Audio Technica Turntables

Audio Technica turntables run from a battery-powered Bluetooth player you can take on a picnic to an acrylic belt drive with a moving coil cartridge already fitted. In between sit direct drive decks with USB and Bluetooth, and fully manual belt drives, several with a phono stage built in.

Direct drive: LP120X, LP120XBT and LP8X

The LP120X USB and LP120XBT USB are fully manual, with a DC servo direct-drive motor under a die-cast aluminium platter, designed for steady speed and quick starts. The LP120X USB plays 33-1/3, 45 and 78 RPM records.

The LP8X is direct drive but semi-automatic: it lifts the arm at the end of a side and stops the motor, handy if you tend to wander off mid-album. Its J-shaped aluminium tonearm takes its cue from classic Audio Technica models of the 1960s and '70s.

Belt drive: LP-W40WN, AT LPW50PB, LP7X, AT-LP7 and LPA2

A belt drive turns the platter through a belt, with the aim of keeping motor vibration away from the stylus. The LP-W40WN pairs an anti-resonance MDF plinth in a walnut finish with a straight carbon-fibre tonearm, and the AT LPW50PB uses a 30 mm MDF plinth in high-gloss piano black.

The LP7X steps up to a 40 mm MDF plinth and an acrylic platter that needs no mat, while the AT-LP7 has a metallic gimbal suspension and precision bearings. The LPA2 is the eye-catcher, with a transparent acrylic chassis and platter and a separate control unit to keep power supply noise away from the audio.

Phono stages, USB and Bluetooth

The AT LPW50PB, LP-W40WN and LP120X USB have selectable built-in phono preamps, so they work with a line input or an external stage. The LP7X and AT-LP7 have built-in stages that handle both moving magnet and moving coil cartridges. For recording vinyl to a computer, the LP120X USB has a USB output, and the LP120XBT USB adds Bluetooth alongside analogue and USB.

The LPA2's moving coil cartridge has a 0.35 mV output, so it needs a moving coil phono preamp or step-up transformer. Our phono preamplifiers are the place to start.

Cartridges and upgrade paths

Audio Technica made its name with phono cartridges from 1962. The AT-VM95E dual moving magnet cartridge comes fitted to the LP-W40WN, AT LPW50PB and LP120XBT USB, and the LP8X carries the AT-VM95E BK with an elliptical stylus. Any replacement stylus from the series fits, so a stylus upgrade doesn't mean a new cartridge.

The LP7X is built for swapping, with a removable headshell and a subcounterweight that takes cartridges up to 23.5 g. Browse our turntable cartridges when you're ready for a change.

Questions we get asked

Is the LP-W40WN fully manual?

Yes. The LP-W40WN (also written AT-LPW40WN) is a fully manual belt drive, so you lift and lower the arm yourself, and it plays 33-1/3 and 45 RPM. Its AC/DC conversion happens outside the chassis, designed to keep noise away from the signal.

What's the difference between the LP120X and LP120XBT?

Both are fully manual direct drive turntables with USB output. The LP120XBT USB adds Bluetooth for wireless speakers or headphones. The LP120X USB comes in black or silver.

What is the Audio Technica Sound Burger?

The Sound Burger AB-SB727 is a portable Bluetooth turntable, a modern take on the original, brought back for Audio Technica's 60th anniversary. It runs on a battery rated at 12 hours and plays 33-1/3 and 45 RPM records, so it suits parties, picnics and small spaces.

To compare an Audio Technica turntable with other makers, see all our turntables, our plug-and-play record players or the wider Audio Technica range. If you're torn between two decks, call the team or visit our Murarrie showroom in Brisbane to talk it through, and call or message first if you'd like a demo arranged.