Automatic turntables

An automatic turntable starts a record at the press of a single button: the tonearm lifts by itself, moves over the record and lowers the stylus onto the start of the first track. When the side ends, the tonearm returns to its rest and the platter stops. That way the stylus doesn't keep circling in the run-out groove, and you don't have to stand next to the record player. Here you'll find fully automatic turntables from Audio-Technica, Thorens, Sony, Pro-Ject, Denver, Lenco and our own brand Renote, most of them with belt drive and a built-in phono preamp.

Automatic, semi-automatic or manual turntable?

With a manual turntable, you place the stylus on the record by hand and return the tonearm yourself at the end of the side. A semi-automatic turntable does only part of the work, usually lifting the tonearm at the end of the record. A fully automatic turntable handles both the start and the end on its own, which makes it a good fit for beginners, homes with kids and anyone who does something else while listening to music. This page only lists fully automatic models.

How do you connect an automatic turntable?

Most models here have a built-in phono preamp, so you can connect them with an RCA cable directly to active speakers or to a regular line input on your amplifier. You'll find suitable powered speakers among the record player speakers. More than half of the automatic turntables also have Bluetooth and can send the sound to a wireless speaker or headphones; more models with Bluetooth are among the turntables with Bluetooth. The Victrola VTA-72 has built-in speakers, so it plays without any extra equipment. Models with a USB output, such as the Audio-Technica AT-LP60X USB, let you record your vinyl to a computer.

What should you look for when choosing one?

• Drive: belt drive (Pro-Ject A1, Audio-Technica AT-LP3XBT, Lenco LBTA-165) dampens motor vibrations, while the direct drive in the Thorens TD 402 DD keeps the speed steady and gets the platter up to speed quickly.
• Cartridge: the most common one is the Audio-Technica AT-3600L, the Thorens TD 102 A and TD 402 DD have the AT-VM95E, and the Audio-Technica AT-LP3XBT has the AT-VM95C; the stylus on these can be replaced.
• Speeds: all models play at 33 ⅓ and 45 rpm, and the Pro-Ject A2, Denver VPL-130, VPL-230 and Victrola VTA-72 also play at 78 rpm for old shellac records.