The 7 Best Vintage Record Players (2024)

Although we can reach almost any song through Spotify or Youtube today, the joy and warm feeling of putting on a nostalgic record and listening to the vintage sounds is unbeatable. If you like authentic feel and sound of vinyl, you might consider buying a vintage-style record player.

Finding an authentic vintage record player is highly challenging, and even if you do, they require high maintenance and a high budget; you can go for a hybrid vintage-style modern record player. These hybrid machines offer the look and feel of a vintage record player with great high-tech features like powerful motors, Bluetooth, high-quality needles, radio, and many more.

My top record player pick is the Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth, as it blends the vintage look with handy modern features for a budget-friendly price.

If you want something even more budget-friendly, you might consider buying the Wockoder Record Player, a highly portable suitcase-style record player with an excellent value for the price.

The 7 Best Vintage Record Players (2024)

1. Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth
Top Pick - More than a record player with feature-packed design and amazing vintage looks
2. Wockoder Record Player
Affordable Option - The reproduction of portable vintage suitcase-style record player with modern features
3. Fluance RT81 Elite
Great Sound, Beginner-Friendly - A great record player with a simplistic design and great sound quality
4. LuguLake Retro
Authentic Look, Great Sound - Unique handcrafted high-quality vintage phonograph with feature-packed design
5. Crosley CR6233D-RE
Portable, Good Speakers - A portable design with four attachable legs for a more decorative look and feel
6. Victrola 50's Retro
Versatile, Budget-Friendly - A feature-packed record player with a portable design
7. Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1
Premium Choice, Versatile - A premium-quality all-in-one player for vinyl records, CDs, and digital music files

Let’s compare these in more detail.

1. Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth

Top Pick
More than a record player with feature-packed design and amazing vintage looks.
View Price at Amazon

Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth is a beautiful-looking vintage-style record player and multimedia center. It is equipped with so many features such as Bluetooth connection, remote control, FM radio, CD and cassette player, and built-in speakers, making this device a versatile music machine.

Pros

  • Beautiful vintage looking-design
  • Feature-packed
  • Bluetooth connection and remote control
  • Recording feature
  • Can play different vinyl with 33 1/3, 45 & 78 RPM

Cons

  • The sound is a little bit thin with not a massive amount of low-end

The vintage turntable is equipped with a USB, Headphone port, and Aux-In jack for software, headphones, and external speakers connection. You can use the USB connection and the included software to record from vinyl to your computer.

It can play all vinyl types with its AC motor, working in 33 1/3, 45 & 78 RPM. Furthermore, the audio signal format is analog, offering a better sound quality than most while giving it a more authentic feel.

It is an impressive-looking music box made from mahogany wood. But of course, the wooden design makes it a bit heavy. Also, the built-in speakers’ sound is not the best, with a slightly thin sound lacking the low frequencies. 

Power SourceCorded Electric
Signal FormatAnalog
MaterialWood
Extra FeaturesFM Radio, USB, Cassette, CD Player, 3.5mm Aux-In, Headphone Jack, Built-In Speakers, Bluetooth

In short, Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth is one of the best vintage turntables and multimedia platforms in its price range. If you are looking for a feature-packed record player with many features and a fantastic look, this is the ideal choice.

2. Wockoder Record Player

Budget Pick
The reproduction of portable vintage suitcase-style record player with modern features.
View Price at Amazon

The suitcase-style record players were iconic in the 1950s and 1960s. Wockoder offers a superb reproduction of those record players with a great-looking design and modern touches that make this record player a great value for the offered price.

Pros

  • Portable design
  • Great vintage suitcase record player look
  • Bluetooth and a nice amount of connectivity options
  • Can play different vinyl with 33 1/3, 45 & 78 RPM

Cons

  • Not very loud
  • Needs to be protected well while carrying around

It comes in a beautiful blue or gray color that takes you back to the 50s, and the design is pretty lightweight, allowing you to carry it around easily. The record player, however, is delicate, so you will need to handle it with care.

With its direct-drive motor, it can play  7″, 10″ 12″ records at 33 1/3, 45 & 78 RPM. Plus, you can enjoy listening to your music on your smartphone or computer with a Bluetooth connection. 

The features of this record player are more than enough with Bluetooth connection, built-in speakers, USB port, headphone jack and 3.5 mm AUX-in, RCA line out ports, along with an SD card slot. With the USB connection, you can also record your vinyl to your computer, using extra software.

Power SourceCorded Electric
Signal FormatAnalog Digital
MaterialPlastic
Extra FeaturesBluetooth, USB, Built-In Speakers, Headphone Jack Output, 3.5mm AUX-in and RCA line out, SD card slot

Although the built-in speakers are not the best, you can connect external speakers to get over the problem. This is a great record player with so many values and great looks for the offered price.

3. Fluance RT81 Elite

Great Sound, Beginner-Friendly
A great record player with a simplistic design and great sound quality.
View Price at Amazon

Fluance RT81 Elite is a great record player that puts sound quality before modern features. Its high-quality construction and simple design allow this high-fidelity belt drive turntable to produce a great sound quality.

Pros

  • Great sound quality with high-quality Texas Instruments phono preamp
  • Simple design, easy to set up and use
  • MDF plinth and large isolating feet are great at isolating vibrations
  • Good color options

Cons

  • Not many features

One of the greatest aspects of this record player is its ease of use, thanks to the pre-fitted cartridge. The MDF plinth and large isolating feet, along with the heavy platter, do not let any vibrations mess with the sound, and the balanced aluminum S-Type tonearm does a great job providing a detailed sound along with the high-quality Texas Instruments pre-amp.

The record player comes in three different colors: piano black, white gloss, or natural walnut, along with a plastic dust cover to protect the motor and the inside parts.

Of course, this is a simplistic record player without modern features such as the USB interface or Bluetooth connection. There is the RCA line output for external speakers, and that’s it. Also, some users reported that the playback speed gets inconsistent after extended periods of use which may be a problem if you want to listen to music for hours.

Power SourceAC Power Adapter
Signal FormatAnalog
MaterialWood
Extra FeaturesRCA line outputs

Overall, Fluance RT81 Elite is a great record player for music fans who want to put their vinyl recordings in the attic to use with a simple yet great-sounding machine.

4. LuguLake Retro

Authentic Look, Great Sound
Unique handcrafted high-quality vintage phonograph with feature-packed design.
View Price at Amazon

LuguLake Retro is a handcrafted nostalgic gramophone with a copper flower-shaped horn. But, it does not end there as this phonograph has all the modern features you would need, such as Bluetooth and USB connection, dual 20 W built-in speakers, 3.5mm AUX-in, and FM radio.

Pros

  • Handcrafted unique design with brass emboss loudspeaker
  • Great sound quality with 2×20 W speakers
  • Feature-packed

Cons

  • No external speaker output

The gramophone comes with a copper brass horn with a 10W tweeter and a replaceable ruby stylus as well as dual speakers, providing a 360 degree multi-layered sound. It does not have an option for an external speaker connection, but you probably won’t need it.

The belt-driven turntable supports  7″, 10″, and 12″ recordings, and it has two playback speed options with 33 and 45 RPM. You can also connect your smart device or computer through Bluetooth or USB to use it for streaming your music.

Power SourceAC Power Adapter
Signal FormatDigital
MaterialWood
Extra FeaturesBluetooth, USB, Built-In Speakers, 3.5mm AUX-in, FM Radio

The only letdown of this device is the process of replacing the needle, in my opinion, as the screws are really tiny. Besides that, LuguLake Retro shines with its authentic look and great sound quality.

5. Crosley CR6233D-RE

Portable, Good Speakers
A portable design with four attachable legs for a more decorative look and feel.
View Price at Amazon

Crosley CR6233D-RE is a 1930’s wooden-box style record player with attachable four legs giving it a nice look as a decoration. Besides its aesthetic qualities, it also shines with its good built-in amp and speakers along with its portable design.

Pros

  • Good speakers
  • Compact and portable
  • Great retro look
  • High-quality magnet and needle

Cons

  • High-tracking force may damage vinyl

The Bermuda Dansette is equipped with Bluetooth and USB connection, 3.5mm AUX-in, RCA output, Headphones port to play your music from external devices. When it comes to vinyl recordings, it can play 3 speeds 33, 45, 78 with its high-quality belt-driven turntable and its high-quality magnet and needle.

The sound is quite loud, and the quality is good for the price range, but the tonearm has a high-tracking force that may damage your recordings. You have to adjust it skillfully to protect your precious collection.

Power SourceCorded Electric
Signal FormatAnalog
MaterialPlastic and Wood
Extra FeaturesBluetooth, USB, Built-In Stereo Speakers, 3.5mm AUX-in, RCA Line-out, Headphones port

Crosley CR6233D-RE Bermuda Dansette is a great-looking portable record player with a feature-packed and high-quality design.

6. Victrola 50's Retro

Versatile, Budget-Friendly
A feature-packed record player with a portable design.
View Price at Amazon

Victrola 50’s Retro is an affordable record player with a versatile feature-packed design that you can use as a multimedia center. It features Bluetooth, auxiliary input, and USB connection options to play your music, while the FM Radio and the CD player provide more versatility.

Pros

  • Feature-packed design
  • Different color options
  • Portable
  • Recording feature

Cons

  • Plastic construction
  • Quiet speakers

The AC motor runs in 3 different speeds 33 1/3, 45, 78 RPM, while the control panel looks nice with a LED-light screen to control the features.

The 1950’s style record player looks pretty good and comes in 4 different colors for different tastes.

The sound quality is quite decent, yet the built-in speakers are not loud enough for a medium-sized room. You can use an external speaker via the headphone port for a louder-sounding system. Another drawback is the plastic construction which makes the record player quite portable but fragile.

Power SourceCorded Electric
Signal FormatDigital
MaterialPlastic
Extra FeaturesBluetooth, USB, Built-In Speakers, 3.5mm AUX-in, Headphones port, FM Radio, CD player

In short, Victrola 50’s Retro shines with its feature-packed design, making it quite versatile. It is a great record player for any audiophile for the price offered.

7. Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1

Premium Choice, Versatile
A premium-quality all-in-one player for vinyl records, CDs, and digital music files.
View Price at Amazon

Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1 is a great record player that offers a variety of playback options with its CD player, Bluetooth, AUX, and USB connection to play digital music files and AM/FM radio. 

Pros

  • High-quality construction
  • Good sound quality with four speakers
  • Different color options
  • Onboard EQ
  • Recording feature

Cons

  • The speakers are not very loud
  • The recording quality of vinyl to MP3 is not the best

Electrohome has been producing unique audio equipment since 1907, and their experience is clearly felt in the construction of Kingston 7-in-1. It is equipped with a 3-speed belt-driven turntable, sapphire needle, and 4 high-performance speakers in a handcrafted wooden vintage-looking box.

You can also record your vinyl and CDs as MP3 files with a USB connection to your computer. But, the vinyl recording feature does not provide the best quality recordings.

It comes in 3 different colors with black, cherry, and walnut options with or without a stand. The only drawback is the speakers’ output capacity which is not really loud. So, an external speaker will come in handy.

Power SourceAC Power Adapter
Signal FormatAnalog
MaterialWood
Extra FeaturesBluetooth, Aux-in, AM/FM Radio, CD Player, USB, RCA line out, Headphone port

Suppose you are looking for a versatile, premium-quality record player with a vintage look. In that case, I highly recommend you to check out Electrohome Kingston 7-in-1, the all-in-one solution for playing music.

How do vintage record players work?

Vintage record players work by changing sound vibrations from vinyl into electrical signals. When a record spins, the stylus picks up the vibrations from the vinyl and sends them to the cartridge, where they are turned into electrical signals. Then, these signals go through the amp to get louder.

Do vintage record players sound good?

The sound quality of record players heavily depends on the brand, model, sound system, and general state of recordings. But, often, as maintenance is easier and technology is more advanced, modern record players sound better than vintage record players, providing noise and distortion-free sound.

Of course, there are vintage record players with high-quality parts that are maintained beautifully. Those provide a high-quality sound but compared to modern record players, the sound quality of vintage record players falls short, as they require more maintenance and are harder to handle.

The options on this list take the best parts of both worlds with the modern audio technology built inside vintage-looking players and systems.

What is the correct way to play and stop a record?

The correct way of playing a record is slowly lowering the tonearm to the spinning record with a steady hand to the desired track, marked with rings. To stop the track, you should lift the tonearm with the cueing lever while the record is still spinning.

Every time the stylus comes into contact with the records’ surface, it creates minor damage to the record. This is because of the material of the stylus, which is often made of diamond. So, using a steady hand and being extra careful, minimizing the contact as much as possible is vital to protect your vinyl recordings.

Are old vinyl records expensive?

Many factors determine the price of an old vinyl record, like the condition, the artist, the rareness of the record, the label design, and the artwork. The most crucial aspect here is the condition graded with letters, M being the best condition while P and F are the worst.

The grades from the best to worst are M (Mint), NM or M- (Near Mint), Very Good Plus (VG+), Very Good (VG), Good and Good Plus (G, G+), and Poor or Fair (P, F). I recommend you to go for at least VG+ grease records to have a pleasant listening experience.

The name of the artists and the rareness of the album are also important factors affecting the price, as the demand-amount ratio determines the price of any object. For example, the Abbey Road album of The Beatles is very famous among collectors, increasing the record price.

What to look for in a vintage record player?

When buying a vintage record player, the important things to consider are the cartridge, the playback speed options, the general quality, the price, and extra features.

Cartridge

The cartridge is one of the most critical elements of record players for sound quality. It is the part connected to the tonearm at the opposite end of the needle. 

This part is crucial because the sound vibrations are turned into electrical signals before getting amplified. Furthermore, it is where the stylus or needle is located, which takes the grooves of records. That is why a good record player must have a high-quality cartridge, tonearm, and stylus.

Playback Speed and Motor

Different size vinyl records require different spinning speeds to be played. If you want a versatile record player to play all types of vinyl records, you should go for a turntable that can spin in 33 1/3, 45, and 78 RPM to play 7”, 10”, and 12” vinyl records.

The motor is also important. There are two main types of drivers; belt-driven and direct-drive motors. Belt-driven motors are older technology and use a belt system to spin the vinyl. Direct drive motors have a standalone mechanism to spin the platter and are the high-tech and modern option. 

Quality

The general quality of construction is also vital to have a long-lasting good-quality record player. As always, plastic is the most fragile and less-quality option, while wood and aluminum are the high-quality choices.

Price

Price is another important consideration point as with any purchase. High-quality old record players are very expensive, while modern vintage-style record players have great value for affordable prices. And also offer much more features, higher versatility, and ease of use compared to old record players.

So if you are not a collector with a high budget, going for a vintage-style modern record player is the ideal choice.

Conclusion

There are great vintage-style record players on the market with excellent features and high technology. So, you can get your precious vinyl collection from the attic and start playing them with their warm feeling and nostalgic sound.

My top recommendation is the Victrola 8-in-1 Bluetooth, a great all-in-one record player with many handy features, great sound quality, and a killer look.

If you want something more budget-friendly, you can go for my budget pick, the Wockoder, which shines with the vintage-suitcase design, good quality sound, and performance for a price.

Berk Oztuna

Berk Oztuna

Berk Öztuna is a handpan player, percussionist, and guitarist. He has been playing multiple instruments over the last 10 years. He started his music career as a guitarist, playing with several bands before putting his main focus into playing the handpan.

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