Seen a turntable complete with stunning vinyl collection and want to get in on that? I applaud you; records are beautiful things and sales of them help remunerate the bands we love much more effectively than meagre streaming royalties.
But perhaps you looked at my getting started with vinyl feature, with its explanation on the four components of any system (turntable, pre-amp, power amp and speakers) and thought 'Uh-oh, sounds a bit tricky Becky… I'll come back when I have more time/a better plan/more cash to splash'.
And as we all know, we may never have an abundance of these things — but I'm here to let you know that you can still get on board with vinyl. How? You simplify.
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I'm not dissing a passive analog hi-fi system (you'll get greater resolution that way) and you can adapt these setups over time if you want to build on them. However, in the first instance I think it's absolutely fine to simply get things up and spinning — because enjoying an entire album on vinyl is a rare joy.
System 1
System 2
System 3
System 4
System 1 — simple but talented plug 'n' play listening
Sony PS-LX5BT and Bose SoundLink Max: want punchy, fun-sounding vinyl with a speaker you can take outdoors if you fancy it? What you're getting here is a fuss-free 2026-issue Bluetooth turntable and big Bose speaker, for roughly the same money — and both gained a highly-commended 4.5 stars under intense review.
This system is all about plug-and-play simplicity. The deck is automatic; there's a Bose app if you wanted to stereo pair two SoundLink Max speakers to the vinyl spinner. But to be clear: if you want something you can unbox and get up and running within 10 minutes, this is the setup for you.
System 2 — the step-up system with a CD player to boot
Philips Fidelio FT1 and KEF LSX II LT: did I mention that this deck also has a CD player squirrelled into its base? Cool in a kind of retro, throw-it-all-in-one-box way, no? But make no mistake, this is an all-new early 2026-release turntable, and it wowed us for its energetic and communicative sound and wealth of partnering opportunities under our in-depth review process.
So I've gone straight to the top with the wireless speakers I'd pick to go with it. Yes, the KEFs are a little pricier than other options in this roundup, but if you've got the extra to spend, they'll reward you handsomely — as our five-star review shows.
System 3 — the Sonos option
Victrola Stream Carbon and Sonos Five: you don't have to buy a Sonos Five here; this handsome turntable will work with any existing Sonos setup you may have already — including soundbars. I've put the Five with it in this list because it's my hi-fi choice where Sonos is concerned.
I'm often asked about turntables that might work with the Sonos Arc under the TV so you needn't start buying more and more speaker boxes. Well, this is that deck. Victrola does make a cheaper Sonos-compatible spinner called the Stream Onyx, but for me the smart money stays here; if you want to get into vinyl but don't have the necessary passive speakers, cartridge knowledge, pre-amp and power amp plus all of the cabling ready to go at home — but do have a Sonos speaker, even a legacy one based on the S1 system — you just found your turntable.
System 4 — the slightly more niche, fresh buys
Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT and Kanto Ren: honestly, this is my favorite ready-to-roll system of the lot. This Audio-Technica deck is great for fledgling owners (thanks to a serviceable preamp and lovely tactile automatic operation) but it's still the real deal; the build quality is exceptional for the remarkably humble outlay.
And just look at these bijou-but-beautiful tangerine speakers! As we said in our glowing five-star review, they're tasteful-lookin’ but with an incredible breadth of connectivity — including Bluetooth, which is important here — and huge, robust sound for their diminutive proportions. Oh, and if you wanted to hard-wire them to your TV they’d beat any and every TV soundbar into a pulp at £599 (and it’s barely even a competition).
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