OVERVIEW
This is an excellent belt-drive turntable for those who wish to simply listen to or record vinyl records (it is designed strictly for non-DJ home use). We have been looking for something to replace the eternally back ordered Technics SL-BD20, and this outstanding (and inexpensive) turntable from Audio Technica may be an even better deal. It's obviously great to get a brand new reliable turntable for under $100 dollars, but this also includes a few features, like a built-in phono pre-amp, that make it more than just a cheap solution.

FEATURES
The biggest feature here is the built-in phono pre-amp. Most stereos and receivers these days do not have a phono input or support a direct phono input, which mean you would have to route any turntable through some sort of pre-amplifier (such as a mixer) in order to play your records. Not so with the AT-PL50! Not only can you plug this directly into your stereo or receiver (any input will do), you can also plug it directly into your computer for easy vinyl recording. It's an extremely useful feature, and the AT-PL50 is literally one of the only turntables in production to offer it. Note that you can also shut the pre-amp function off if desired.

Another appealing feature here is the automatic tonearm. You can choose to either manually start the platter at your desired position (or song) or let the turntable automatically place the needle down on the beginning of the record (you need to choose the record size for both options). When the record has finished playing, the arm will automatically return to the arm rest, stopping the platter. Very convenient for home listening. It comes with a cartridge already installed, and will play both 33 and 45 RPM records. Since it's a belt-drive turntable, this cannot function in any dj capacity: back-cueing, scratching, etc are NOT advised.

OUR OPINION
The Audio Technica AT-PL50 is an absolute score. If you aren't going to be doing any dj'ing and need an inexpensive solution for listening to or recording records at home, this comes highly recommended.

- includes internal phono pre-amp for connecting directly to computers or receivers
- comes with pre-installed audio-technica cartridge
- automatic tone-arm return at the end of records
- plays both 33 + 45rpm records
- full automatic operation
- easily accesible front controls

reviewed by mgmnt