How we test turntables

Subjective listening tests are carried out by a panel of five sound experts with varied ages and musical tastes. Each turntable is judged on the same set of speakers and against a reference turntable.

The tracks listened to include:

• Orchestral
• Jazz vocal
• Pop
• Rock
• Spoken word
• Pink noise

This portion of the test looks at the technical capabilities of the turntables. We test for wow, flutter, frequency response, and stylus pressure. We use standardised LP records for this test and a pressure gauge for the stylus.

Wow and flutter is pitch variation that can occur on a record. Frequency response is the range of sound frequency, and is measured using pink noise.

For this section we assess:

• Instruction and setup
  

• Using the turntable:

  • loading the vinyl
    
  • putting the tone arm onto the disc
    
  • adjusting volume controls (if applicable)
  • adjusting pitch controls
  • adjusting speed controls
  • setting tracking force
  • aligning the cartridge
  • control buttons
  • switching between different size records

• Maintenance:

  • Ease of cleaning the turntable
  • Ease of changing the cartridge
  • Ease of portability (if applicable)
  • Ease of calibrating platter speed

Ready to buy a turntable? Check out our buying guide to find out what to look for, or see the best turntables from our test.