The record player is more popular than ever before, and for good reason. An incredible amount has happened since the first record player, which was called the Phonograph and invented by Thomas Edison in 1877. Back then, the record player made a mechanical playback of a disc made of asbestos and shellac, and the sound went from the pickup out into a horn that acted as a speaker. Recording worked the other way around, with the music being picked up by the horn, which sent the music down to a cutting needle that made the grooves that would later be played back.

Fast forward to today, where record players sound better than ever, have become easier to get started with, and records are now made entirely of completely harmless vinyl. The playback of the groove is the same, but the movements of the pickup are now converted into electricity, which is generated in the pickup and sent on to an amplifier. This makes the sound reproduction so good that many perceive it as the very best.

You can start with a turntable for DKK 3,000 and get a really nice all-round sound reproduction, along with easy setup and simple operation. Some expensive turntables depend on you having experience and skill with setup, as they almost come as kits, where you then, with a headlamp, a wet newspaper, and a ruler, can make the adjustments yourself. But you can also choose a top turntable from one of the manufacturers that has the expertise and equipment to deliver the turntable adjusted exactly as it should be. The days when turntables were complicated are over.

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A turntable of good quality can deliver a sound you rarely hear from sources like streaming or CD. The turntable has a distinctly warm and analog sound, and that is why you will often find that your mind relaxes and you get a different and better experience of the music. The turntable is also a faithful and reliable player that does not depend on the internet, a Bluetooth connection, or other black magic that we have no control over. The turntable plays when you lower the cartridge onto the record, quite simply.

With a turntable, you can also dive into millions of LPs from back when music was in original master quality and not copied. The fact that LPs can be bought for modest amounts today, and that LPs are still being released, all helps make the turntable a modern and attractive way to reproduce music.

Finally, there is the concept of focus. Today we can both watch TV and listen to music through all kinds of streaming devices, and yet we do not really “hear” the music. It just plays in a constant stream, whether we are working out, cooking, or sleeping. The turntable, on the other hand, demands your attention, and just the fact that you have to find the record and put it on the turntable is often enough to bring you into a state of calm and focus that is necessary for you to get the full experience of what the musicians intended with the music.

You can get a perfectly decent turntable for 3,000 DKK, just as you can get turntables at absurd prices. Basically, the difference between cheap and expensive turntables should be that the more expensive they are, the more precise, quiet, and great-sounding they are. And precision is important when you are dealing with groove movements down to just a few thousandths of a millimeter.

You are free to choose between “plug and play” solutions, where the manufacturer has fitted the cartridge, or self-assembly solutions, where it is necessary to know what you are doing when the turntable is being set up. Get advice from us before you buy, so you get exactly the right match for your system and your needs.

Typically, it will have a better tonearm, better motor, better platter, and better plinth. Better means less play, less noise, and higher precision, all to read the record without affecting the sound with flaws such as distortion and poor speed stability. An expensive turntable is not necessarily better than a cheap one, which makes it wise to have them demonstrated in the shop. Within a brand, however, one must assume that the most expensive is the best.

A rule of thumb is that the more automation you get for a given price, the worse the sound will be compared with a manual turntable in the same price range.