Collection: Turntables
A phonograph, in its later forms also called a gramophone (as a trademark since 1887, as a generic name in the UK since 1910) or since the 1940s called a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue recording and reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physical deviations of a spiral groove engraved, etched, incised, or impressed into the surface of a rotating cylinder or disc, called a "record". To recreate the sound, the surface is similarly rotated while a playback stylus traces the groove and is therefore vibrated by it, very faintly reproducing the recorded sound. In early acoustic phonographs, the stylus vibrated a diaphragm which produced sound waves which were coupled to the open air through a flaring horn, or directly to the listener's ears through stethoscope-type earphones.
The phonograph was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison. Alexander Graham Bell's Volta Laboratory made several improvements in the 1880s and introduced the graphophone, including the use of wax-coated cardboard cylinders and a cutting stylus that moved from side to side in a zigzag groove around the record. In the 1890s, Emile Berliner initiated the transition from phonograph cylinders to flat discs with a spiral groove running from the periphery to near the center, coining the term gramophone for disc record players, which is predominantly used in many languages. Later improvements through the years included modifications to the turntable and its drive system, the stylus or needle, pickup system, and the sound and equalization systems.
The disc phonograph record was the dominant commercial audio distribution format throughout most of the 20th century. In the 1960s, the use of 8-track cartridges and cassette tapes were introduced as alternatives. In the 1980s, phonograph use declined sharply due to the popularity of cassettes and the rise of the compact disc, as well as the later introduction of digital music distribution in the 2000s, both audio file downloads and streaming. However, records are still a favorite format for some audiophiles, DJs, collectors, and turntablists (particularly in hip hop and electronic dance music), and have undergone a revival since the late 2000s. This resurgence has a lot to do with "vinyl's" sparing use of audio processing, intending more natural sound on high-quality replay equipment, compared to many digital releases that are highly processed for portable players in high environmental noise. However unlike "plug-and-play" digital audio, vinyl has "user-serviceable parts inside" which require attention to tonearm alignment and the wear and choice of stylus, the most critical component affecting turntable sound.
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ION Profile LP * Turntable with USB Output * NEW Open Box
Regular price $75.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Sony PS-LX2 Direct Drive Turntable
Regular price $120.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Sony PS-LX500 Direct Drive Turntable * Linear Tracking * NEW AT81CP Cartridge
Regular price $250.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Kenwood KD-500 Turntable * AR Acoustic Research Tonearm * Shure M44 Cartridge * NEW Signal Cable * No Dust Cover
Regular price $550.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Technics SL-Q300 Turntable with NEW AT81CP Cartridge
Regular price $175.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Denon DP-11F Direct Drive Turntable
Regular price $150.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Technics SL-Q350 Fully Automatic Turntable * NEW Cartridge
Regular price $175.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Aiwa PX-E860 Belt Drive Turntable
Regular price $80.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Dual 1019 Turntable * Fully Serviced * 16-33-45-78 Speed
Regular price $350.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Revox B791 Turntable * Linear Tracking * ADC Cartridge
Regular price $700.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
STANTON T62 Turntable * Box
Regular price $150.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Jack White Stripes Crosley Turntable Record Player Third Man Records
Regular price $200.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Bang & Olufsen Beogram 5500 Type: 5943 Turntable & MMC3 Cartridge
Regular price $650.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Technics SL-B100 Turntable
Regular price $100.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Panasonic SL-H203 Turntable
Regular price $175.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Technics SL-J33 Linear Tracking Direct Drive Programmable Turntable
Regular price $250.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Pro-ject 1.2 Belt Drive Turntable * Sumiko Cartridge
Regular price $250.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per -
Bang & Olufsen Beogram 9000 * Linear Tracking Turntable with MMC2 Cartridge
Regular price $950.00 USDRegular priceUnit price / per