To your average person, a turntable is vastly outdated considering its minuscule amount of storage and lack of WiFi. On the other hand, audio enthusiasts still see the value in purchasing a vintage turntable, and you still get high-quality audio for a relatively small investment.

That being said, the market for used turntables can be a big garbage heap, and if you can’t get stuff in perfect condition, it usually isn’t worth your time. The vinyl records also have to be in good quality as it is a highly sensitive, analog storage medium.

Construction Quality

How well a turntable is crafted is the first marker of its quality. The base and platter are the more important parts to look at, and one product could come in a variety of materials.

You can find turntables made with:

• Steel: Has more vibration resistance and better longevity. This is more common in older turntables.
• Plastic: Worse vibration resistance and more prone to crack. It’s more common with budget turntables made in the 1980s and beyond.
• Aluminum: This material is common in modern products or more high-end vintage models. It has great vibration resistance, lighter weight, and holds up over time.

Drive

Turntables come in belt-drive, direct drive, or idler-wheel drive, so that’s another factor to consider. In vintage products, idler-wheel drives were prone to wear out, so it should be avoided with used products.

A belt drive is like a motor engine, using an elastic band that spins the record. It is generally simplistic and easy to service by hand, so it would be a preferable way to go in terms of longevity.

Direct drives resemble modern turntables and usually have more advanced speed settings. These tables are desirable by professional DJs, although they tend to be more expensive, whether in modern or vintage models.

Automation

Fully manual turntables have better longevity and more control than a professional would desire. The arm may need occasional maintenance due to mileage, but it’s the better performer.

Having said that, are more convenient and perhaps more desirable for playing tracks in your home or business. It’s usually a motor-powered mechanism that moves around the arm, and later models may be computer-controlled.

Opting for a New Chinese Turntable

Just like everything else in existence, the Chinese market pumps out a lot of turntables and components that can be hard to resist. As you might imagine, quality levels are all over the place and it’s hard to judge whether a supplier is legit in the first place.

Since analog audio is a quite simple technology, it’s harder to mess up in comparison to something like a smartphone or laptop. While it’s more of an exception than the norm, you can still find really good turntables that are hundreds of dollars cheaper than the real thing.

Still, a good find at a garage sale can end up being cheaper than any Chinese brand while having better audio quality and/or longevity.