There have been a lot of cases where their record players damage the discs. They’re fine if you’re wanting to play some old records you don’t really care about, but if you actually want to put some money into your collection or care about maintaining your LPs then you’ll want to invest in a decent record player.
Most quality record players won’t have speakers built into them and if you want a high quality sound then you’ll need to get one that works with a pre-amp. There are record players that have pre-amps built in, but they tend to output at a lower quality. This is the same for ones with Bluetooth available as there is an upper limit on the amount of data that can be transferred over Bluetooth. Though of course, most average listeners would be hard pressed to notice the difference between these different options.
If you’re just starting off, then I’d recommend checking out the Audio-Technica AT-LP60XBT. https://www.audio-technica.com/en-us/at-lp60xbt. It’s a great record player that you can pick up for roughly 220$ from places like Best Buy. If looks are also important, then I’d recommend checking with Urban Outfitters as they have a full white version for $260. That’s the version I actually have and it’s been a great investment!! Here’s the link if you’re interested: https://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shop/audio-technica-lp60x-bt-bluetooth-record-player2.
This turntable has a lot going for it!! It’s a great high quality intro record player for those who have a growing collection. While it won’t get you the highest sound quality out there like some of those $500-$1500 models, what it does output is really good for the price you’re paying!! It comes with a pre-amp and Bluetooth built in so you’ll be able to connect either normal speakers (via 3.5mm jack or what you would use for headphones) or Bluetooth headphones if you are not wanting to bother neighbors or don’t have the funds for new speakers. It can also connect with Bluetooth speakers if you’re wanting to use those instead of headphones and the amount of audio data it can provide doesn’t exceed the Bluetooth maximum by much so you’re not loosing out on a lot of sound quality when using BT. It even has the option to work with an analog pre-amp set up so if you’d like to invest more money into your set-up later on to get an even better sound then that option is still available to you.
More importantly, the AT-LP60XBT also has an automatic tone arm that’s really easy to use!! Just place the record on the player, press the start button and it set the arm and play it for you. When you’re done, you can either press the stop button and it will retract the arm or you can wait for the record to finish and it will automatically move back over.
You definitely don’t want to skimp out on your record player since cheaper ones can inflict lasting damage on your LPs. If you find another record player that you like, then I’d highly recommend using google to look for reviews on it to know if you’re getting a good deal.
Additionally, if you want to make sure your records last for a long time, then I’d recommend looking into a record cleaning kit. This one is great to start with and I use it daily so I’d highly recommend it!! https://www.amazon.com/Record-Cleaner-Kit-Complete-4/dp/B07DVSTBXM/ref=asc_df_B07DVSTBXM/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=459618435588&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=13516142078976960293&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9008885&hvtargid=pla-710237983086&psc=1
Generally, you’ll want to clean your record each time before you play it as it will make sure to get any debris or oils off the LP that might damage it. This article here will walk you through what you need to do to make sure those expensive VG soundtracks last you for a long time!! https://www.cambridgeaudio.com/usa/en/blog/how-take-care-your-vinyl-collection
Let me know if you have any questions and welcome to the gang!!
I used a record cleaning kit (this one). I guess theres always a chance that I cleaned it wrong but none of my other records (about a half dozen) have an issue except the second Flow State disc.
Though looking closely again at the discs, both looked warped so maybe thats an issue as well.