I recommend this turntable for vinyl beginners – and it’s still discounted after Cyber Monday

What’s the deal? 

The Audio-Technica AT-LP70X is $20 off as a lingering Cyber Monday deal at Best Buy, bringing the price down to $179. 

Also: The best Cyber Monday deals still live

ZDNET’s key takeaways:

• The Audio-Technica AT-LP70X retails for $199 and comes in stylish colors like black and silver, black and bronze, and white and silver.
• This entry-level turntable has an impressive sound thanks to its stylus, with excellent vibration isolation.
• However, it doesn’t have an adjustable counterweight or adjustable anti-skate.

When I first started my vinyl journey in 2013, all I had was a pink suitcase turntable that would eventually take its toll on some of my records. Over the years, I’ve upgraded my setup significantly, testing out dozens of turntables, and I’ve consistently been impressed with Audio-Technica.

Audio-Technica has been making high-quality audio equipment since 1962, and it just debuted a new turntable aimed at budding vinylphiles. The Audio-Technica AT-LP70X sits in between the infamous LP60X and the LP120X—both excellent turntables in their own right. However, I recently went hands-on with the LP70 and was utterly impressed. 

Also: Everything you need for vinyl setup

The Audio-Technica AT-LP70X comes in either standard or Bluetooth models — I tested the standard model. It has a built-in phono preamp so you can directly connect it to speakers if you want, a belt-drive design, a sturdy J-shaped tonearm, and the AT-VM95C phono cartridge, which Audio-Technica says can be switched out with other VM95 series styli (such as the AT-VMN95E and the AT-VM).

This conical stylus is good — almost too good for how cheap it is ($39). Conical means it has a spherical tip, and these styli are usually the most inexpensive and entry-level type of styli for turntables. Still, the AT-VM95C sounds just as good as the stylus I have on my personal turntable.

It produced a clear, room-filling sound with that signature subtle vinyl crackle, even with the oldest of my records, an original 1969 “Abbey Road”. For one of my newer records, Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department”, the AT-LP70X perfectly isolated the layered vocals on one of my favorite songs, “So Long, London”.

Sound aside, what impressed me the most was its vibration isolation, especially for its weight. When unboxing the turntable, you immediately notice how lightweight the turntable is, which — in the vinyl world — isn’t usually a good sign since the heavier the turntable, the better it will be at isolating vibration disturbances. 

However, the AT-LP70X is built with a three-piece, anti-resonance chassis that provides a solid foundation for dampening unwanted noise while improving sound quality. Even heavily tapping the chassis while a record was spinning didn’t interrupt the song for a single beat.

Also: The best Bluetooth turntables you can buy

Another feature beginning vinyl listeners will appreciate is auto-queuing, so you don’t have to worry about setting the delicate stylus down on your vinyl yourself. In addition, it has easy-to-use buttons right up front to start, stop, or change the record speed.

For all the good things this turntable has, it still has some things missing. For example, it doesn’t have an adjustable counterweight, which allows you to adjust the weight placed on the cartridge to reduce wear on your stylus. It’s also missing an adjustable anti-skate, which may not deter those new to vinyl, but audiophiles or experienced vinyl listeners will definitely miss both of these features.

ZDNET’s buying advice

I’ll be recommending the Audio-Technica AT-LP70X to friends and family looking to get into the vinyl world, whether they are buying their first turntable or upgrading to their second. I like this turntable’s lightweight and stylish design, but most importantly, I like its sound.

The AT-LP70X is a stylish upgrade from the entry-level AT-LP60X and costs just $50 more while also having a much better cartridge. Plus, you can upgrade this turntable as you become more experienced with better styli in the VM95 series line for even better tonal quality and lower surface noise.