Join our FREE personalized newsletter for news, trends, and insights that matter to everyone in America

Newsletter
New

7 Of The Coolest Turntables Of 2026 — Including A Superbly Tacky Anniversary Edition, And An Ode To Rammstein

Card image cap

Fancy getting into vinyl, or upgrading your existing setup? This year has delivered some especially interesting new turntables, ranging from the classy to the tacky, and from the practical to the surely-just-for-show. I've rounded up some of our favorites below.

Oxblood is clearly in vogue, because we have not one but two decks in the moody hue: Technics' Friz Hansen turntable with a matching lamp, and Pro-Ject's ultra-minimalist Debut Evo 2.

Looking for something less understated? Rammstein fans should gear up to grab one of respected turntable brand Clearaudio's limited-edition themed decks when they finally become available in October. The brand's love letter to the German metal gods isn't simply a band logo slapped onto an existing turntable either — it was created in collaboration with Rammstein as a "fully independent model" featuring a metallic lacquer finish and dimmable LED lighting.

If you think that's bold, wait until you see Technics' other notable 2026 release. This limited-edition turntable is based on the SL-1200 model, and designed to mark its 55th anniversary. The inner workings remain largely untouched compared to the base model, but the exterior is altogether flashier: the theme here is gold, and lots of it. Everything from the tonearm to the controls to the platter has had the Midas touch applied — it even has a gold slip mat.

Scroll down for a closer look at all these decks and more — and hit the More details button for links to additional info.

Top turntables

Fluance
RT87 turntable

Goldring GR3 turntable

Goldring
GR3

Pros

  • Detailed, rhythmically adept and confident sound
  • Excellent pre-fitted cartridge is part of its plug-and-play convenience
  • Great standard of build and finish

Cons

  • Can sound slightly insubstantial at the top of the frequency range
  • Phono stage really should be defeatable
  • Not short of competition

Philips Fidelio Ft1 (black)

Philips
Fidelio FT1 (UK only)

Pros

  • +Energetic and quite communicative sound
  • Specified like a music centre of the old school (with some wireless stuff thrown in too)
  • Tremendous flexibility where partnering equipment is concerned

Cons

  • Splashy treble response
  • Low frequencies sound slightly remote
  • Quieter when physically connected than when using Bluetooth

Sony turntable

Sony
PS-LX5BT turntable

Pros

  • Energetic and forward, but not unsubtle, sound
  • aptX Adaptive compatibility = lossy 48kHz wireless connectivity
  • Integrated phono stage and fully automatic operation

Cons

  • Little issues at either end of the frequency range
  • Construction feels a little insubstantial
  • Fixed counterweight

Pro-ject Debut Evo 2 turntable

Pro-Ject
Debut Evo 2

Clearaudio Rammstein turntable

Clearaudio
Rammstein turntable (available Oct 2026)