Audio-Technica AT-PL120 Professional Direct-Drive Turntable Review

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(More customer reviews)I stopped listening to LPs as most folks did when CD players hit the mass market. Convenience was the name of the game, particularly the ease of listening to music on the road. But what a tremendous difference in sound vinyl really provides! I chose the AT-PL120 after several hours of research on the web over a couple of days. I first considered spending the least amount of money and considered the entry-level model AT-PL50. I talked to an audiophile shop and while the shop thought it was a good entry-level model, they advised me to consider the next step up because it was well worth the investment in terms of sound quality and equipment durability. Upon close inspection at a local electronic store, the AT-PL50 looked really cheap. I decided to spend more money and get decent quality. I considered the AT-APL120 and the Music Hall MMF2.1, which has pretty decent reviews. The difference came down to saving $50 or so and decided to try the Audio Tecnica. I must admit, the sound is impressive and the built quality of the turntable is really good. Besides the DJ features, which I really do not care about, it has several bells and whistles that makes it very professional looking. I am using a pair of B&W bookshelf and a Yamaha RX-777, perhaps one of the few available stereos for music listening you can still get. The combination works well, but no doubt the vinyl sounds much better than a well-recorded CD. The AT-PL120 makes the sound really come alive! If you still have your old records and invested in taking good care of them, spend a few bucks and get this turntable. If I ever decide to burn a few LPs to play them in my car, it also has the built in amp. All in all, after two days of playing LPs on this turntable, I am very satisfied. The AT-PL120 comes pretty well boxed too. Too bad that Amazon packed it in a big but soft box, which was open on one side when UPS delivered. If it wasn't for the Audio Tecnica box, I would have refused the shipment. Luckily it all works like it is supposed to.

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Audio-Technica's AT-LP120 direct-drive, high-torque professional turntable is perfect for DJs and other music enthusiasts, especially in an era that many would call "postvinyl," when it's no longer the norm for audio/video receivers or even integrated amplifiers to offer a dedicated phono input. A selectable internal stereo phono preamplifier lets you plug the turntable directly into any line-level input, even your PC's (when used with a stereo RCA to minijack "Y" adapter cable, not included). Alternately, you can use the player's phono output and an outboard, higher-quality phono preamplifier for even better sound quality.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP120 professional turntable (see larger image).

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