Preserve the sound of your vinyl forever, and take your record collection with you everywhere
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If you’re serious about sound quality, chances are you’ve got a growing record collection that you enjoy on a nice home audio system. But, vinyl has one drawback: it’s the least portable music format available, which means you can only listen to your LPs at home.
The best compromise is to get a USB turntable, which can be plugged into your computer, and allows you to digitize your vinyl. Digital versions of your records will not sound exactly the same as the actual album, but you’ll get the good (an analog source of an album you like) along with hiss, clicks, and pops, which you can clean up later if you like.
In most cases, USB turntables need to be connected to your machine with a cable, but some can digitize vinyl directly onto a flash drive. You can carry around the digital versions of your albums on a high-resolution music player, your phone, or listen to them on your computer.
One of the biggest benefits to using a USB turntable is making backups of your albums in case one gets damaged, or borrowed by a friend. At the very least, you’ll have a high-quality digital version of your favorite records you can listen to over and over without wearing out the grooves.
What Are the Best USB Turntables?
There are many factors to consider when choosing the best USB turntable for you; below are the most important ones, which we considered while we were researching this list.
Preamp: A preamp amplifies the sound coming from your turntable, so it’s easier to hear through a stereo receiver. All of the record players we’ve selected have a built-in preamp, which means you can connect them directly into your receiver, even if it doesn’t have a phono input.
You can also plug these record players into a pair of active (powered) speakers, and have a compact, high-end audio system.
Speed Controls: Every turntable in this guide can albums at 33/3RPM (rotations per minute) and 45RPM, so you can play full length albums and singles.
Upgradable Cartridge: We only chose record players that allow you to swap out their cartridge or needle, so you can upgrade your system over time, or replace them after years of use.
Automatic vs Manual: This guide features a mix of automatic and manual turntables. Automatic record players have physical buttons that will start your record player, and drop the needle on the right spot. Manual turntables require you to physically pick the needle up, and drop it on the record by yourself.
BEST OVERALL: Audio-Technica AT-LP60
Audio-Technica’s AT-LP60 is our top pick because of its convenience features, which add up to create a turntable that’s easy to use and sounds great.
Buttons along the front-side of the turntable allow you to raise and lower the needle, start or stop the platter from spinning, and change speeds from 33/3RPM and 45RPM. A lever on the top of the turntable lets you select whether you’re playing a 12-inch record or 7-inch single, which will determine where the needle falls when you hit the “Start” button.
The AT-LP60 comes with an Audio-Technica cartridge with a replaceable needle, but it doesn’t have a replaceable cartridge. Its body is made out of a die-cast aluminum, which the company says reduces distortion caused by vibrations.
If you’re new to digitizing vinyl, Audio-Technica includes recording software with this turntable, so you don’t have to get it yourself. The AT-LP60 is an all-in-one-box solution that reduces the pain points of playing and backing up records.
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