New Turntables to Fit Any Budget

If you're looking for an entry-level deck, skip that cheapo Crosley unit in the store. Too many low-cost models use onboard speakers and counterweight-free tonearms, but Massachusetts startup U-Turn focuses on the basics: a smooth-sounding Audio-Technica cartridge paired with a dependable manual belt drive. uturnaudio.com                                     

The new redesign of this classic features a glass platter and improved output from a more precise tonearm and quieter motor. Familiar records sound fuller on it. turntablelab.com

The matte finish and minimalist design of Sony's latest midrange model hide a flashy feature: Connect a USB cable and use the included app to rip tracks from your vinyl in high-res digital audio (that way, you can listen to your lovingly worn-down copy of Blonde on Blonde on the go). As for turntable basics, the PS-HX500 has you covered there, too. The build is solid, and the sound is wide and dimensional, making this a great investment for audiophiles on a budget. sony.com

A true audiophile choice. The glossy carbon-fiber chassis would suit a Ferrari, but the material is more than decorative: It provides an ultrarigid platform, which, combined with a damped suspension system, isolates the tonearm from vibration. (Most turntables that do this look like wedding cakes compared with the low-slung EAT.) The result is unforced, perfectly natural sound; when spinning the Stones' "Tops," we could almost hear the air in Jimmy Miller’s drums. audioadvisor.com

Bring your dusty thrift-store vinyl back to life with a record-cleaning machine. 

The high price of new LPs – $30 for most major-label reissues – is making used vinyl an ever more attractive option. But what to do when that Buzzcocks first pressing you found is so dusty it looks as if it's been sitting on a windowsill since 1978? Buy it – then restore it to almost new with a record cleaner. As with anything in the hi-fi world, prices for cleaners vary wildly, but the Okki Nokki finds a happy medium and actually makes more financial sense the more you use it. It combines a rotating platter and a tonearm-like vacuum-cleaner tube that sucks up microscopic debris to remove clicks and pops and (as long as you're dealing with dust and not deep scratches) brings back lush analog greatness. okkinokkiusa.com