Audio-Technica's affordable new turntable wants to get you hooked on vinyl

(Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Audio-Technica's AT-LP60XBT turntable is our current budget pick of the best turntables even though it's been around since God was in short pants, and now there's a new version: the AT-LP70XBT. The firm is pitching it as the perfect first turntable for vinyl newcomers, but says that it'll delight more experienced LP listeners too.

The AT-LP70XBT is a belt driven, fully automatic turntable with a switchable phono stage and built-in Bluetooth with aptX Adaptive for high-quality streaming to compatible headphones. The cartridge here is the AT-VM95C Integral Dual Moving Magnet cartridge, and it's compatible with any VM95 series replacement stylus.

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT: key features, price and availability

The belt-driven turntable has two speed settings, 45 rpm and 33⅓, and the J-shaped tonearm is designed to minimise tracking errors. The switchable pre-amp means you can use it with an amp or connect it directly to powered speakers via the included RCA cable.

The AT-VM95C cartridge is AT's entry-level cartridge and has attracted lots of positive reviews for its impressive all-round performance, and it's upgradeable to elliptical, micro linear or Shibata options. It replaces the ATN3600L you'll find in the LP60XBT.

The other big difference from the AT-LP60X is the chassis construction, which Audio-Technica says dampens resonance to deliver improved sound quality over its predecessor. The anti-resonance platter is made from die-cast aluminum and the AC adapter does its thing outside the chassis in order to reduce signal chain noise.

It's a good-looking deck, and as an AT turntable owner (I have the AT-LP120XUSB) I'm sure it'll deliver impressive sound for the price. However, that price is slightly higher than the LP60: where that model comes in at $149 / £179 / AU$299 the new AT-LP70XBT is $249 / £219 / AU$599.

There are three color options: Black Silver, Black Bronze and White Silver, and the two silver models will be available from early August 2024. The Black Bronze model will follow a few weeks later.

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.