A turntable costs from about $100 for a portable scratch deck to more than $4,000 for an audiophile record player. On October 31, 2026, Thomann had 50 turntables in stock: half cost less than $668, and only three cost less than $300. Thomann doesn't sell the $70 suitcase players you see elsewhere; it sells hi-fi brands like Pro-Ject and Thorens and DJ brands like Reloop and Technics.
Two kinds of turntable
| For listening | For DJing | |
|---|---|---|
| Drive | Mostly belt | Direct drive |
| What matters | Low noise, a good cartridge | Torque, pitch control, sturdy build |
| Usual extras | Built-in phono preamp, auto stop | Pitch range up to ±50%, reverse |
| Brands at Thomann | Pro-Ject, Thorens, Dual | Reloop, Technics |
Of Thomann's 50 turntables, 30 are direct drive and 17 belt drive; 13 have a built-in phono preamp, 9 a USB output for digitising records and 4 Bluetooth.
Around $300: a record player for the living room
Pro-Ject Primary E Phono, $314
Plug-and-play: an Ortofon cartridge is fitted and the phono preamp is built in, so it connects to any powered speakers. #5 of 26 turntables.
Pro-Ject's RecordMaster II at $333 adds a USB output for transferring records to a computer.
$500 to $750: DJ turntables
Reloop RP 7000 MK2, $652
A direct-drive DJ turntable with an S-shaped tonearm and pitch up to ±50%, the highest-ranked turntable we track. #1 of 26 turntables.
The Reloop RP 5000 MK4 at $490 is the cheaper quartz direct-drive option, with reverse play and three pitch ranges.
Around $1,100: the Technics
Technics SL-1200MK7, $1,124
The current version of the turntable clubs have used for decades: die-cast aluminium, adjustable start and brake torque, reverse play. #3 of 26 turntables.
You pay for the name and for build quality meant to last in a club. A pair in a mix set costs $2,390.
Above $800: audiophile record players
Thorens covers the high end, from the direct-drive TD 402 DD at $848, with a built-in phono preamp and auto-stop, to the TD 1601 at $4,467.
The extras to budget for
- Phono preamp: a turntable's signal is far too quiet for normal inputs. If it isn't built in, add one; Thomann has 12, from $16.
- Speakers or a mixer: powered speakers for listening, a DJ mixer for two decks.
- Cartridge and stylus: many turntables include one; DJs replace styluses regularly.
- For DJing: two turntables, a mixer and headphones, so roughly three times the price of one deck.
Where the numbers come from. Every turntable Thomann had in stock on October 31, 2026, from its partner feed. Drive types and features are counted from Thomann's product descriptions. Prices are Thomann's US-dollar prices.
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Denis Kataev runs AudioFu. Every night the site records the prices of more than 38,000 instruments and studio tools at Thomann, and he writes about what those numbers show: what got cheaper, what just arrived, and which discounts are real.
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