To round things out, we also consulted parents. An informal poll told us that parents wanted an audio player that, first and foremost, kids could use themselves with minimal adult assistance and supervision. If there is anything we learned in our research, it's that parents are desperate for technology that they feel is safe and that doesn’t require a ton of setup, supervision, safety features, or troubleshooting. The Tester

Ultimately, new turntables are more advanced than older turntables, but it all comes down to your preferences. Are high-end turntables worth it?

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You want high-end styling and build: We like how this turntable looks, but it doesn't feel particularly luxe or well-built. Primarily a kids' music player, this device is a sturdy little beast and truly feels indestructible. Unlike all of the other kids' music players and kids' audio players tested, the Jooki does not have any pre-loaded content. Instead, it allows you to create and upload either Spotify or MP3 playlists to “tokens” or figurines. The figurines are geared towards little kids, while the tokens are great for older kids. We like that the tokens are compact and portable and resemble keychain tiles.

OK, there are issues with its rotational consistency and the construction of its tonearm (and its controls), and it leads to sound that's too weedy to be deeply satisfying. Connecting to a separate amp (using the built-in phono stage, or to your own phono stage, usefully) doesn't really improve things enough either.If you're willing to spend a little more, then the Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2 is our high-end option. This futuristic, fantastic-looking turntable brings you a balanced and insightful sound, as well as modern connectivity options. In contrast, the Fluance RT81 is a mid-range option with no-frills but a great sound for the price. Also worth considering is this: do you want to rip your vinyl to your digital library? If so, look for a turntable with a USB output and reliable software to get the job done. You want the ultimate audio experience: Sound is great here, but not perfect. For a more detailed, immersive experience you'll need to look elsewhere.

The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon is still one of the best entry-level hi-fi turntables you can buy, even though it has been usurped by the more recent model at the top of this list.While vinyl newcomers may cringe at the relatively high price here, we've tested it and can safely say it's actually an incredible bargain. Sound-staging is really impressive here, with recordings given plenty of elbow room for individual instruments to make their presence felt at all times. There’s depth and height to the Technics’ stage as well as width, and the sound is consistently compelling.The Denon DP-300F is a gorgeous turntable that sounds just as good as it looks. As we wrote in our review: "If all you want is to listen to your records and not have to worry about queueing, premature needle wear or digitizing your records, the Denon DP-300F should be at the top of your list. Its features get you listening to your vinyl records as soon as possible, instead of having to fiddle with complicated components and manual queueing." The best-sounding turntable is one you enjoy listening to. Some people prefer the rich, authentic quality of an older turntable. However, many of the newest turntables bring you that same sound, but with a bunch of new features and a more reliable experience. You're after bass: There's some good extension, but control and solidity aren't really up there with the best. It was a hard choice. Almost all of the players we tried had their own strengths but, the robust book library and dynamic usability of the Yoto Player

It sounds fantastic. It doesn’t matter the sort of music you like to listen to either, the Debut Carbon Evo laps it up. In our testing we noted that every circumstance delivers a detailed and revealing listen, able to focus on the minutiae even as it describes the complete picture completely convincingly. It has all the warmth and weight the vinyl format is famous for, but it doesn’t get bogged down – instead it simply motors along in the most natural way imaginable. But if by reliable you mean sheer toughness, then the Technics SL-1500C needs to under consideration, because it's built like musical tank. What makes a high-quality turntable? This futuristic-looking audio player was up against some seriously stiff competition. What set it apart as our must-have choice, however, was that it seems to do everything—and it does it well—and that it has the best selection of content of all the audio players we tested. You’ll also have to manually queue records, which isn’t a deal breaker by any means but may put off anyone looking for a fully automatic player. If that's you, the Denon DP-300F (also in this guide) is a great choice for a fully automated vinyl experience.One of the most vital things to look for when you’re shopping for a new vinyl player is how well damped it is.Damping is essentially the method by which manufacturers combat vibrations – whether internal or external. They do this through the use of different motor configurations, and through the use of various components.