I test hi-fi for a living and if you want a Black Friday turntable deal, these are the two beginner options I recommend

Black Friday is here, spinning around (move out of my way – I know you’re feeling me ’cause you like it like this!) and if you’re scanning the best Black Friday sales to get set up with an inexpensive new turntable ahead of the holiday season, I’ve got two options for you.

Turntable deals can be hit and miss during big sales events. Sometimes we see a cracking deal on a high-end model; sometimes it’s a deceptively meagre discount on what is really an inexpensive record player to begin with.

The two I’ve seen (and like) are relatively inexpensive but great options for beginners and fledgling vinyl enthusiasts. First off, the Sony PS-LX310BT – it’s a great little automatic turntable, launched in 2019 and with Bluetooth for sending your vinyl to your wireless headphones or Bluetooth speaker, say. Right now, you can get the Sony PS-LX310BT for $178 (was $249) at Amazon in the US; or the UK, you can get the Sony PS-LX310BT for £198.99 (was £249) at Currys.

I should say that it hits this price fairly regularly during peak sales events (it basically cost this amount originally, when it arrived in 2019, but its almost-instant and continued popularity drove prices up) – but it’s still great value in today’s climate, five years on.

And the other one? It’s the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB. This is a deck I’d recommend for people who want something that feels like a second turntable rather than a first, with the option of USB output for ripping your vinyl albums for digital safekeeping, as well as Bluetooth support.

In our glowing 4.5-star review, we called it “An affordable turntable that makes playing records as painless as can be”. Right now, you can snap up the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB for $299 (was $399) at Amazon in the US; in the UK, you can get the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB for £293 (was £339) at Amazon.

The two best Black Friday turntable deals, US

The two best Black Friday turntable deals, UK