Choosing a turntable is hard.

It’s hard because all turntables look alike.
Whether you’re a pro DJ or a beginner, you always want to have a good, reliable, and long-living deck. You have a budget, but you’re not sure if it might be enough.

How much is enough? The answer is simple! 👇

In this article, we’ll show you the best quality DJ turntables for any budget and quickly reveal what’s important and unique about every deck, and how to choose a DJ turntable. With a little bonus at the end, so read carefully!

Buying a turntable: 4 things to consider

• Direct or Belt Drive
  ‍If you’re planning to use your turntables for mixing and DJ performance, always look for a direct drive, not belt drive turntables. It is much harder to scratch or cue the belt drive turntables.
• Overall built quality
  ‍Go for a heavy, sturdy, well-built turntable, especially if you want to use it in live gigs and performances. A good quality turntable like the ones we have selected can last a few decades if they are properly maintained!
• Platter feeling
  ‍Even if they are direct drive and look the same, all decks have slightly different components and different motor settings. Therefore, it can influence your feel and the precision of your mix. Some decks with a very powerful motor torque will be more suitable for scratching, while others will allow a smoother track setting.
• Secondary Features
  ‍Keep in mind the secondary features that you might need in the future: platter reverse mode, the presence of ultra pitch, motor power adjustment, etc.

And without further ado, here’s a list of turntables that are perfectly adapted for DJing for every budget.

Entry budget turntables

The perfect turntables to begin your DJing journey.

Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB

This direct drive turntable is a very user-friendly choice and is extremely adjustable: sporting pitch control, personalized speed settings, and an automatic speed change function that detects the speed of your record and adjusts accordingly. Overall, it is a very good quality turntable and perfectly adapted for mixing and a very good value for money!

Reloop RP-2000 MK2

It’s a simple yet reliable turntable that has all the basic features needed. It is also very good to discover scratching but may have some limitations for more advanced scratchers.  The goal with this turntable was to give a rock-solid core performance, so the secondary features are on standby.

Mid-Range turntables

Advanced and solid decks with all features you need.

Reloop RP 7000

Feels like a good old Technics turntable with the 21st-century touch and features: with the reverse mode, personalized speed settings, etc. It is heavy, dependable, and sturdy, so is perfect to use in any club situation and heavy scratching. Also, there is the possibility to adjust the torque of the turntable, and is overall a very adaptable turntable for even the most demanding users.

Audio Technica AT-140XP

A great turntable for gigs, that includes quite professional features for a mid-entry price: anti-skating control, reverse spin mode, just to name a few. It is a professional, anti-resonance deck, that should uphold more advanced performances.

High-end turntables

Currently, the best turntables for professional DJs in the market.

Technics SL-1210MK7

A very solid turntable, where the isolation of the vibrations was an area worked on the most. This is a huge advantage for a DJ, as it won’t budge that easily. Even though this turntable has fewer secondary features than other turntables, it remains exceptional for its build quality and its unique motor which is an improved version of the legendary Technics SL-1200 MK2.

Pioneer DJ PLX-1000

With its very promising build quality that looks like it will hold up an infinite amount of sessions, this direct-drive turntable is definitely meant for scratching and club/gig use.

The tempo control is extremely responsive without any hitches or dead spots. A rather standard-looking turntable but of very good quality. It is ultra-precise for the mix and has a very good motor torque, which is ideal for scratching.

Still no match?

The great thing about the turntables is that they have a very long life expectancy, which means, that you can easily grab some second-hand turntables, and have a very long-lasting friendship! More so, in the world of second-hand turntables, there are some OG models that aren’t available in the market anymore, so this way, you’ll get an iconic model that will last a lifetime.

Below are examples of absolutely incredible decks still available on the second-hand market:

Vestax PDX2000

An absolutely amazing turntable from the legendary brand Vestax. Probably one of the best turntables ever designed for scratching. Even if it’s a challenge to find it decently priced, you won't be disappointed by this innovative turntable that is unlike any other!

Technics 1200 MK2

Universally acknowledged turntable that is definitely built to last. This legendary turntable offers a unique mixing feeling that has been appreciated by thousands of DJs for more than 20 years and has nothing to envy with the most recent turntable models. It has rock-solid speed and pitch stability, and if you manage to grab it second hand, it will definitely be a gold mine. Heavy and sturdy, it will remain rock steady even with the bounciest crowd.

So, if you’re considering grabbing a new turntable to expand your setup, we hope this article has given you a short overview of different types of decks for every budget. It of course comes down to what is it going to be used for and thus what type of features will you need.  
‍
And which turntable would you go for? Let’s continue the conversation in our comments section below!