Listening to vinyl isn’t as simple as asking Alexa to play a song or opening Spotify on your smartphone, and that’s part of the reason why people love it. The act of choosing a record, placing it and then dropping the stylus requires more attention. And as a result, you’re more likely to appreciate the music more. For those just starting out, building your own hi-fi system can be intimidating — we’re here to help.
Most entry-level hi-fi systems require more than just a turntable and a pair of speakers. In the past, most turntables needed a separate component, a phono preamp (or phono stage), to amplify the turntable’s normally weak signal. “Integrated turntables” or “all-in-one turntables” come with this equipment inside, so all you need are speakers to go with it.
There are trade-offs. Having multiple components in tight spaces risks adding extra noise and vibrations to the system, keeping all-in-ones from reaching the true pinnacle of quality that hardcore audiophiles tend to crave. Integrated preamps can also limit your ability to upgrade your system with aftermarket parts down the road unless your turntables explicitly support external preamps.
That said, the trade-offs are more than worth it for folks who are just getting into vinyl, so here are the best all-in-ones to help you start your journey.
Integrated or ‘All-in-One’ Turntables — Is There a Difference?
For the sake of this article, we’re using the terms “integrated turntables” and “all-in-one turntables” interchangeably — both refer to turntables with a built-in preamp. This eliminates the need to buy an external phono preamp and thus simplifies your system. However, it’s important to note that you’ll still need to two additional components to get your turntable system up and working: speakers and an amplifier.
