Best Turntables Under 200 Dollars – The Ultimate Buying Guide

If you have about $200 left in your piggy bank, you might as well buy yourself a turntable. Jokes aside, if you are looking for a turntable at an affordable price, $200 is a decent amount of money to spend on one. The under $200 turntables have good features and are easy to use. Beginners who would like to learn the crafts of being a DJ could find them helpful due to this. Furthermore, their good sound quality makes them likeable to just about everyone interested in listening to music on a turntable. If you find any of this convenient, scroll down and find the best turntable under 200 for you.

1. Fluance RT80

Fluence RT80 Turntable, the Best Turntables Under $200With a great build quality, sound, and performance quality, the Fluance RT80 makes the top of our Best Turntables Under 200 dollars list. The turntable is a pretty solid, one and the outline of its components makes it pretty easy to use. It is a belt-drive turntable, and it comes with the nice AT91 needle to improve tracking and minimize distortion.

The needle gets along pretty well with the Fluance RT80’s S-shaped tonearm and its anti-skate system which furthermore improve the quality of sound. It’s quality is finally shaped with the Fluance RT80 high fidelity which makes sure the turntable sounds great. The result is a rich, powerful, clear sound that you will enjoy listening to while your record turntable plays at 33 1/3 or 45 RPM.

The Fluance RT80 is also equipped with an auto-stop feature, and the turntable stops on its own once the record has stopped playing.  The device comes with a built-in phono preamp and a felt mat for your records’ protection. There’s one big idea behind this turntable’s production—a turntable that enhances your joy when listening to its sounds and sticks around for many years. If you are interested in a turntable that offers the alike, the Fluance RT80 is available for purchase.

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Pros
  • When played, it produces a rich, open, and powerful sound
  • Made of strong components
  • An AT91 Audio Technica needle
  • Great overall performance

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Cons
  • Its built-in preamplifier is not the best one out there

 

2. House of Marley Stir It Up Turntable

Now, the House of Marley Stir It Up turntable really is something. For starters, it comes shipped in a recycled cardboard box which is how you know that something well-thought-out is going to come out of it. So, you set it up and take a look at it. Don’t you think that it is beautifully designed? That nice bamboo top, that gorgeous-looking tonearm, the turntable’s platter made from recycled aluminium, and that glittery mat—the Stir It Up really is breathtaking. Bravo to Rohan Marley for being so environmentally conscious with this turntable.

House of Marley turntables

Not only does it look nice—the Stir It Up also has some really good features. The turntable plays records in two speeds (33 and 45 RPM) and is belt drives. There are both RCA and USB outputs as well as a built-in headphone jack for the times when you want to relax and listen to some music.

The House of Marley Stir It Up offers a nice sound quality for an entry-level turntable with hints of distortion when played at higher volume. Its cartridge can be replaced which is nice since it opens possibilities for users to upgrade it and improve it. The turntable also conserves energy if left on, and it comes with a dust cover made from hemp and recyclable materials. If both the preservation of the environment and the nice quality are what you want in your turntable, the House of Marley Stir It Up is a serious option for you.

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Pros
  • Made from recycled materials to help protect the environment
  • Interesting design
  • Good sound quality

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Cons
  • No pitch controller
  • No strobe light

3. Stanton T.62

Stanton is one of the brands that are very famous for their turntables and the T.62 is surely worth buying.

Stanton T62 Photo turntablesThe Stanton T.62 is a direct drive turntable (rare for turntables under $200) with a slick design and some great features. Something that stands out about this turntable is its awesome sound quality. This is due to some nice s/n ratio used in the making of the T.62 and, of course, its straight tonearm and direct drive motor which make sure the record stays in position and plays nicely. The sound produced by the T.62 is rich and strong.

Being a professional turntable, the T.62 is primarily made for DJs. It might not have all those fancy ports like a USB one, but you can easily scratch on it while the audio is great. Its straight tonearm  improves tracking which is really helpful if you want to do some scratching.  The turntable plays at two speeds—33 1/3 and 45 rpm records, and it also comes with a nice cartridge (the 500.v3).

There’s also a pitch control fader and an option to use the T.62 in both the regular and the battle position. Furthermore, both the platter and the mat are of good quality and add to the overall performance of the turntable.  If you are a DJ looking to ‘wow’ people or enjoy DJing by yourself, the Stanton T.62 could easily fit into the picture. You can read our full review of the Stanton T.62 here.

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Pros
  • Amazing sound quality
  • A direct-drive motor
  • Equipped with the good 500.v3 cartridge
  • Very suitable for DJs

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Cons
  • It comes short on ports
  • The very-well-thought-out ones

4. Sony PS LX300

Sony PS LX300 turntablesThe Sony PS LX300 is pretty much the easiest turntable to use on the list due to several reasons. If this is your first turntable, you might find this one to be your favourite. Being fully automatic, you won’t bother to manually adjust its S-shaped tone arm’s position. So, just get your record, and let it play in one of the two speeds available on the turntable.

Sony PS LX300 also has a built-in phono preamp, and it comes with a cartridge. It is a well-balanced turntable with a belt motor and a heavy platter and mat designed to neutralize the belt vibrations.

What’s interesting about the Sony PS LX300 is that, as simple as it is, it has a good-quality USB features. One of these features is the Audio Studio software that, like the rest of the USB package, is easy to use for digitizing your vinyl recordings. So, if you’re thinking about making your life as a turntable user plain and simple, the Sony PS LX300 automatic turntable could be the real deal for you.

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Pros
  • Very easy to use
  • Good Audio Studio software
  • Built-in preamp
  • Built-in dust cover that can be removed

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Cons
  • Needle head cannot be replaced
  • The most flexible and adjustable ones

5. Crosley C100A-SI

Crosley C100A-SI turntablesYou know what they say – “beware of skipping tonearms.” Well, Crosley definitely paid attention to this advice when designing the Crosley C100A-SI turntable. Not only this turntable’s tonearm is S-shaped, but it also offers room for multiple adjustments. That being said, the tonearm comes with an adjustable counterweight, anti-skate adjustments, lockable rest, and hydraulic lift control. With a tonearm like this, you are sure to have those favorite vinyl records of yours for a long, long time.

Other than that, the Crosley C100A-SI is belt driven, has a built-in preamp, and plays at 33 1/3 and 45 RPM. Something interesting about this turntable is that it also has an adjustable pitch control that you can calibrate. Next, the turntable is made out of ABS impact-resistant plastic that guarantees the well-being of your turntable. Therefore, if you want an adjustable turntable that minds it own needle, think about how the Crosley C100A-SI would fit on your shelf.

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Pros
  • An all-adjustable S-bended tonearm
  • Built-in preamp
  • Pitch control
  • Made of ABS

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Cons
  • Produces a bit weaker bass

6. Music Hall USB1

Music hall USB turntablesThe Music hall USB1 is a turntable you won’t want to miss if you want to be able to adjust its performance to your preferences. First of all, the turntable offers you an Sshaped tonearm. The tonearm comes with a removable headshell and an anti-skate control. Second, its pitch controller allows you to alter the record’s pitch in the range of -/+ 10%.  Third, your records will be turning, and they’ll be turning good at the two speeds available—33 1/3  and 45 RPM. Now, add to that its USB functionality, and you’re ready to encode some mp3s.

Furthermore, the Music Hall USB1 offers you some nice sound quality. The sound quality is good due to the turntable’s neat balance between the sound, noise, and the distortion. Of course, the belt powering it is a very quiet one, so that certainly aids the Music Hall USB1’s audio. So, if you’re looking for a turntable that is very adjustable and lets your records sound good, make a place for the Music Hall USB1 in the ‘turntable section’ of your heart.

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Pros
  • A good-quality, natural sound
  • An S-shaped tonearm with adjustable elements
  • A quietly-working belt
  • Comes with an Audacity software

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Cons
  • Feedback can occur at high volume
  • The more-features-to-offer ones

7. Numark TTUSB

Numark TTUSB turntablesVisual people out there, you’ve got a hit with the Numark TTUSB  and its fancy design. Silver, shiny, and interestingly shaped, this turntable is a book you want to judge by both its cover and features. But since I did describe the design, and this turntable category is about the more ‘featury’ turntables, let’s talk features.

The Numark TTUSB comes with a S-shaped tonearm with adjustable skate-control to level up the sound quality. The pitch controller on the turntable allows you to do your thing with a record’s pitch as long as you alter it -/+ 10%. Also, if you’re into altering pitches, you might like to know that you can do this while your record spins in one of the three speeds available: 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM available via software.

The list of features doesn’t end here. Numark TTUSB keeps this list longer with its USB output, line level RCA outputs, and a built-in preamp. Again, the list keeps on going with the EZ Vinyl Converter software for putting your vinyl collection in iTunes. The cherry on top of the cake is the included Audacity software that basically polishes your records’ quality once they get digitized. Therefore, if you like having the advantage of more features on your turntable, the Numark TTUSB could be your cup of tea.

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Pros
  • A well-rounded turntable in general
  • Offers a lot of nice features
  • Plays in three speeds
  • Can be connected to computers with Windows and Mac

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Cons
  • The turntable comes without a dust cover

8. Victrola Nostalgic Aviator Wood 8-in-1 Turntable

Victrola Nostalgic Aviator turntablesNot only is it a vintage-looking turntable, but the Victrola Nostalgic Aviator Wood 8in1 turntable comes, as its name implies, with a lot of features. Let’s first mention the basics.

Of course, being vintage turntable, this Victrola makes everyone who wants a retro-looking turntable fall in love with it. You might also find it interesting to know that the turntable is made out of real wood.  Furthermore, the Victrola Nostalgic Aviator is a belt drive and offers you three record speeds: 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM.

Now, more about some more features the Victrola Nostalgic Aviator has to offer. Whoa, is this turntable a player!—if you know what I mean. If you don’t, however, know what I mean, I’ll list it for you: the turntable comes with a CD player, USB player, ‘and’ a cassette player. ‘And.’ Of course, it also comes with a FM radio, built-in speakers, a remote controller, a headphone jack, and a RCA output and cable. Furthermore, the turntable is also connectable to Bluetooth, so you can play music through any Bluetooth device.

Now, that’s a turntable you can’t fit in one pocket. If you want to have a a-lot-in-one turntable close to you, consider buying yourself the Victrola Nostalgic Aviator Wood 8in1 Bluetooth Turntable.

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Pros
  • Offers a lot of features
  • Plays the records in three speeds
  • Also functions as a radio, CD player, and cassette player
  • Includes a remote control

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Cons
  • One cannot connect external speakers to the turntable
  • The nicest-sound-quality one

Best Turntables Under 200 Dollars Conclusion

Each of the turntables listed above is a story on its own. Designed to fit into the idea for what the best features of a turntable are, they make sure to tackle your preferences and the preferences of others interested in buying one. All the turntables have the basic features that almost every turntable in this price range has to offer. Aside from this,  the turntables on this list can easily be divided into a few categories when it comes to their overall construction and their special features.

New DJs who are after a turntable that’s easy to use or suitable for DJs will have a nice experience with some of this turntables. Whether they want one that’s easy to use or one with more adjustable components to personalize the usage, there will be a turntable they’ll like. Of course, the sound quality and the number of features is important too, and some of the turntables’ primary focus is exactly on those two factors. Furthermore, I listed some overall nicely thought out turntables for the folks that like having a balanced and well-sounding turntable. If you are not a DJ, however, don’t worry—the review applies to you too, so go ahead and pick the turntable you like the most.

Ultimately, whether you are a DJ or not, it all goes down to your preferences and interests. Thank you for reading this review, and I hope it was helpful.

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