For ripping
Looking to convert all of your friends’ vinyl collections into MP3 files? The Crosley Revolution fits into a backpack, allowing you to make house calls, and it also comes with a headphone jack and a built-in speaker.
$150, amazon.com
Source: Popular Mechanics
For space-savers
The Ion IT27 mounts on a wall, so “screw the record in, then watch it spin like a musical clock.” The device has no output jack for higher-quality speakers, but it can run on batteries—an option that’s “better than ugly cords.”
$80, amazon.com
Source: Popular Mechanics
For DJs
“A tank-like build” and “perfectly balanced tone arm” make the Audio-Technica AT-LP1240-USB “a dance-floor workhorse.” It’s strictly for DJs, though, because keen ears will detect the rumble of the direct-drive motor.
$530, amazon.com
Source: Wired
For fledgling audiophiles
“Fidelity doesn’t get much better” in the mid-three-figure price range than with the Music Hall MMF-2.2. You’ll need a separate amplifier and speakers: The focus here is on the arm, the bearing, and the motor.
$499, amazon.com
Source: PasteMagazine.com
For true believers
The idea of flooding the record’s groove with a viscous liquid “might sound totally bizarre,” but the Townshend Audio Rock 7 is just continuing a 30-year legacy of using technology to make every LP sound its best.
$3,200, ear-usa.com
Source: CNET.com
