Don't Buy A Turntable in 2026 Until You Know This!

Vinyl is more popular than ever — and more people are getting disappointed than ever. Check out this video, which will also include My 2026 SOTC (The State of My Turntable collection) sprinkled in! Before you buy a turntable, there are some very real trade-offs and responsibilities that no one puts on the box. This isn’t about brands, price points, or chasing perfection. It’s about expectations, habits, and whether vinyl actually fits the way you listen to music. Chapters 00:00 Intro/Stop before you buy 02:20 Vinyl/Turntables are not Plug and Play 03:15 Turntable and Record hygiene 04:12 Bluetooth is NOT Vinyl 04:33 Stop blaming your cartridge 06:40 Hidden Turntable Costs 07:50 Proper Turntable placement 08:54 NEW vs Used Vinyl...the TRUTH 10:08 The ROOM is critical 11:04 Chase FUN Not Perfection! 11:15 Can you trust YouTubers??? 12:40 Do your research...HAVE FUN In this video, I walk through the most common mistakes I see people make before they buy a turntable — mistakes that lead to frustration, wasted money, and the belief that “vinyl just isn’t worth it.” If you can handle these realities, vinyl can be incredibly rewarding. If not, there are other great ways to enjoy music — and that’s okay too. This video is here to save you time, money, and disappointment. As always... thanks for watching and supporting my channel! AFFILIATE LINKS: Fluance RT81+ ELITE Turntable https://amzn.to/4syvGhp Audio-Technica Sound Burger You can further support the channel by using my AFFILIATE LINKS to get the stuff you want... Record Doctor RECORD CLAMP Here: https://amzn.to/3BCxT5A AMAZING WAXWING Phono Preamp: https://amzn.to/4eU2Twf Fluance ISOLATION BASE HERE: https://amzn.to/3U1pn6h Great A-T VM95E Phono Cartridge: https://amzn.to/3zQLTIi Adjustable isolation FEET HERE: https://amzn.to/4gYF9c3 Fosi Audio TUBE Phono Preamp HERE: https://amzn.to/4exDSr1 A-T LP70xBT (Blk/Bronze with Bluetooth): https://amzn.to/3MSwWs3 A-T LP70xBT (Blk/Silver with Bluetooth): https://amzn.to/47DbctJ A-T LP70x (without Bluetooth): https://amzn.to/4e9TL6M A-T VM95c Cartridge: https://amzn.to/47wBs9n VM95 Elliptical stylus cartridge for this turntable: https://amzn.to/3XAYh77 Audio-Technica Bluetooth headphones SR50BT: https://amzn.to/4ebkD6b Record Doctors record clamp: https://amzn.to/3TCTosV WiiM ULTRA here: https://amzn.to/4glOKJz WiiM AMP here: https://amzn.to/3AWQkBA WiiM PRO here: https://amzn.to/3XEuBY7 WiiM PRP PLUS here: https://amzn.to/3zed8MA WiiM Mini here: https://amzn.to/4ek3wic Topping B200 Class A/B Monoblock Amplifier here: https://amzn.to/3XFO3DT SMSL H400 Headphone Amp/Preamp here: https://amzn.to/4cVoVgE MY AUDIOPHILE EDC... The Flashlight: https://amzn.to/3T7Iuvk CRKT CEO Knife: https://amzn.to/4dMqoY4 GERBER box cutter: https://amzn.to/4dDt0ao Record Doctor Record Clamp: https://amzn.to/4e4pdTd KOBALT Wire Stripper: https://amzn.to/4dZuhZc PROSTER Stylus Force Tracing Gauge: https://amzn.to/474Aml0 HUDSON HI-FI STORE: https://amzn.to/4cOIJCe As always... thanks for watching and supporting my channel!