I test hi-fi for a living and if you want a Black Friday turntable deal, these are the two beginner options I recommend

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The joy of decks on Black Friday

Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB on green TR background
(Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Black Friday is here, spinning around (move out of my way – I know you're feeling me 'cause you like it like this!) and if you're scanning the best Black Friday sales to get set up with an inexpensive new turntable ahead of the holiday season, I've got two options for you.

Turntable deals can be hit and miss during big sales events. Sometimes we see a cracking deal on a high-end model; sometimes it's a deceptively meagre discount on what is really an inexpensive record player to begin with.

The two I've seen (and like) are relatively inexpensive but great options for beginners and fledgling vinyl enthusiasts. First off, the Sony PS-LX310BT – it's a great little automatic turntable, launched in 2019 and with Bluetooth for sending your vinyl to your wireless headphones or Bluetooth speaker, say. Right now, you can get the Sony PS-LX310BT for $178 (was $249) at Amazon in the US; or the UK, you can get the Sony PS-LX310BT for £198.99 (was £249) at Currys.

I should say that it hits this price fairly regularly during peak sales events (it basically cost this amount originally, when it arrived in 2019, but its almost-instant and continued popularity drove prices up) – but it's still great value in today's climate, five years on.

And the other one? It's the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB. This is a deck I'd recommend for people who want something that feels like a second turntable rather than a first, with the option of USB output for ripping your vinyl albums for digital safekeeping, as well as Bluetooth support.

In our glowing 4.5-star review, we called it "An affordable turntable that makes playing records as painless as can be". Right now, you can snap up the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB for $299 (was $399) at Amazon in the US; in the UK, you can get the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB for £293 (was £339) at Amazon.

The two best Black Friday turntable deals, US

Sony PS-LX310BT
Sony PS-LX310BT: was $249 now $178 at Amazon

Released at CES 2019, this was the first deck I ever reviewed that let me send vinyl to my wireless headphones (and you can read that five-star Sony LS-PX310BT review I helped to write, for our sister site, What Hi-Fi? …and then come back here please). Setup is a breeze, truly, and it's a rock-solid entry-level deck. Owing to its popularity it actually increased in price following its release, so while it was once $148 (in September 2019) this is emphatically the cheapest it's been for a long old while. Recommended.

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Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB: was $399 now $299 at Amazon

This saving is actually $20 off the cheapest its ever been, but given its glowing 4.5-star review not long after its 2020 release date, I think it's still very good value in today's money. For your money, you're getting aptX Bluetooth streaming and an integrated phono stage, detailed and easygoing sound, plus it'll make digital copies of your vinyl via the USB output. It's a lot to love for the money…

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The two best Black Friday turntable deals, UK

Sony PS-LX310BT
Sony PS-LX310BT: was £249 now £198.99 at Amazon

An early Bluetooth turntable star, so good that it's still around and popular today – after all it got five stars in the review I helped to write for What Hi-Fi? It was originally around this price when it launched (in September 2019), but its official price rose to £269 owing to its popularity. This is back to the cheapest it's been, and in my opinion it's simply excellent value – and ideal for beginners.

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Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB
Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB: was £339.99 now £295 at Amazon

This deck brings convenience to the world’s most inconvenient audio format and it does it without reducing sound quality. At the same time, the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB manages to do it in style. It's not the most dynamic-sounding turntable around and the wireless performance can sound a little closed-in, but still, it's an awful lot of vinyl player for the money.

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More of the best Black Friday deals, US

More of the best Black Friday deals, UK

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Becky Scarrott
Becky Scarrott
Audio Editor

Becky became Audio Editor at TechRadar in 2024, but joined the team in 2022 as Senior Staff Writer, focusing on all things hi-fi. Before this, she spent three years at What Hi-Fi? testing and reviewing everything from wallet-friendly wireless earbuds to huge high-end sound systems. Prior to gaining her MA in Journalism in 2018, Becky freelanced as an arts critic alongside a 22-year career as a professional dancer and aerialist – any love of dance starts with a love of music. Becky has previously contributed to Stuff, FourFourTwo and The Stage. When not writing, she can still be found throwing shapes in a dance studio, these days with varying degrees of success.