When it comes to choosing one of the best turntables as a gift for the budding vinyl lover in your life, there is a lot to choose from. You can spend a little, or you can spend a lot – a lot. And you can never be sure you're getting the absolute best plate spinner for the money… unless you get here first.
You're probably already checking out our guides to the best Christmas sales in the US and Boxing Day sales in the UK (for more great holiday and Christmas gift ideas), but if you're in the market for a turntable, you've come to the right place the correct address. Here are the four decks I'm recommending this year – some of them are getting some decent discounts too.
My selection of the best turntables to give as a gift this year
The best turntable for most people
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo: Pro-Ject's most refined and improved debut yet
A quick look at our five-star Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo review may be all you need to know here, but if not, understand that this is one of the best turntables in the world right now. The carbon fiber tonearm comes with a very capable Ortofon (or Sumika) cartridge. A new motor design, single cushioned and adjustable feet and automatic speed change contribute endlessly to improved performance and improved ergonomics over Pro-Ject's previous model. A beautiful yet relatively affordable thing and a top choice for someone's main gift this year.
A chic and simple card game for beginners
Sony PS-LX310BT: A chic, simple deck for newbies
In just five minutes you can set up this little beauty and even have your vinyl streaming to your Bluetooth headphones. Released at CES 2019, this was the first deck I ever reviewed that let me send vinyl to my wireless headphones (and you can read that five-star Sony LS-PX310BT review I helped write for our sister site What Hi-Fi? Then come back here). The installation is really a piece of cake, and it is a rock-solid entry-level model. It's still a baby in vinyl years, but there have also been a few discounts lately.
A great turntable for a long lifespan
Denon DP-300F: a great turntable for a long lifespan
As we said in our very respectable four-star review of this friendly Denon deck: “If you're just starting out with a record collection and don't fancy a complicated turntable setup, the Denon DP-300F is an excellent choice.” Okay, you'll be a little You won't have to sacrifice sound quality for the convenience of features and setup, but you can always upgrade the pre-assembled cartridge as you become more confident, for a sound that better suits your musical tastes.
A sturdy step-up deck
Audio-Technica AT-LP5x: a winning step-up deck from a trusted name
Audio-Technica's beautiful direct drive deck is, as we said in our hands-on review of Audio-Technica AT-LP5x, a big step forward towards premium audio for those just leveling up in the world of vinyl fandom. A note about it: Due to its popularity, it is often low in stock at Amazon. Hopefully there's still one with your name on it – or the name of the vinyl lover in your life.
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The holiday offers are now live
More holiday sales, US
- Amazon: 70% off Kindle, TVs, tablets and clothing
- Apple: AirPods, Apple Watch and iPads from $79
- Adidas: 40% discount on running shoes and clothing
- Beauty: 51% discount on makeup, skin care and hair tools
- Best Buy: $800 off TVs, laptops and headphones
- Cheap TVs: Big screen 4K TVs starting at $269.99
- Christmas: 40% off decor, pajamas and trees
- Del: Inspiron and XPS laptops starting at $260
- DreamCloud: 40% discount on all mattresses
- Family pajamas: Christmas Pajamas starting at $12.99
- Gaming: console bundles starting at $289.99
- Lenovo: 76% discount on laptops, desktops and printers
- Lowe's: up to $800 off major appliances
- Nectar: mattress deals starting at $359
- Noordstrom: 40% discount on Nike, Levi's and UGG's
- Patagonia: sweaters starting at $64.99
- Samsung: $2,000 worth of TVs, phones and appliances
- Shopbop: 25% discount on the entire site with the code Holiday
- Goal: 40% discount on Christmas decorations, TVs and toys
- Toys: Disney, Barbie and Lego starting at $14.99
- Walmart: cheap TVs, air fryers, PS5 and toys
More sales during Christmas and early Boxing Day, UK
- Amazon: discounted Fire TV Sticks, Echo, vacuums, TVs and more
- Adidas: up to 50% discount on sneakers and clothing
- AO: more than 5,000 deals on appliances, laptops and TVs
- Argos: toys, games, jewelry, Christmas decorations for half price
- B&V: clearance deals on decorations, tools, radiators and more
- Boots: 20% discount on fragrances, gift sets, beauty and Dyson
- Box: 50% off laptops, TVs and gifts for gamers
- Car Phone Warehouse: cashback on SIM only, iPhone 14, Galaxy S22
- Curries: 40% off TVs, laptops, appliances and gaming accessories
- Dell: up to 45% discount on laptops, gaming laptops and desktops
- Disney: 50% discount on toys, fashion for children and adults, decorations
- Dyson: lowest price guarantee on vacuum cleaners and hair care
- Game: consoles, games and accessories from €4.99
- Ikea: up to 50% off furniture, storage and decorations
- John Lewis: up to 50% discount on fashion, home, lighting
- Lego: up to 30% off and popular sets from under £10
- Ninja: Save up to £50 on air fryers, processors and mixers
- Platoon: up to £300 off bikes, tread machines and subscriptions
- Roebuck: up to 50% discount on sportswear for men, children and women
- Samsung: up to £300 cashback on tablets, phones, laptops and TVs
- Shark: up to €160 discount on cordless vacuum cleaners
- Sonos: up to £150 off speakers, soundbars and audio
- Terribly: half price on fashion, appliances, toys and technology
- Virgin: broadband deals from £25 per month
- Honestly: offers on furniture, lighting and mattresses