Listening to vinyl isn’t as simple as asking Alexa to play a song or opening Spotify on your smartphone, and that’s part of the reason why people love it. The act of choosing a record, placing it and then dropping the stylus requires more attention. And as a result, you’re more likely to appreciate the music more. For those just starting out, building your own hi-fi system can be intimidating — we’re here to help.
Most entry-level hi-fi systems require more than just a turntable and a pair of speakers. In the past, most turntables needed a separate component, a phono preamp (or phono stage), to amplify the turntable’s normally weak signal. "Integrated turntables" or "all-in-one turntables" come with this equipment inside, so all you need are speakers to go with it.
There are trade-offs. Having multiple components in tight spaces risks adding extra noise and vibrations to the system, keeping all-in-ones from reaching the true pinnacle of quality that hardcore audiophiles tend to crave. Integrated preamps can also limit your ability to upgrade your system with aftermarket parts down the road unless your turntables explicitly support external preamps.
That said, the trade-offs are more than worth it for folks who are just getting into vinyl, so here are the best all-in-ones to help you start your journey.
Integrated or "All-in-One" Turntables?
For the sake of this article, we are using the terms "integrated turntables" and "all-in-one turntables" interchangeably — both refer to turntables with a built-in preamp. This eliminates the need to buy an external phono preamp and thus simplifies your system. However, it's important to note that you'll still need to two additional components to get your turntable system up and working: speakers and an amplifier.
If you have a turntable with a built-in preamp and are looking to complete the system, you basically have two options. You can get a pair of passive bookshelf speakers and an integrated amplifier. Or, if you're looking for a simpler solution, you could also get a powered speaker (like the Sonos Five) or a pair of powered speakers (like the Audioengine A2+), which combine the speaker and amplifier in one component.
We are not referring to true all-in-one turntables that have all the components (including the speakers, amplifier and preamp) because those tend to be cheap and not very good. With all the components squeezed into one turntable, they vibrate each other and that leads to distortion.
Today, with the popularity of vinyl skyrocketing, a turntable with a built-in preamp is seen as a starter kit for those getting into hi-fi and vinyl. They make listening to vinyl easier, but they also are pretty high-quality turntables.
What to Look For
Automatic or Manual: You can interact with a turntable in two main ways. A manual turntable requires you to drop the stylus on the record and then lift it up when the record is done. An automatic turntable does that work for you. Most vinyl enthusiasts prefer manual turntables as they are most nostalgic, and they say that dropping the stylus is part of the joy of playing vinyl.
Belt-drive or direct drive: There are two primary types of turntables: belt drive and direct drive. Direct-drive turntables have a motor that's positioned directly underneath the platter, which allows the turntable to start up quicker, but it also causes more vibrations. Belt-drive turntables have a motor that is located away from the platter. The motor is connected to a belt, which wraps around the platter, causing it to spin. The isolated motor and belt mean help belt-drive turntables create fewer vibrations, but they're a little slower to start up and more fragile. Most higher-end turntables are belt-driven.
Switchable preamp: All integrated or "all-in-one" turntables have built-in preamps by definition. This is required to prep the audio signal for the amplifier or powered speaker (which is just a speaker with a built-in amplifier). However, a lot of integrated turntables come with switchable preamps, meaning you can turn them off and use an external preamp (which is often higher quality) if you want to tinker and upgrade your hi-fi system over time. Most high-quality integrated turntables will have a switchable preamp.
The Best Integrated Turntables
Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
The Pro-Ject T1 Phono SB is one of the company's newest mid-range turntables. It's not quite as "audiophile-grade" as the Essential III (which Pro-Ject is phasing out), as the T1 has a lighter overall design (by about three pounds), a slightly lesser cartridge and fewer anti-vibration features. But the T1 separates itself by having a more striking design — thanks to a tempered glass platter — and a more affordable price tag. It's a great option for people who have a Sonos speaker with a line-in connection (like a Five or Play:5) and want to start playing vinyl.
(Note: The T1 can be purchased with or without a phono preamp, or with a Bluetooth transmitter.)
Fluance RT81
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
Fluance has always specialized in home theater systems and hi-fi speakers, but it wasn’t until 2016 that the Canadian-based audio company got into turntables when they introduced the Fluance RT81 and RT80. The RT81 is essentially an upgraded version of the RT80. It has the same built-in preamp (which can be switched on or off) but includes a rubber mat, a solid body plinth and an Audio Technica AT95 cartridge.
Rega Planar 1 Plus
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
Rega is a well-loved British audio company that has been making audiophile-approved turntables for over 40 years, and the Planar series of turntables are considered a benchmark for affordable high-end design. The Planar 1 Plus includes a Rega Carbon cartridge, an internal phono pre-amplifier based on their excellent FONO stage and RB-110 tonearm. It's one of the best-integrated turntables you can buy for under $1,000.
U-Turn Orbit Plus (w/ Preamp)
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
U-Turn is one of our favorite American hi-fi companies that makes beautiful handmade turntables in Massachusetts. The Orbit Plus is the company's mid-tier turntable that comes with a striking transparent platter, precision OA2 gimbal tonearm and an Ortofon OM5E cartridge. It's available in a number of fun colors (including violet and bright green) and can be configured with or without a preamp.
Audio-Technica AT-LP60X
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Automatic
- Switchable preamp: Yes
The Audio-Technica AT-LP60X is the company's most affordable entry-level turntable. It's an automatic turntable, so you don't have to worry about placing the stylus (which you may or may not like). And it comes with a switchable preamp and a replaceable stylus, so you can upgrade it down the road. It lacks USB and Bluetooth connections, so it's a fairly dimensional option. It also has a lightweight and aluminum design and isn't going to soak up vibrations like more expensive options. That said, if you're just getting into vinyl and want a cool-looking turntable that doesn't cost a lot, this is a solid option.
Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2
- Turntable: Direct drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
Released in 2022, the second-generation version — aka "V2" — of Cambridge Audio's Alva TT is even more of a high-end turntable than its predecessor. It's still a direct-drive turntable that combines a mostly aluminum build and premium components, but it's been upgraded in a few key ways. It has an improved tonearm that comes with a detachable headshell, which allows you to upgrade to a nicer phono cartridge later on if you choose to. It also now comes with a switchable phono stage which, again, gives you the option to upgrade later down the road. The key thing with the Alva TT V2 is that, like the original Alva TT, it supports both analog and wireless streaming. It's one of the few high-end turntables that supports high-resolution streaming (up to 24-bit/48kHz) over Bluetooth, meaning you can stream your vinyl to a compatible amp, wireless speaker or wireless headphones.
Technics SL-1500c
- Turntable: Direct drive
- Automatic or Manual: Semi-automatic
- Switchable preamp: Yes
The Technics SL-1500c is an audiophile-grade turntable that feels like a bargain. It shares a similar style as the company's much-loved SL-1200 line, headlined by its direct-drive design, die-cast aluminum platter and signature S-shaped tonearm. It's unique because it comes with a built-in phono preamp and comes decked out with an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. It's also a semi-automatic turntable, meaning it'll automatically turn off when the stylus gets to the end of the record, but you'll have to manually place the tonearm back when you're done.
Victrola Stream Carbon
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Semi-automatic
- Switchable preamp: No
The Victrola Stream Carbon is a unique turntable because it's meant to be integrated into an existing Sonos speaker system. It's the first turntable that can wirelessly stream vinyl to Sonos speakers without any extra components like an amp. You have to group it with your existing Sonos speakers in the Victrola app, and then every time you play a record, it will automatically stream on your Sonos speakers. The only downside is that the Stream Carbon requires you to use Victrola's app rather than being natively discoverable in the Sonos app — so setting it up isn't quite as straightforward as setting up a new Sonos speaker. As for the turntable itself, it's a semi-automatic belt-driven turntable that has a striking mostly-metal design and a large illuminated knob for adjusting volume.
Fluance RT80
- Turntable: Belt drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
The RT80 is the company’s most entry-level turntable. It still has a built-in phono preamp, so all you need is to connect it to a pair of powered bookshelf speakers. That said, it's essentially just a lower-end version of the company's RT81, with a hollow body plinth and an Audio Technica AT91 cartridge.
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB
- Turntable: Direct drive
- Automatic or Manual: Manual
- Switchable preamp: Yes
First things first: this is a USB turntable, meaning you can play and record records at the same time, which is a great way to turn your vinyl into digital music files, so you can listen to them without a turntable or record nearby. More importantly, the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB has a built-in phono preamp, so all you need is some passive or powered bookshelf speakers to hook up to it. The kicker is that, well, it's just a really cool-looking turntable.
More Hi-Fi Guides
- The Best Integrated Amplifiers
- The Best Phono Preamps to Upgrade Your New Turntable
- How to Set Up a Turntable System, 3 Ways
- The Best Turntable and Speaker Combos That Make Vinyl Easy
- 5 Affordable Turntables That Even Audiophiles Want
