Awesome Turntables

Korg’s Handytraxx Tube turntable is designed to produce quality sound in a portable unit. It uses a triode vacuum tube to produce warm analog sounds and spins vinyl on a smooth and stable aluminum platter. It has built-in stereo speakers, phono and line-level outputs, and a USB port to digitize records. It can also run on battery power.

The 1970s gave the world some of its first electronic toys. Among them was the Panasonic Do-Re-Mi, a relatively rare gizmo that combined a small record player with a simple analog synthesizer. David Hilowitz got his hands on an as-is unit and spent some time restoring it. After getting it working, he took it for a spin and sampled its sounds for future use.

This blocky little record player is a fun addition to any LEGO collection. The 310-piece kit includes a brick-built LP record, a hinged lid, and a movable tonearm with a disproportionately large needle made from a LEGO animal claw. The limited-edition turntable will be available as a LEGO Insiders gift with a $250 purchase from 11.23 to 11.24.24.

We’d tell you the specs of the SL-1200M7B, but we all know what it’s all about. Technics teamed up with Lamborghini to create this slick-looking turntable. It comes with a Lambo badge slipmat and a vinyl record that contains engine growls of the supercar maker’s flagship models. The record is designed to look like a wheel from the Revuelto.

If you can believe it, Chrysler once made a car with a record player. But skipped records while driving meant it didn’t last long. Nik from Supercar Blondie brought back the idea. Only this time, he turned the oversized wheel on a Mercedes Brabus G-Wagon into the turntable and hung an arm and stylus out the window to play some Beethoven.

Compact discs use a laser to read data and convert that to music. Vinyl records, on the other hand, use a needle to pick up vibrations. Artist Tee Ken Ng used a laser pointer to do something else with a record, exposing a glow-in-the-dark record to laser light as it spun on a turntable. He made some more complicated patterns in this second video.

Scratching records on a turntable takes a bit of practice to even get the basics right. In this video from Wired, DJ Shortkut shows us just how far you can take the art of turntablism by gradually ramping up the difficulty level. He does a great job explaining each technique, so it serves as an excellent tutorial too.

Enjoy a complete vinyl listening experience with Mbeat’s turntable system. It has a solid metal platter with resonance damping and a factory-installed cartridge, comes with a pair of 18W speakers, and can also send music wirelessly via Bluetooth. Save 20% off the regular price in The Awesomer Shop.

If you place a billiard ball on a spinning turntable, you’d think it would quickly slide off its edge. But as science educator Steve Mould shows us, the ball hangs on much longer than you’d expect. The physics at work here are truly fascinating, especially given how other objects leave the surface so quickly.

In the 1980s, Audio-Technica sold a portable record player called the Sound Burger. Now it’s back, with Bluetooth connectivity and a USB-C charging port. It can play 33-1/3 and 45 RPM LPs and singles using a spring mechanism that maintains pressure between the stylus and the record. A 60th-anniversary limited edition.

This kit from Teenage Engineering and designer/musician Yuri Suzuki lets you create your own low-fi vinyl records. Once assembled, connect an audio source to its 3.5mm jack, place a 5″ vinyl blank on the turntable, and start it spinning to record monophonic sounds. Records 4 minutes a side @ 33 RPM or 3 minutes @ 45 RPM.

This adorable little turntable doesn’t play tiny vinyl records, but it does let you listen to music from your smartphone via its internal speaker and a Bluetooth wireless connection. It measures just 4″ L x 4″ W x 1.8″ H and comes in either white or yellow.

This unique turntable deftly blends modern and retro design. In addition to its belt-drive turntable, it has a built-in clock with a vintage Nixie tube display. It has a built-in speaker and supports 33, 44, and 78 record playback speeds. It’s also got an RCA output for connecting to an external amplifier and can be used as a Bluetooth speaker.

Author and audiophile Gideon Schwartz follows up the excellent Hi-Fi with a visual history of turntables and vinyl recordings. The 264-page hardcover includes hundreds of images of turntables, their stories, and the rise, fall, and rebirth of the medium.

We dig the trapezoidal 1950s styling of this retro record player. Like other Crosley turntables, it’s portable and has built-in speakers, but we think it looks best parked on its matching legs. It also doubles as a Bluetooth speaker and has an AUX input for connecting external audio sources.

Backing into traffic from a driveway or parking pad can be challenging and downright dangerous with fast-moving vehicles. Irish company Driveway Turntables solves this problem with their in-ground turntable system, which can automatically turn a car around, so it’s facing forward on your way out.