 7, 2020 [2 favorites]

I also have a cheap Auto-Technica turntable, it's perfectly fine. But I really want to second the following point, since I think it got a bit lost and also would not have been completely clear to me when I last year (also at a *cough* not dissimilar age) got my first turntable:

It's going to be a pain to have to go to another room at least every 20 mins to change sides.

It's not just a pain, it's going to be completely impractical to have a turntable in a different room from the speakers for this reason. My experience was that even though I intellectually understood how long a side was (really more like 15-20 minutes depending on the record), it still felt just absurdly quick as someone who grew up starting with CDs and then streaming, you're constantly getting up to change the side, and audio starts immediately when you do. It definitely can be part of the experience in a positive way, it helps you be engaged with the music; but could easily move to be just an annoyance -- if he's like most people our age I suspect after a few plays he just won't end up using the thing at all, if it's in another room. (Compounding this, most new records come with digital versions, so you often do have another way to play the same music that's not gonna make you stumble around every 15-20 minutes.)
posted by advil at 6:17 AM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]

Came back to 3rd the AT-LP60XT because of the auto return, which is rare in newer turntables. I purchased a ProJect a couple years ago and liked it fine but couldn't bear getting up every time the record ended. My boomer sensibilities require a quiet “chill out” period after every side.
posted by bonobothegreat at 7:21 AM on August 7, 2020

It's going to be a pain to have to go to another room at least every 20 mins to change sides.

This is what I was going to say too. If you've never had a turntable, you're likely underestimating how often you have to deal with it. Most albums are four-sided, meaning that they're split into two double-sided discs. So you're getting like four songs or so before it's time to get up and flip.
posted by Ragged Richard at 10:38 AM on August 7, 2020

To weigh in on the different room question -- I've had very good luck with Bluetooth through walls w/ recently Bluetooth devices. It's distance that's been the issue. So if you're just looking at the next room over, I'd guess you'd probably be in good shape. You might test it w/ devices you currently have first. Although that won't guarantee success, it will probably work.

That said, I'm with a few of the others above...I wouldn't like my turntable to be in a different room from where I'm listening, personally.
posted by nosila at 11:15 AM on August 7, 2020 [1 favorite]

Dropping in to say the AT-LP60 (in any variant, there are a few) is workable and a fine turntable (as in, it won't wreck your records like other cheaper turntables absolutely will), but really, if you're already spending that much, upgrading to the AT LP120X is much, much better. Sound quality is better, the build quality is better, the longevity is better...if you're doing it, I would get the 120; it's a direct knock off of the Technics SL1200, during a time when the technics was not in production. It is very good for the price point it sits at. I've owned both (was gifted the 60, purchased the 120 later), and the 120 is like, a great platform if your partner wants to start diving into vinyl and record players in general.

I agree with others that it doesn't sound like your current setup would be good for record playing; mostly separating storage from the player and rest of the stereo. I have a traditional record player/amp/speakers/record storage credenza thing in our living room; thats where I listen to most of my music. I kicked the old record player down to a little corner of our house where I listen to records on headphones. There's a minimal record player, preamp and headphone amp (this could easily be record player, preamp, powered speakers) where I'll take a few records to just listen to at a time. Setting up a secondary, intentional vinyl listening station can be nice if you have the room and think it'll be put to use.
posted by furnace.heart at 12:03 PM on August 7, 2020