In this post I will go through a few price ranges, but all the turntables on this list are under $500 dollars. This is meant to help you pick a turntable that gives you the best bang for your buck in your desired price range. However, we do not discuss turntables under $250 in this post, as generally in this price range you are not getting a turntable that is NOT suitable for DJing. (The only caveat to this is our recommendations for portable turntables that are a great entry to learning how to scratch and are all under $200; you can read a full review of portable turntables here)

Some of these turntables I’ve reviewed further in depth in other posts on this blog. As I’ve said before, generally with turntables you get what you pay for, however some of the decks on this list are gems for the prices they are listed at. Because this site has a bias towards catering to the DJ community, all the turntables on this list have a direct drive motor.

Best Turntables Under $500 (Our Choices and Reviews)

Reloop RP-7000 MK2 : $499

Who is it for? : Professional DJ’s and Vinyl Listeners

I’ve reviewed this turntable and it’s upper end counterpart the RP-8000 on a post here.

It is in the top 5 of all my recommended turntables in any price range.

Pros:

Great looking turntable, with professional quality sound and performance

The housing is reinforced with a combination of metal, rubber and synthetic materials, proving very durable; and the surface is coated with a scratch-resistant finish

Extremely resistant to vibrations

Shock absorbing feet help further improve isolation

Newly improved S-shaped tone arm with hydraulic lift and anti-skating provides great stability and the adjustable height/vertical tracking angle further improves tracking.

Cons:

If you turn the power on/off knob “off” for slow down effect and you have the output set to “line” not “phono” you lose the music instantly. (Set to phono this doesn’t happen)

For price range does not come with cartridge set

Does not come with dust cover

Key Features:

Direct drive (quartz driven)

Starting torque: 2.8 – 4.5 kg/cm (adjustable)

Adjustable torque and adustable start/stop time (0.2 – 6 sec.)

Up to +/-50% pitch with clickless pitch control

S-shaped tonearm

Height-adjustable tonearm base

Speeds (RPM): 33 1/3 – 45 – 78

Reverse button

Quartzlock button

Overall Sentiment:

I love this turntable. It is built like a tank, is reliable, can be played in any environment and handle the heaviest of scratch hands and, on top of all, sounds great. It is jam packed with features and if you can get this turntable under $500 I think it is an incredible buy.

Check the price and availability of the Reloop RP-7000 MK2 here

Audio Technica AT-LP1240-USB Direct Drive DJ Turntable: $450

Who’s it for: Professional Level DJ’s and Vinyl Listeners

Part of the Super OEM family, this table is also featured on my top 10 overall turntables and at $450 these prove to be a huge bang for your buck.



Pros:

Built like a tank with incredibly solid and quality material

Comes with a Dust Cover, Slip mat and headshell.

Numerous features with the professional DJ in mind (can handle club environment)

USB port for easy conversion of vinyl to digital

Excellent professional sound quality

Cons:

The Cartridge/Stylus is not included with the AT-LP1240USB (installation is easy though and if you’re using as a DJ you would need a new stylus anyway)

Key Features:

Heavyweight turntables at about 27.6lbs each

Super OEM strong torque motor

Ability to play records in 33, 45, and 78 RPM and separate adjustable pitch range buttons (8%, 25%, 50%)

Rubber lower body for dampening and isolation purposes

Start & Stop speed adjustment knobs as well as a reverse play button,

Internal power grounding, rubber feet, replaceable pop-up light, and

Two start/stop buttons

Usb connectivity with audacity software included

S-shaped tonearm with adjustable tracking force

Overall Sentiment:

Super versatile turntable that is highly recommended for both DJs and audiophiles. It’s build and sound quality is up to par with more expensive models. At $450 this is a true professional DJ turntable that doesn’t leave much to be desired.

Check the price and availability of the Audio Technica AT-LP1240 USB here

Best Turntables Under $400 (Our Choices and Reviews)

Reloop RP-4000M: $350

Whos it for?: Beginner-Intermediate Level DJs and Vinyl Listeners

I am a huge fan of the Reloop RP series and this table is one of my favorite entry level turntables. The build quality and value is exceptional on this turntable.

It has a starting torque that is slightly higher than both the Technic SL-1200 for comparison, and while torque is not everything, the RP-4000 has all the same functions as their Technics counterparts.

Pros:

Torque for the price range (starting torque at 1.6 kgf/cm)

Quartz Lock and electronic brake

Functionality, hold speeds with a low wow/flutter of <0.2% WRMS

Build Quality

Cons:

Only has phono output

No adjustable torque like higher end models

Key Features:

Quarz-driven DJ turntable with high torque direct drive

Aluminium brushed finish and metal chassis and extra heavy construction

Shock absorbing feet

Speeds: 33 1/3, 45 and 78 RPM and includes a switch for forward and reverse mode

Pitch range +/- 10/20%

Statically balanced S-shaped pick-up arm

Quartz lock, electronic motor brake

Starting torque: 1.6 kg/cm

Includes cartridge, headshell & neoprene slipmat

Overall Sentiment:

For anyone looking at the RP-2000s, I HIGHLY recommend the RP-4000s over the RP-2000s and for only $50 more, you are getting a significantly better turntable. This turntable is for entry DJ’s and are more than equipped to handle advanced DJ hands and techniques. Generally speaking when buying a turntable the less you pay the more flimsy the table feels and this is definitely NOT the case with the RP-4000. The build is a huge asset in terms of dampening vibrations.

Check the price and availabilty of the Reloop RP-4000M Turntable here

Pioneer DJ PLX-500- $350

Who’s it for?: Beginner-Intermediate level DJs

The PLX-1000s were featured high on my list of the best DJ turntables. Fortunately for those who are a big fan of the PLX-1000s but don’t have the cash for those, you can get a downgraded version in the PLX-500.

The torque is definitely less with these than the 1000s but it can still provide a great starting point for mixing and scratching. These tables can actually handle a pretty heavy hand when it comes to scratching and on top of that these tables also look and sound great for the price.

Pros:

Built in usb port to convert vinyl to MP3s

Aesthetically beautiful comes in white or black finish

Good torque for price range

Comes with a Dust Cover

Cons:

Similar tonearm and motor as LP120 for slightly elevated price.

No quartz lock function

Hardwired RCA cables (if damaged they would have to be replaced)

Key Features:

S-shaped tonearm

direct drive with high torque

The pitch only adjust +/-8% but you will find various speeds (33-1/3, 45, and 78 rpm) to select.

The build quality is super solid and offers excellent vibration damping.

USB port (comes with rekordbox software)

Overall Sentiment:

Visually, this is a gorgeous piece of equipment and the white or black finish can add a sharp flare to any DJ setup. For the price you’re getting a pretty impressive motor and excellent tone arm quality. It is an exceptional turntable for DJ’s starting off, and may be used for professional gigs before making the transition to a higher end table.

Check the price and availability of the Pioneer DJ PLX-500 turntable here

Best Turntables Under $300 (Our Choices and Reviews)

Who is it for? : Professional Level DJ’s and Scratch DJ’s

I’ve recently had a revelation that this is probably the best bang for your buck period in any DJ product available. This has the same guts as many turtnables priced twice as much. It is a super-OEM turntable that for some reason is just priced lower.

The DJT-1300’s have adjustable pitch range control of 10, 20, and 50%. They also boast extremely impressive torque, just like all the other Super-OEM turntables mentioned on this site. They have the same motor and tonerarm assembly as the Reloop RP-6000, 7000 and 8000. The only gripe I have with this turntable is that you cannot adjust the start/stop speed. They have a shorter start/stop time than Technics. This is a very minor problem for this incredible turntable at a great price.

Key Features

Heavyweight turntables at about 22lbs each

Super OEM strong torque motor (Starting Torque More than 3.5kgf.cm)

Ability to play records in 33, 45, and 78 RPM and separate adjustable pitch range buttons (8%, 25%, 50%)

Rubber lower body for dampening and isolation purposes

Reverse play button,

Internal power grounding, rubber feet, replaceable pop-up light, and

Two start/stop buttons

Usb connectivity

S-shaped tonearm with adjustable tracking force

Overall Sentiment:

This is the best bang for your buck period. I recommend these over essentially any other turntable on this site if you are trying to save on money but not lose quality. The only issue is availability, I had a very difficult time getting my hands on these in the United States.

Check Availability of the Epsilon DJT-1300 Here

Audio-Technica AT-LP120-USB $299

Who is it for? : Entry Level DJ’s and Everyday Listening

I’ve been an Audio-Technica fan for years now, so if you’re familiar with their products you know that the brand does not disappoint.This one makes the list simply because it’s quality and excellent price point

Pros:

Looks almost identical to the good ol’ trusty 1200s.

it tracks great and is a very heavy duty build quality

This turtnable comes with a built in pre-amp and usb port. It also comes with Audacity software to which will enable you to rip Vinyl to Mp3

Cons:

Pre amp, even when not in use tends to darken or muddy up the overall sound or your records.

If you’re looking for an audiophile turntable…keep looking

Long-term users may run into trouble replacing the hard-wired RCA connections.

To improve the audio quality you may want to opt for a new cartridge, or if you’re djing with it you will need a new cartridge.

Key Features

Direct drive high-torque turntable (1.6 kgf/cm starting torque)

It supports records of up to 33-1/3,45 and 78 RPM.

Forward/reverse operation and variable pitch control with quartz speed lock (+/- 10% or +/- 20%)

Balanced S-shaped tone arm with hydraulically damped lift control and lockable rest

USB with audacity software

Comes with built in pre-amp which allows you to simply plug this turntable into a set of speakers

the LP120 is very easy to setup and use and comes with a cartridge though it will need to be replaced for DJ use.

Overall Sentiment

This is definitely the best DJ turntable in this price range and is one of the best selling turntables available. It is affordable and delivers high quality performance. The torque is impressive for the price range and the USB feature offers some added bonus.

I love the classic look of this turntable (looks so much like the Technic 1200s) and ease of set up. One thing I am not a big fan of is the known fact that the built in pre-amp even when not in use seems to muddy up the overall sound of your records. There are numerous videos on youtube to show you how to take this out which definitely brightens the sound up.

This is NOT an audiophile turntable, but at this price point it features very good sound quality. It is a GREAT turntable for vinyl listeners and dj’s starting out.

Check the prices and availability of the Audio Technica AT-LP120 USB

Stanton T.92 M2 USB USB Direct Drive DJ Turntable– $300

Who is it for?: Entry Level DJ’s and Everyday Listening

For the every day vinyl listener that wants a durable, well constructed turntable with added DJ features, this turntable is excellent.

This turntable is NOT for dj’s who plan to be scratching heavy but can be an affordable entry point for someone trying to get into mixing.

Pros:

Build Quality and Price

Turntable is made out of heavy cast aluminum

USB includes Cakewalk Pyro Audio Creator LE Software for converting your records to MP3

DSP key lock which allows you to change the tempo without the pitch.

Multiple start and stop buttons

Cons:

For better sound quality you will need to ditch the stock cartridge and buy a new one

The built in preamp muddies the sound when playing from “Line out”

No lever lift for the tone arm

Dust cover that comes with turntable is made of cloth

Motor is a little delicate to the touch for my taste even at this price range

Key Features:

Sturdy Construction for the Ultimate in Durability

USB and S/PDIF Outputs and Cakewalk Pyro Audio Creator Software

Pitch Control Fader with DSP Key Lock (change tempo without affecting pitch) Selectable Range (+/-8%, 12%)

Includes Audiophile-quality Stanton 500.v3 Cartridge Pre-mounted on Headshell

S-Shaped Tone Arm for Lower Distortion and Superior Fidelity

3 Playback Speeds (33, 45, and 78 RPM) and Quartz Lock

RCA Stereo Outputs (Phono / Line Switchable)

2 Start/Stop Switches for Mix or Battle Setup

Accessories include RCA Cables, Slip Mat, USB Cable, and Dust Cover

Starting Torque: More Than 1.6 kgf-cm

Overall sentiment:

Stanton has had a long stamp on the DJ community, and this turntable lives up to their reputation of making some nice looking turntables. I really do love the design of this table, and they didn’t skimp on the high-quality material even at this price range.

For DJ use, this is a great budget turntable for someone learning to mixing; the build quality is so solid that it can definitely take some beatings during use outside of the bedroom. For the price they really did load a decent amount of extra features specifically catered to the DJ community. If you plan on scratching a lot I would maybe explore some other options over this as it is a little more delicate to the touch than I like. With that being said, it can definitely be a good intro to the world of turntablism.

In terms of sound quality and everyday listening; this is definitely a good turntable for the price but some things must be adjusted to get the best quality out of it. First off, I am not a big fan of the built in pre-amp and heavily recommend playing this turntable out of the phono out. The Line Out produces a much more muddied sound, coupled this with the stock cartridge and you’re really limiting the potential of this turntable. Use the phono out and connect to a receiver or external amp for the best sound. Of course this is mostly for simply playing the vinyl.

Check out the price and availability of the Stanton T.92 M2 USB turntable