Spin to win

On the block, in the street, as it were, there are two questions that we get asked more than any other. The first is “should I buy a soundbar?’ – which requires a bit of questioning to clarify their intended use, before we generally answer ‘no’. The second question is “Can you recommend a turntable?” This also requires clarification, as surprisingly often people don’t realise that they will also require an amp and speakers, let alone a phono stage. But more often than not they mean a turntable under $1000, often well under $1000, and among our brief list of recommendations, we nearly always say “check out audio-technica’s range”.

That’s not only because audio-technica is hitting 50 years in the vinyl business (having begun as a maker of cartridges), but because audio-technica’s turntables perform remarkably well at whatever price you buy. As we write there are 10 models under $1000 on the Australian website, including direct drive and belt drive, decks that have phono stages built in, USB output, even Bluetooth.

Equipment

Currently at the top of that list is the A1-LPW50PB, available in Australia after