How to Buy a Record Player

Determine why you are buying a turntable. Are you buying a turntable because you still have a huge collection of vinyl records that you just cant part with? Or, are you buying a record player because you want to become a club DJ? Buying a turntable for DJ scratching requires a different record player than one used for recreationally listening to a music collection.

Devise a budget. Once you figure out how much you have to spend, it narrows the field. Record players can cost as little as $50 and as much as $1,000 or more.

Decide whether your want to buy a manual or stackable record player. If you're going to listen to your music recreationally, you can stack several records on the record player spindle for continuous play. However, if you are going to pick and choose only one or two songs per record before playing the next, a manual record player is for you.

Know which types of vinyl records you plan to play. Records come in several speeds. The most common are 33 and 45 revolutions per minute, or RPM. However, the older records were produced in 78 RPM speeds and even older music in 16 RPM. If you have a very old collection, you need a record player to accommodate the older, less commonly used speeds.

Choose your favorite look. Record players come in all types of decorative styles that range from vintage to high tech. Determine where you can place your record player and how you want it to fit into the room's décor.