Top 5 budget turntables

Top 5... BUDGET TURNTABLES - Up to £500

There's nothing technical about this top 5 listing and I fully realise that there are loads that could have been here that aren't... but these are decks that I've bought, sometimes owned and sold over the years. They are all, in my humble opinion, great decks within their price range... for the reasons outlined below... Read on.

1. Rega Planar 2/3

If you are looking for an affordable turntable that is robust, reliable, in plentiful supply and sounds great, then the Rega Planar 2 or 3 would be my top choice. While you should avoid the early R200 tonearms (silver and s-shaped, which suffer anti skate adjustment failure), either a Planar 2 with RB250 or Planar 3 with an RB300 is a no brainer purchase to get you into 'proper' turntables. It may not be the very best sounding within our budget, but the Rega is incredibly reliable, extremely good for the money and it is so easy to live with. Expect to pay... Planar 2 from £150. Planar 3 from £250.

2. Thorens TD-160B

While the Thoren TD124 and TD125 are classics, it's the later TD160 that you can consistently pick up for sensible money. Usually you'll find yourself looking at the TD160B Mk2 as shown here. It may come with Thorens' own tonearm or an aftermarket one - here with a desirable SME 3009 S2 Improved. It's a highly capable turntable which can snick within our budget. Difficulty will be finding one where the SME hasn't been removed to sell separately, but worth it if you can. Expect to pay... around £500 with an SME arm included. As little as £150 without an arm.

3. Pro-Ject Debut

It would seem impossible not to include a turntable from the vast Pro-Ject back catalogue, and some represent remarkable value. The Debut has been made in various forms, and the photo here is of a Debut III. I'm not going to suggest it has the best build quality, but for an entry level turntable these will get your vinyl spinning nicely and sounding good too. Expect to pay... From £130 for a Debut III

4. Golding Lenco GL75

There is a vast following for the Goldring Lenco GL75. If you are after a 'classic' turntable, but with great support and parts supply, then this might be the place. Perhaps another reason to include it here, is there appears to be an increasingly large following for upgrading and modifying these decks, particularly in new plinths. Buy a standard original deck and you may need to do some service work (such as new 'V-blocks' in the tonearm), but if you are prepared to get handy with tools, you can be rewarded with a good turntable. Expect to pay... From £350 for a solid working deck

5. Technics SL-B2

There are a myriad of Technics decks that you can choose from, from basic entry level to top end and in my experience they are usually reliable and easy to service and maintain. Here I've plumped for the belt drive SL-B2 but in honesty I could have chosen from any number of entry level Technics decks, both belt and direct driven. If you are looking for a basic way back into vinyl, then a Technics deck will usually do you proud for not a lot of money. Expect to pay...From £65.