BEST Turntable Under $100: Record Player Review

After doing research, I am confident in saying that the Heyday turntable is the best bang for your buck starter record player under $100 -- it has all the features you need, and while it isn't high quality, it is the best way to get into the hobby and see if it's something you want to explore more deeply.

In this video I give my thoughts on it, pros and cons. This is NOT a sponsored post. Even if you have a nicer turntable, this is great info to be able to share with your friends who may want to get into vinyl.

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♬ MY VINYL GEAR ♬

TURNTABLE: Clearaudio Concept

SPEAKERS: Fluance Signature Series Hi-Fi Three-Way Floorstanding Speakers

RECEIVER: Marantz PM7000N

TURNTABLE STAND: Linephono

♬ RECOMMENDED VINYL GEAR: ♬

Audio Technica AT-LP120 Turntable -

Pro-Ject - Debut Carbon DC Turntable -

Nagaoka MP-110 Cartridge

Polk Signature Audio S15 Speakers

Vinyl Styl 12" Outer Sleeves -

Vinyl Styl 7" Outer Sleeves -

Onkyo TX-8020 Stereo Receiver -

Hunt: EDA Mark 6 Carbon Fiber Record Brush -

IKEA Kallax Bookcase 2x4 -

IKEA Kallax Bookcase 4x4 -

IKEA Kallax Bookcase 2x2 -

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[vwestlife]

The problem with skipping on some modern, excessively bass-heavy records is caused by *tonearm resonance, * not the balance or anti-skating. If the tonearm's resonance frequency is too high, a strong bass note can shake it right out of the groove, like an opera singer shattering a wine glass with her voice. Audio-Technica specifically redesigned the tonearm in the new AT-LP60X to reduce its resonance and alleviate this problem. The tracking force and anti-skating remain the same as the original AT-LP60 because there was never anything wrong with that, even though it frequently and incorrectly gets the blame.

[ryanthelion]

My friend has this record player. I went over to his house and listened to some of our favorite albums together and it was life changing, it inspired me to start looking into a record player for Christmas.

[grnky]

Well said, this is the kind of things it helps whoever is trying to get into the hobby without breaking bank and still have the real deal with vinyl

[Skips]

Agree 100%, and it is the turntable I will recommend for people who want to get started in vinyl. I have a friend who has about 1200 records, and bought this turntable as a spare for his home office, and is 100% happy with it (his primary turntable is a LP120 with an Ortofon Red).

[cesarcamposmartinez]

Nice advice for people just entering this beautiful hobby. At the end, any component that helps to play music in a enjoyable way to the listener, then it should be a good component; as long as this turntable accomplishes that goal, people new to the hobby or people with limited budget should go for it.

[TheStorm]

Hi! The Crosley C6 is a strong build and you can adjust or upgrade almost everything. You can also do bluetooth. I have it & it and it works well. With a wooden plinth

[anaalvarez]

I love that shirt!!! My favorite Radiohead song is on that album 😍 Thanks for the info on the turntable

[jimbo]

I bought one in December when my Marantz table was in the shop. It sounds decent, has a counterweight and anti-skate. My main issue was with the springs in the feet. Just breathing heavy on it made the table bounce. I just replaced them with simple rubber feet and placed them on my vibra pods. Good deal for the price.

[zombiedrummerlife]

It is made in house by Target apparently. They also make a portable bluetooth speaker with the same name.

[drfoucault]

I have this turntable. No issues over the last year. Sounds great.

[scsclassics]

Bought a used in mint technics sl-1800 for 60 bucks . Best money spent and is still better then most newer turntables.

[derricka.]

It’s a shame Target doesn’t sell these anymore but luckily the Best Buy sells an Insignia branded turntable made by the same company.

[scottls]

I noticed you said this turntable had a few complaints that it was playing too fast but I am not sure how. I own this turntable and if you look at the bottom of the platter it has a cogwheel or sprocket attached to the bottom and when inverted the teeth of this cogwheel pass through a sensor on the plinth. The speed of the motor is then controlled electronically (not manually) to keep it right at 33.3 or 45 RPM. I have used my strobe disk and verified both speeds dead on, even if I lightly dragged a microfiber cloth on the platter to try to slow it down a bit. The manufactures own way to obtain a quartz lock on those speeds.

[johncontreras]

My cousin bought me one of those suitcase players you talked about. I enjoy it but I could go with something new-ish.

[vinylterry]

I heard about this deck previously and the general reviews seem pretty positive. If you can swing the extra $80 or so, a U-Turn Orbit basic is a nice option, but you'll have to consider the tonearm lever and amp situation. But for newbies on a tight budget, this seems like the best option at the $100 price point.

[milescory]

I’ve had a turntable for 2 years that was about $40. I collected a little amount of records only for artists that i loved. Then i upgraded to a LP120X a couple months ago and since then, I’ve been buying records left and right because it sounds so good.

[philiplee]

Nice video for anyone looking to get into the hobby. If anyone is watching this video to get started out... listen to this guy! He knows his stuff!
I'd never heard of this one, so I found it interesting that you can get a $100 turntable with a phono stage, counterweight, and antiskate.

[PuzzledOut]

Thanks Matt, I think this is helpful during these times are many people are trying to keep to a budget.

[adamkinowski]

Would love to try one of these in a shootout using the same cartridge against some higher level units.

[cstinch]

Cool review - a TT with features like that for under $100. I would recommend that to a friend to buy for his daughters.