Guide to buying a turntable

Turntable Buyer’s Guide

Thinking about getting into vinyl but not sure where to begin?
With so many terms, components and connection options, starting your analogue journey can feel overwhelming. This guide is designed to simplify the process and help you understand the basics of building a turntable system.

Understanding the Phono Preamplifier

The first thing to understand is the phono preamplifier (also called a phono stage).

Every turntable setup requires a phono preamplifier somewhere in the system. A turntable naturally produces a very low-level signal, and the phono stage boosts this signal to a level your amplifier or speakers can properly use.

Depending on the system, the phono stage may be:

  • Built into the turntable

  • Built into the amplifier

  • Built into powered speakers

  • A separate external component

The important thing to remember is simple:  every vinyl system needs a phono stage somewhere in the signal chain.

Powered vs Passive Speakers

When researching turntables, you’ll often come across the terms powered and passive speakers.

Powered Speakers (Active Speakers)

Powered speakers have a built-in amplifier and connect directly to mains power. This means no separate amplifier is required. Many Bluetooth and wireless speakers also fall into this category.

Passive Speakers

Passive speakers do not contain an amplifier and therefore require an external amplifier or receiver to operate.

In general:

  • Powered speakers offer simplicity and convenience

  • Passive speaker systems offer greater flexibility and often higher overall performance

Bluetooth & Wireless Vinyl

Bluetooth has become a popular way to enjoy vinyl, allowing you to wirelessly connect your turntable to compatible speakers or headphones.

However, it’s important to understand that Bluetooth audio is compressed, meaning there is usually a small reduction in sound quality compared to a wired connection. For casual listening this may not matter, but for higher-end systems we generally recommend a wired setup where possible.

Some systems also support wireless audio over Wi-Fi, which avoids the compression associated with Bluetooth and can deliver significantly better sound quality. Wi-Fi-based systems are commonly used with platforms such as Sonos, Bluesound and HEOS, although they typically add additional cost to the system.

Interested in making your turntable wireless?

Contact our team on 1300 200 356 or email info@australiahifi.com.au for advice on the best solution for your setup.