VPI used to sell an all-in-one turntable called the Nomad, sporting a sturdy build, straight tonearm, built-in cartridge, phono amplifier and a headphone amplifier, for around £1,000. They didn’t sell it for too long, though, as its fair-to-middling sonic performance ensured it had only rather modest overall appeal.  That’s all about to change, though, with two brand-new and upgraded Nomads. Okay, VPI isn’t naming the … Continue reading Review: VPI Player Lifestyle Turntable With Phono Amplifier

Review: McIntosh MT5 High-end Audiophile Turntable. The second turntable in McIntosh’s range glows green like the rest of its products – Paul Rigby reviews the MT5… There’s a certain presence about the MT5 that oozes strength and mass. This is a turntable that looks solid – it appears strong, tough and meaty. In fact, while it resembles T+A’s G2000R turntable, the difference is that the MT5 … Continue reading McIntosh – MT5

Avid doesn’t ‘do budget’. Owner and designer of Avid, Conrad Mas has described the Ingenium as his “budget model” but, well, it isn’t, really. Not in the classic sense of the term. A turntable costing £250 is budget, not one priced at £1,500.  What the Ingenium can be successfully described as is the simplest distillation of the Avid turntable ethos. When he started his company, … Continue reading Avid – Ingenium

Paul Rigby reviews the T+A G2000 R turntable, a luxury, dream-machine version of an increasingly popular all-in-one design T+A G2000 R Price: £4,111: including an MC-2 cartridge, £5,205; PHE-G built-in phono stage (MM or MC), £545 Web: ta-hifi.de Kog Audio 024 7722 0650 Whenever I review a product, there are always a couple of impressions that hit me square in the face during the first … Continue reading T+A – G2000 R, with Clearaudio tonearm

A Funk Firm turntable that combines a relatively low price with technical innovation… Paul Rigby takes a closer look at the Gett! FUNK FIRM GETT! Price: £607 Web: thefunkfirm.co.uk 07846 798367 If you’ve been around hi-fi products and/or the hi-fi industry for a while, then you will likely know all about the famed Pink Triangle line of turntables. If there was one manufacturer’s product that … Continue reading Funk Firm – Gett!

Looking to buy your next turntable, but on a budget? Paul Rigby rounds up the Top 20 turntables under £500. Plus, we look at a few mid-priced gems, in case you find some small change down the back of the sofa… Some people go absolutely crazy about hi-fi. They spend every spare penny on shiny boxes with flashing lights and buttons. Most of us, though, … Continue reading Top 20 Decks Under £500

Paul Rigby gives this sub-budget turntable from a venerable hi-fi brand a full review, and experiences a feeling of déjà vu… AUDIO-TECHNICA AT-LP3 Price: £199 Web: eu.audio-technica.com When money is low and a turntable is in your sights, it might be tempting to plump for one of those shiny turntables you might see advertised in the Sunday supplements. Don’t do it – badly built turntables can … Continue reading Audio-Technica’s AT-LP3

Celebrating its 85th birthday, audio company Roberts releases only its second turntable – Paul Rigby reviews the RT100 Roberts. ROBERTS RT100  Price: £250 Web: http://www.robertsradio.com/uk Roberts has a deserved reputation for building and selling quality radios – from those early days, when their range was stuffed with valves, to its current line-up that boasts NFC connectivity, SD card slots, USB, streaming and more. Despite the … Continue reading Roberts – T100

Had enough of upgrading and want to go straight to the top? Paul Rigby reviews a truly high-end design, the Origin Live Sovereign Mk3… Turntable with 12″ mounting Price £6,090 Web http://www.originlive.com Call 02380 578877 The most notable aspect of this high-end turntable from UK manufacturer Origin Live is the price ratio of the individual components. Most companies commit around 80% of the fixed price … Continue reading Origin Live – Sovereign Mk3

If vinyl ripping is a big part of your analogue experience, then take a close look at this design. Paul Rigby reviews the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon RecordMaster HiRes… Fully featured vinyl-ripping turntable Price £549 Web http://www.henleydesigns.co.uk Call 01235 511 166 The notion of ‘ripping’ your vinyl to a digital file is becoming increasingly popular. Unless you’re in the habit of playing original master tapes via reel-to-reel, … Continue reading Pro-Ject – Debut Carbon