Last year, two budget players received an Award from our magazine: the traditional RegaPlanar1 (RUB 31,200) and the Audio-Technica AT-LP5 (RUB 31,690) with a recording copy function. Both were worthy of the “My First Player” status – of course, for those who could afford them.
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Those with more modest budgets had to be content with Pro-Ject Elemental (RUB 12,000*, five stars) or Lenco L-85 (RUB 9,000*, four stars). Now the choice has become richer. The Audio-Technica AT-LP60-USB combines ease of use with clear, organized and balanced sound - and, like the aforementioned Audio-Technica and Lenco models, is capable of converting music from vinyl discs to digital files. And at the same time it costs no more than a pack of records.
Vinyl is always in fashion
History is spiraling and in our digital age, vinyl players, like tube amplifiers, are again extremely popular. Moreover, they are popular among music lovers who want to gain new experiences using time-tested technologies.
It is recommended that a novice music lover pick up a good set of entry-level equipment in order to understand for himself whether it is worth going further in his audiophile journey or is it time to stop and enjoy what he has already acquired. It is to attract young neophytes that Audio-Technica has released an inexpensive turntable AT-LP60BT.
Features of the Audio-Technica AT-LP60BT vinyl turntable:
- Built-in phono stage and Bluetooth transmitter;
- Electronic speed switching 33/45 revolutions;
- Fully automatic control;
- Built-in pickup with replaceable stylus;
What are the best USB record players?
Topping our list of the best USB turntables is the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB , thanks to its superior sound, wide range of features, and easy setup. Audio-Technica has also implemented several upgrades, including a new telephone preamp, tonearm, and low-torque motor. It also does a good job of digitizing your favorite recordings, depending on the genre. AT-LP60USB turntable is another solid option that offers similar performance and is currently the best budget turntable.
The Denon DP-450USB is a solid second on our list of the best USB players. This is a gorgeous turntable designed for home listening, providing adequate sound and having an automatic sensor that stops the turntable when the end of the record is reached. In fact, we consider it the best semi-automatic USB player for its price.
Third on our list of the best USB players is the Sony PS-LX310BT , a cheaper version of the widely popular Sony PS-HX500 that's just as dynamic and feature-rich. This player features cutting-edge features, superior sound, and can pair up to 8 devices via Bluetooth.
Scroll to the end for our full ranking of the best USB turntables!
1
The same sound of the record
Audio-Technica is not a reference company in the turntable market. However, it is the world's leading manufacturer of the most important component of turntables - the pickups.
The complete pickup in the AT-LP60BT model has a moving magnet design and has good electrical parameters. You cannot replace the head with a more advanced one yourself, but it has a removable needle, which will greatly facilitate its repair in the event of a breakdown.
One of the nice features of this entry-level turntable is the included dust cover. In fact, you don’t have to buy anything else at all, but bring home the AT-LP60BT, plug the speaker wire or your favorite headphones into the only 3.5 mm jack and listen to records.
Intelligent sound
The Boatman's Call album by Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds performs well overall, although the Audio-Technica's lack of density compared to the Lenco LP-85 is immediately noticeable. In the composition Into My Arms, Cave's husky baritone is conveyed in its entirety, the words are legible, and the piano accompaniment adds warmth to the lyrics. However, overall the sound lacks the fullness that we would like from it.
However, this is not the most serious drawback, especially since Audio-Technica compensates for the irresistible courage of its competitor with its accuracy and organization; thanks to them, its sound turns out to be noticeably more expressive.
The piano accents are properly emphasized, and the flow of the composition, built on percussion and vocals, seems more natural.
The AT-LP60-USB's discipline becomes even more of a benefit when we move on to "Lime Tree Arbor," as it ensures that every nuance of the soft brushed cymbals and soft bass notes underpinned by piano harmonies and soulful vocals is never missed.
There is enough space between the instruments for the sound to be spacious but coherent; In this price category, such a ratio cannot always be achieved.
In addition, it is noticeably cleaner than competitors. The player manages to extract a considerable amount of information from the grooves of the disc, and the required level of drive and energy creates a very pleasant sound character.
Recording music from a vinyl disc will not be a problem. Using the USB Type B port, files can be saved to a computer or laptop in WAV format at 16-bit/44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, and then processed as desired using the included Audacity program. These recordings have a similar sound quality to vinyl, but the overall quality is closer to Spotify streams than CD copies (which tend to be more clear, detailed, and dynamic).
Settings and features
Audio-Technica AT-LP60BT has a lever for switching rotation speeds from 33 to 45 rpm. There is also a vinyl disc diameter switch on the top panel (12 or 7 inches). This is necessary for the correct operation of the automatic turntable, which itself places the pickup needle at the beginning of the first composition recorded on the record.
The function of automatic installation and removal of the pickup helps to avoid scratching the record with the inexperienced movements of a novice music lover, because you need to lower the needle gently and carefully, and in any case, the electronics will do it better than you at first.
The AT-LP60BT is equipped with a built-in phono stage, which allows you to connect it to any amplifiers, active speakers or music centers with standard line inputs. However, if the user has an amplifier or receiver, to use it, the phono preamplifier in the player can be turned off using a special lever on the back wall of the device.
Sony PS-LX310BT
Entry-level vinyl record player with many features
8.7
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Turntable: belt driven Speeds: 33 and 45 rpm, electronic speed switching Phono stage: built-in Cartridge and cover: included Connectivity: USB Detonation level: 0.1% Disc material: aluminum Weight: 5.6 kg
pros
- Lively, pleasant sound
- Elegant, well thought out design
- Bluetooth connection
- Inexpensive
Minuses
- Not enough bass
The PS-LX310BT has many features and capabilities at a much lower price than the PS-HX500. In fact, this version has many of the same hallmarks as its premium sibling, including hi-fi sound and satisfying conversions, while also giving you the freedom to listen to music wirelessly via Bluetooth.
Many will also find the PS-LX310BT's design better and sleeker. All buttons are flush on the machine. Pressing the start button will automatically play the recordings. The integrated preamp connects to anything with an AUX audio input and allows you to choose between different gain options—low (-4dB), mid (0dB), and high (+6dB)—to vary the output signal.
The sound is interesting with rich mids and highs, although the bass won't be as strong as some other top USB players.
4
Why does a vinyl record player need Bluetooth?
The secret is simple: Audio-Technica AT-LP60BT is a unique model with the ability to connect wireless acoustics via a “bluetooth”.
To be honest, I can’t remember a single similar “turntable” model that would have the ability to wirelessly connect to acoustics or bluetooth headphones. And this is a definite plus - you can get rid of another wire and listen to music through good acoustics, or even any mobile Bluetooth speaker.
Pairing takes place literally in one click - there is a special pairing button on the player’s body, which you need to press for a few seconds for the player to switch to pairing mode. The acoustics and the device themselves find each other, connect and are ready to work together. This is truly a “wow” effect for a vinyl player.
Do it yourself
The Audio-Technica has a more subdued style compared to the bright colors of the Lenco and the eye-catching Crosley case. The silver or black plastic body sports a shiny finish; The straight tonearm and housing mounts give the impression of being twice as expensive.
The setup is a little more complicated than the other two test participants. It takes a little work to accurately install the cast aluminum platter and put the belt in place (the tonearm does not need adjustment) - but even the greenest beginner can do it. Those who appreciate the materiality of vinyl may even find it to be a plus.
Warm sound without wires
I listened to records wirelessly most of the time because it's really convenient. During the test, various Bluetooth speakers were tested.
The sound is transmitted without any delays or interruptions, the panorama is rich and, in general, the warmth and characteristic charm of vinyl sound is perfectly transmitted via Bluetooth. Even the crackles between tracks are audible, adding to the authenticity of the listening experience.
Old Joe Cocker, Sex Pistols and Bon Jovi once again incredibly pleased me with their compositions. There were no sound sags, confusion in instruments or lack of frequencies. The sound is quite spacious; For an entry-level turntable, you couldn't ask for anything better.
Pioneer PLX-500
Best Professional USB Player for DJs
8
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Turntable: direct drive Speeds: up to 78 rpm, manual speed switching Phono stage: built-in Cartridge and cover: included Connectivity: USB Weight: 10.7 kg
pros
- Full, pleasant sound
- Traditional control layout
- Tempo fader control
Minuses
- Produces bass response at high volumes
- Heavy
While the PLX-1000 remains an oldie but a goodie for aspiring DJs, the PLX-5000 is an upgraded home version that offers strong performance for those looking to replace their old Technics turntable.
The car has several notable features, many of which are conveniently located. Lead by a pitch fader to adjust the speed from +8% to -8%. DJs will find this clutch perfect for beatmatching and mixing. USB output means you can easily digitize recordings using Pioneer DJ Rekordbox software. It's also one of the few turntables available at 78 RPM; pressing 33 and 45 together achieves this.
Those looking to move this bad boy from their living room to their backyard may need some extra help as the turntable is quite heavy. You'll also need to be careful with volume levels, as playing music at maximum volume will cause an unpleasant bass response.
6
AT-LP60BT Specifications
- Type: belt drive, full automatic;
- Motor: DC, electronically controlled;
- Disc rotation speeds: 33 1/3, 45 rpm;
- Support plate: aluminum;
- Speed instability: less than 0.25%/3KHz;
- Signal to noise ratio: more than 50 dB;
- Output signal: Phono – 2.5 mV, Line – 150 mV;
- Phono gain: 36 dB, RIAA equalized;
- Pickup: AT3600L Dual Magnit;
- Bluetooth: Ver. 3.0, A2DP, SBC;
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 360 x 97 x 356 mm;
- Weight: 2.98 kg;
Bluetooth turntable Audio-Technica AT-LP60-XBT
If it seemed to you that this player has already been presented on our website, then you are absolutely right - we actually tested a “turntable” with Bluetooth from the budget segment of Audio-Technica, and even with a similar name. But now the popular model has undergone a redesign and received a new radio module, as evidenced by the XBT index.
It’s not for nothing that our editors once awarded the Audio-Technica “sixty” – a seemingly very affordable and in some cases even “children’s” Audio-Technica semi-automatic turntable – the “Good Purchase” prize. For all its simplicity, it was an example of an exceptionally competent approach to creating a thing that was designed to be extremely convenient to use and serve the mass (and often unprepared) buyer, very far from being an audiophile. This conclusion is confirmed by the fact that it was on the basis of the “sixty” that the company decided to release a whole range of functionally different players for beginning music lovers with different needs. Thus, to the basic model with a simple built-in phono stage, a version with a telephone amplifier (and headphones included) was later added. At the same time, two modifications were made for music lovers of the “digital generation” - one with a built-in ADC and USB output, and the second with a wireless interface. Probably, Audio-Technica could have limited itself to one advanced modification “for everyone”, so as not to inflate the range, but it chose a different direction, which made it possible to offer the AT-LP60 in varieties that are different in purpose, but not redundant in equipment, and thanks to this keep their prices at the most affordable level.
The audio path of this turntable begins with the already familiar ATN3600L MM pickup. The needle is a classic diamond, with a conical sharpening with a radius of 600 microns.
Our test subject today, for example, is already the sixth modification in the “sixty” family, and in fact is a restyled Bluetooth model, which we tested a little over a year ago. The fifth, by the way, was the AT-LP60-XUSB, which replaced the AT-LP60-USB. Her “table” has changed - it has lost the rounded edges and thickenings on the back. Cosmetic innovations also include new round control buttons on the front part, a differently designed felt mat on the support disk and a more impressive transparent cover.
All external differences between the previous AT-LP60-BT and the model with the “X” added to its name are in the same vein. But there are also internal ones, and quite significant ones at that. The audio path of this turntable begins with the already familiar ATN3600L MM pickup. The needle is classic - diamond, with a conical sharpening with a radius of 600 microns, a cantilever made of ABC plastic reinforced with carbon fiber. The phono stage is optimized for the characteristics of this particular head; the signal from it is fed to the digital section, which ends with a new Bluetooth module. The latter meets modern 5.0 specifications and provides transmission using the aptX codec. When using wireless headphones that support the appropriate standard (in the test we will listen through Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT), the broadcast quality, in theory, should increase significantly compared to the standard SBC codec or its Apple alternative AAC.
A miniature, low-noise motor and a main axle with a bearing, on which a relatively light metal disk is mounted, are mounted in a molded plastic case.
In the case when there is no external Bluetooth receiver, the signal from the player can also be received analogue - the output is a 3.5 mm jack, which switches from Phono mode (requires amplification and RIAA correction) to standard Line. The entire mechanical base of the player remained unchanged. A miniature, low-noise motor and a main axle with a bearing, on which a relatively light metal disk is mounted, are mounted in a molded plastic case. These two units are connected by a belt and a cunning gear pusher mechanism, which brings the tonearm to the lead-in track of the record and activates the microlift. This type of automation is very easy to use, although in order to work correctly with discs of a smaller format than 12-inch LPs, you must remember to put the selector on the right on the player table in the appropriate position before starting.
The tonearm itself is extremely simple, with a very light, shortened aluminum rod suspended on two axes in a rotating base. There is no need to adjust it - the height, the required clamping force (of course, for a standard pickup) and the amount of anti-skating are already built into the design itself. Before the first start, you just need to make sure that the head is purely geometrically parallel to the horizontal plane - small deviations can be corrected by delicately turning the pickup on the tonearm itself.
Last time, we noted the low level of rumble as an advantage of the player - the AT-LP60 mechanism produces barely audible sounds only when the tonearm is brought in and after the auto-stop is triggered, and at the moment of playback, almost no parasitic vibrations are transmitted to the stylus. The new model behaves exactly the same way. This is surprising, because the turntable is an even lighter structure without any significant vibration isolation, and its main bearing does not have any tricks. But, apparently, the drive is made with such high precision that there is no interference from the electric motor or rotation noise at the output. Or the engineers managed to so competently optimize the map of mechanical vibrations inside the “table” that all the resulting microvibrations “close” on themselves. However, the player is, of course, quite sensitive to external influences - it should be placed on the most rigid stand or shelf.
As a drawback of the previous model, we noted its sensitivity to interference from Bluetooth devices. Now this is gone. And at the same time, neither the background from the power supply nor the detonation, which at the stated value of 0.25% could be noticeable, are noticeable. We carried out our first listening sessions using a traditional analog connection, which suffers the most from all of the above, and now we can assure that the Audio-Technica turntable, in all “background” criteria, is no worse than devices of a much more serious class.
Everything is smooth, neat, textured and even has a pleasant plastic dynamics. The bass is a little simplified, but impulsive.
Now about the main thing – the sound. In the transparent audiophile path, of course, you can notice how, when playing at some frequencies, light “plastic” resonances and subtle low “metallic” shades (from a thin support disk) are mixed into the original sound. But the main thing is that there are no signs of any sound “defect”, characteristic of all simple turntables: noticeable distortions in any part of the spectrum, obvious deviations in the frequency response in the middle range, “jammed” or dried out bass, colored transmission of the ringing part... Everything is smooth , neat, textured and even with pleasant plastic dynamics. The bass is a little simplified, but impulsive. The middle is with a rich background of harmonics. The top has only light “silicon” shades. Even when playing tracks near the “apple” of the record, where the linear speed is greatly reduced, the degradation of sound clarity is minimal, which means that all the specific parameters of the head (compliance, weight, needle geometry, etc.) are extremely successful taken into account in the properties of the tonearm. Such a simple player, of course, will not be able to convey the analog magic of vinyl to the listener in all its nuances, but it will sufficiently show the advantages of records over any mp3.
Believe it or not, these advantages remain even when listening via Bluetooth! With its predecessor with the old module, the sound quality naturally deteriorated when connected wirelessly - caustic digital artifacts appeared in the purest tones, the bass became synthetic, and aggressive tones appeared in the upper band. With aptX there is none of this - at least in the headphones with which we listened to the device. Moreover, it seemed that via Bluetooth, analog recordings in headphones sounded more realistic and pleasant than from the analog output through speakers - due to a more distinct separation of channels at the edges of the stage, better imagery in the central part. Despite the crackling of dust particles and noise in the path, the musical picture turned out to be more organic and complete in comparison with the same recordings in the form of audio files played directly from a smartphone into the same headphones. In the second case, the sound simply did not engage.
Moreover, it seemed that it was via Bluetooth that analog recordings in headphones sounded more realistic and pleasant than from the analog output through speakers.
Finally, a few more thoughts on choosing headphones for such a turntable. We advise you to look towards those Bluetooth models that not only support aptX (this is a mandatory and even non-discussable condition), but also have a sufficient reserve of maximum power with a linear bass that is not accentuated at the lowest frequencies. The first is desirable for a very simple reason - with analog phonograms, the recording level is sometimes somewhat lower than the maximum permissible, so the volume reserve will certainly come in handy.
SYSTEM
- Wireless headphones Audio-Technica ATH-M50xBT
- Receiver TEAC Reference AG-H300 Mk III (modified)
- Speaker systems Castle Richmond Classic 3i (modified)
- Interconnect cables InAkustik Premium 3.5 Phone Cable
- acoustic Kimber Cable 12TC
Audio-Technica AT-LP60BT
Manufacturer: Audio-Technica Corporation (Japan)
www.audio-technica.ru/catalog/phono/turntable/at-lp60xbt
Control: fully automatic || Tonearm: straight || Drive type: belt || Motor: DC || Disk rotation speed: 33/45 rpm || Knock coefficient: less than 0.25% || Needle: ATN3600L (pressure force 2.5-3.5 grams) || Playback range: 20 – 20000 Hz || Signal to noise ratio: 50 dB || Channel Separation: 20 dB || Output: Phono/Line (switchable) || Output voltage: 2.5/150 mV (Phono/Line) || Wireless connection: Bluetooth 5.0 (A2DP profile, support for aptX, SBC codecs) || Player power supply: 220/240 V, 50/60 Hz || Power consumption: 1.5 W || Finish: black, white || Dimensions: 356 x 98 x 360 mm || Weight: 2.6 kg || Price: 18,990 rub.
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