Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB Direct-Drive Turntable Silver

This is my first-ever turntable and it basically changed my life. The AT-LP120X's phono pre-amp has a strange filter on it in the mid-to-high end that makes it sound a bit scratchy which was remedied by using the Kanto YU6's phono pre-amp instead. At this price point, the connectivity options of the speakers are unmatched, I have tried out all connection options except the optical inputs, pretty nuts how much versatility there is here. The midrange is great, as advertised; the highs are pretty neutral too. As most bookshelf speakers do, these lack bass but, that just may be that they are in a 17x22x9 foot room in a corner. I recently added a subwoofer to them and with the correct crossover frequency setting these speakers and the sub are amazing. The turntable is ... MoreThis is my first-ever turntable and it basically changed my life. The AT-LP120X's phono pre-amp has a strange filter on it in the mid-to-high end that makes it sound a bit scratchy which was remedied by using the Kanto YU6's phono pre-amp instead. At this price point, the connectivity options of the speakers are unmatched, I have tried out all connection options except the optical inputs, pretty nuts how much versatility there is here. The midrange is great, as advertised; the highs are pretty neutral too. As most bookshelf speakers do, these lack bass but, that just may be that they are in a 17x22x9 foot room in a corner. I recently added a subwoofer to them and with the correct crossover frequency setting these speakers and the sub are amazing. The turntable is also very solid, easy to setup, and the stylus target light and brush by TTL are lifesavers. Since it's a direct drive motor turntable I was able to easily reverse the end of DAMN. by Kendrick Lamar to find a nice easter egg. I will rave about this entry-level setup from TTL for a while. Thank you, TTL!

A quality entry level turntable

I love listening to music (who doesn't?) and after finding myself stuck at home during lockdown, I'd been listening to an awful lot of it. But, as great as streaming services are, the variety and accessibility almost serves to make the process of listening to music an impersonal commodity rather than an activity to be enjoyed in its own right.As someone who likes collecting things, I'd always enjoyed the look, feel, and weight of vinyls in music shops so I decided that I wanted a turntable. After giving it a couple of weeks of thought to see if it was just an impulsive desire that would fade away, I realised that it was an itch I simply had to scratch (pun absolutely intended).After some research I eventually settled on this Audio-Technica ATLP120XUSB. It was a ... MoreI love listening to music (who doesn't?) and after finding myself stuck at home during lockdown, I'd been listening to an awful lot of it. But, as great as streaming services are, the variety and accessibility almost serves to make the process of listening to music an impersonal commodity rather than an activity to be enjoyed in its own right.As someone who likes collecting things, I'd always enjoyed the look, feel, and weight of vinyls in music shops so I decided that I wanted a turntable. After giving it a couple of weeks of thought to see if it was just an impulsive desire that would fade away, I realised that it was an itch I simply had to scratch (pun absolutely intended).After some research I eventually settled on this Audio-Technica ATLP120XUSB. It was a little more than I had intially wanted to pay, but spending more now for better quality equipment is apparently less likely to result in damage to the vinyl down the line, so I figured doubling my budget would ultimately be more cost-effective in the long run.When the turntable arrived, I was instantly struck by the high quality feel, which reminded me of the stacked hi-fi system that my parents had when I was growing up in the 1990s. As a complete novice, setting it up took a little while to perfect (though it never felt daunting) and there was no problem that a quick internet search couldn't solve. Once up and running and hooked up to a small speaker system, I whiled a couple of hours away listening to the one album I currently have - now comes the even more expensive process of building a collection!Now, I'm very much a vinyl novice and in no way an audiophile, but I could instantly tell the difference in sound between this and a digital recording. I hate to resort to clichés, but it really does have a lovely deep, warm sound, and certain songs sound very different thanks to all the extra detail afforded by vinyl, some of which is lost when digitised.The fact I can tell the sound is different is just a bonus, though. The ability to hold a large sleeve in my hands, enjoy the artwork, and the process of putting the record on the turntable, setting the arm, lowering it, flipping it over, and putting it away is very therapeutic. Plus, there's something to be said for simply enjoying an entire album, rather than picking and choosing one or two songs. It works great in conjuction with my streaming habits - I find new music and bands that I like, then chec out some albums. If I like the album, I'll buy it on vinyl. I can't wait to build up a collection of my favourites.There are some features on this particular model that I didn't anticipate on using, such as the USB feature which allows you to record songs onto your computer, or some of the speed settings which you can use for mixing. Then again, I discovered that there's a regular record fair in my local town, and I'm tempted to see if I can pick up some cheap second hand vinyls from there and experiment a bit. It's at least nice to know that I have the option.As for Richer Sounds, the purchasing experience was top notch. As well as offering the best price I could find, the communication, dispatch and delivery of my order was swift and clear, even during the uncertaintly of the lockdown situation. I'll definitely be back once my new hobby inevitably becomes and obsession and I want to add to my set up.If you're on the fence about getting started in vinyl, I can wholeheartedly recommend it. You can go a whole lot more expensive than this (and also quite a bit cheaper) but as a place to start, I'm over the moon with my purchase.

AT LP 120X usb Excellent turntable!!!

Excellent turntable, among my best-spent money, has good playback quality even when using its built-in preamp. The design of the body in one part and the height of only 4 cm make it elegant and a beautiful design object (mine is matt black ... I love it!). It has an engine with a traction force more than adequate for its role (domestic reproduction) with an excellent speed constancy. Feet of excellent construction that cushion and dampen vibrations in an excellent way. The VM95E cartridge itself is already excellent and the possibility of being able to update it with a more valuable stylus in such a simple way is really a fantastic thing. Converting vinyls to digital with Audacity software is very fast and simple. All problems encountered with the previous 120 model ... MoreExcellent turntable, among my best-spent money, has good playback quality even when using its built-in preamp. The design of the body in one part and the height of only 4 cm make it elegant and a beautiful design object (mine is matt black ... I love it!). It has an engine with a traction force more than adequate for its role (domestic reproduction) with an excellent speed constancy. Feet of excellent construction that cushion and dampen vibrations in an excellent way. The VM95E cartridge itself is already excellent and the possibility of being able to update it with a more valuable stylus in such a simple way is really a fantastic thing. Converting vinyls to digital with Audacity software is very fast and simple. All problems encountered with the previous 120 model have been resolved. Absolutely recommended, you will not find anything better in terms of quality / price and you cannot help but use it every day!

Best Bang for the Buck

I've had about 20 years of experience with this family of product. About 15 years ago, I had the OEM source of them make me a container full of a modified version for my customers. They did everything well and were quite reliable! Now, I just buy the AT and to the adaption as required.The AT version has a basically flat platter, accurate speed, decent arm, and pretty accurate RIAA compensation. They are quite reliable. When I sell my adaption, customers only praise it, never complain about it. If you want tighter specs, just pay some one else twice as much!

Excellent turntable

I've had this deck for a week now. It was easy to set up. The sound is excellent. I've compared it with my cd/dac combination. I'd say there is slightly more treble with the cd but it is marginal. Perhaps this is an explanation of the warm sound that people like with vinyl. Just a couple if observations. When I first used it there was more hum than I expected. I disconnected the supplied earth lead between the deck and amplifier and the hum disappeared. Also the deck is about 2 cm wider than standard stereo units so if you put it on top of one there is a slight overhang. Excellent deck, great sound, strongly recommended.

Fantastic value, great features.

This is a great turntable. Given the price and the on-board features, the build quality is better than expected. A rather heavy platter coupled with a smooth motor give a very reliable constant speed, verifiable by the platter's stroboscope. The tonearm is classic Audio Technica quality, and surprisingly heavyweight. Overall, it doesn't have the same quality as a Technics deck, the Start button is a little rattly when pressed, and the platter doesn't get up to speed instantly for dropping tracks in, so I don't think it'd cope with professional DJing. However, the most basic Technics deck starts from almost four times the price(!!) and I'm not a DJ, I just wanted a deck that looks and sounds great, and that's what I got.

Great turntable! (Easy setup)

I've been searching for an affordable, good quality turntable for 4 years that I could connect to my CD player system. I'm not very technical minded but the set up and connection was fairly easy. The instructions that came with it weren't particularly helpful but a friend found some YouTube guides which were much better. With the help of those I did it quite quickly. The turntable does more than I need but I just liked the quality look and colour of this particular model. The sound is amazing and I'm now looking to expand my vinyl collection. My reasons for buying from Richer Sounds was for two reasons; firstly they were recommended by a friend who is very technically minded and secondly theirs was the best price on this product. Packaging of the product was good ... MoreI've been searching for an affordable, good quality turntable for 4 years that I could connect to my CD player system. I'm not very technical minded but the set up and connection was fairly easy. The instructions that came with it weren't particularly helpful but a friend found some YouTube guides which were much better. With the help of those I did it quite quickly. The turntable does more than I need but I just liked the quality look and colour of this particular model. The sound is amazing and I'm now looking to expand my vinyl collection. My reasons for buying from Richer Sounds was for two reasons; firstly they were recommended by a friend who is very technically minded and secondly theirs was the best price on this product. Packaging of the product was good with no damage and it was delivered on the day that I asked for. Thank you Richer Sounds! It's fantastic being able to listen to my vinyl records again.

I'm very impressed

It really is a great turntable. I was a little bit iffy on going with a direct drive motor from what I've heard but it's been great so far for well over a year. I do not hear any motor noise while it's on. I'm sure there are many other options and competitors for a similar price, but this particular turntable for what you're getting for the price is fantastic value. You're getting a solid build, and mid range audio quality that can be upgraded down the road. It's been a conversation starter when I've hosted events at my house, and everyone who's had the chance to listen to it has said nothing but good things about the sound quality. Many of my friends are musicians like myself so we are very brutally honest with how something sounds, and so far, nothing but good ... MoreIt really is a great turntable. I was a little bit iffy on going with a direct drive motor from what I've heard but it's been great so far for well over a year. I do not hear any motor noise while it's on. I'm sure there are many other options and competitors for a similar price, but this particular turntable for what you're getting for the price is fantastic value. You're getting a solid build, and mid range audio quality that can be upgraded down the road. It's been a conversation starter when I've hosted events at my house, and everyone who's had the chance to listen to it has said nothing but good things about the sound quality. Many of my friends are musicians like myself so we are very brutally honest with how something sounds, and so far, nothing but good things have been said. I'm sure anyone like myself who collects the odd vinyl records and plays a record or two during the weekdays to wind down, will be very satisfied with this TT. I'm sure there are even cheaper TT that will suffice the average listener, so this one should certainly surpass your expectations unless you're seeking for the best machine to accompany a very expensive speaker system, then I would say to look elsewhere.

Something I forgot to mention in my earlier review

I have played a number of my old LPs now, and am very pleased with the quality of the sound coming from them.But I am surprised by the item concerning the dust cover, on page 8 of the downloaded user manual. The cover itself is well-designed, nicely supported by a pair of spring-counterbalanced hinges, but it apparently should only be in position when the turntable is not in use. One is not supposed to use it during play as this "may result in record damage or sound degradation." How come? I have never encountered such restriction on similar equipment in the past - it seems to me that such would be prone to collecting dust during actual operation. I have operated with the lid down, including checking for any possible restriction to free movement of the tone-arm; ... MoreI have played a number of my old LPs now, and am very pleased with the quality of the sound coming from them.But I am surprised by the item concerning the dust cover, on page 8 of the downloaded user manual. The cover itself is well-designed, nicely supported by a pair of spring-counterbalanced hinges, but it apparently should only be in position when the turntable is not in use. One is not supposed to use it during play as this "may result in record damage or sound degradation." How come? I have never encountered such restriction on similar equipment in the past - it seems to me that such would be prone to collecting dust during actual operation. I have operated with the lid down, including checking for any possible restriction to free movement of the tone-arm; there is plenty of space and no restriction.So, is there an error somewhere, or am I missing something?REF.

Superb domestic deck.

Bought this for the living room to replace a cheapy deck I bought on a whim in a sale a few years ago.Big plusses: literally everything you need apart from amp and speakers is in the box, including RCA phono lead with earthing connectors and USB cable, as it has USB output (not tried yet).RCA outputs are switchable between line and phono levels. It's clearly modelled on a Technics 1200, but the retractable light is replaced with a detachable one (no biggy). 78 speed selectable by pressing 33 & 45 buttons simultaneously, though it suggests having a separate (not supplied) headshell for that. All rear connections are heavily recessed, so theoretically it can sit flush against the wall.Minuses - the start / stop and speed selection buttons are more wobbly that a ... MoreBought this for the living room to replace a cheapy deck I bought on a whim in a sale a few years ago.Big plusses: literally everything you need apart from amp and speakers is in the box, including RCA phono lead with earthing connectors and USB cable, as it has USB output (not tried yet).RCA outputs are switchable between line and phono levels. It's clearly modelled on a Technics 1200, but the retractable light is replaced with a detachable one (no biggy). 78 speed selectable by pressing 33 & 45 buttons simultaneously, though it suggests having a separate (not supplied) headshell for that. All rear connections are heavily recessed, so theoretically it can sit flush against the wall.Minuses - the start / stop and speed selection buttons are more wobbly that a 1200. I can't see this being a problem though. The lid connectors aren't as grippy as a 1200, so when I took the lid off one of them detached and fell down behind the shelf. This means I had to leave a inch gap between the wall and deck to fully raise the lid. A very minor gripe though, as is the fact it has a wall wart rather than an inbuilt transformer like a 1200. Given the fact a flagship Moog Matriarch synth (a shade off 2k) has one, this really isn't an issue. Now it's in situ I'll never think of it again, but if it was a working gig deck, it would almost certainly cause problems.Overall, for £240 in a domestic environment I'd give it a resounding 8.5 out of 10. Richer Sound had a 6 year extended warranty for £24, which is refundable if unused. It seemed like a no-brainer.To say it's replacing a cheapy belt driven Jam deck (£50 in a half price sale at Fopp) it's like moving up to a Rolls Royce after having a handmade bogey.Headshell has standard connection, so I'll probably replace it with a Stanton or Ortofon one in the near future, and might get a rubberised slipmat to sit under the supplied one too, but other than that it's a chef's kiss of a deck from me.