We’ve rounded up five new turntables that make the most of vinyl releases, new and old. From ultra-high end Japanese hi-fi to a celebration of a modern classic, to designs from Denmark, Germany and Austria, these machines will treat your records right whilst also offering a stylish addition to any room.
Esoteric T-01
Esoteric T-01 turntable
At the top of the tree is the new Esoteric T-01, the high-end arm of Japanese electronics manufacturer TEAC (Tokyo Television Acoustic Company). The T-01 is the second turntable model from the company after the 2022 Grandioso T1 to use its unique ‘Esoteric MagneDrive System’, a contact-free method of rotating the platter that avoids the wow and flutter associated with belt drives.
Detail of the Esoteric T-01 turntable
According to the manufacturer, this method brings ‘extraordinary rotational silence, stability, and high-torque performance.’ The hefty 13kg platter has been milled from a solid aluminium block to add further solidity and stability. The turntable is also sold as the T-01 AL, which comes without a tonearm and cartridge.
Esoteric T-01, available in September 2026, £41,999 / $50,000, Esoteric.jp, @Estoteric_Audio_Official
Argon Audio Aurora
Argon Audio Aurora turntable
The Aurora from Denmark’s Argon Audio offers a traditional, minimal layout with high-quality components, including an aluminium static-balanced S-shaped tonearm and the supplied Ortofon Concorde Music Blue cartridge. The Aurora has a direct-drive motor and also comes with an onboard phono pre-amp so it can be connected directly to a pair of powered speakers.
In addition, the Aurora provides support for 78s as well as regular 33 and 45rpm records, although a dedicated cartridge is needed to delve back into vinyl’s distant past (78s effectively ceased production by the end of the 1950s). It’s available in a matt black finish or a classic walnut veneer.
Argon Audio Aurora, €1,299, ArgonAudio.com, @ArgonAudio
Dual CS 718Q
Dual CS 718Q turntable
Previewed last year and due for launch in Q3, the Dual CS 718Q is a manual direct-drive three-speed model that draws on the company’s heritage, particularly the CS 701 turntable from 1973, the first ever European made direct-drive turntable. There have been many 7 Series Dual models since then, with the CS 718Q continuing the German company’s long tradition of audio excellence.
Dual CS 718Q, more information at Dual.de, @DualTurntablesOfficial
Technics SL-1200 55th Anniversary Edition
Technics SL-1200 55th Anniversary Edition in green, £1,049 at richersounds.com
The SL-1200 is one of the most familiar turntable designs in history. Introduced in the early 1970s, it found favour as one of the foundational tools of DJ culture, with the pitch correction and near-instant torque of the direct drive system making it the perfect deck to use for mixing. Then there’s its role as the go-to turntable for scratching, all of which has ensured that a pair of SL-1200s is a must-have for huge swatches of music culture.
The newest version has been built to celebrate 55 Years of the SL-1200 Series, released in a limited edition across seven bold and bright colour ways, Gold, Blue, Red, Black, Green, White, Grey. The addition of blinging gold accents is inescapably prominent, while all the functions and features of the original are present and correct, including the strobe marks, slip mat and anodised S-shaped aluminium tonearm. The technology under the ornament is from the Mk7 platform of this enduring device.
Technics SL-1200 55th Anniversary Edition, limited to 12,000 units, from £1,099, Technics.com, @Technics_global
Pro-Ject E1.2 BT
Pro-Ject E1.2 BT turntable
Pro-Ject has introduced a Bluetooth-equipped turntable, the E1.2 BT, to an established line of Plug & Play models. With an integrated Qualcomm Bluetooth 5.4 transmitter module, the turntable can be paired to compatible Bluetooth speakers at the push of a button, making vinyl playback as simple as possible.
Pro-Ject E1.2 BT turntable
The turntable includes a Pro-Ject Pick it MM E cartridge and precision tonearm, and comes in three standard finishes, High Gloss Black, Satin White and Walnut. An expanded colour palette includes Satin Black, Satin White, Satin Fir Green, Satin Golden Yellow and Satin Steel Blue. There’s another new model being added to the E 1.2 line, the E1.2 Phono, which incorporates a phono preamp for direct connection to a line input.
Pro-Ject E1.2 BT turntable
Pro-Ject E1.2 BT, £399 / €399 (standard finish), £449 / €449 (colour finish), more information at Project-Audio.com, @ProjectAudioSystems