I know, blasphemy, but I'm thinking about getting one of these for my girlfriend for Christmas. She has some vinyl and wants a turntable, but she doesn't have a speaker system, and I don't have the money to buy her a good one. Has anyone heard any of these turntables with built-in speakers (like the ones they sell at Urban Outfitters and Restoration Hardware)? Is the sound quality at least acceptable? I can't find any good reviews online. Any opinions would be appreciated (except the ones that tell me she needs a $20,000 speaker system ).

i would not spring for the restoration hardware turntables. they are a bit clunky and do not last long. i'm not sure what they're selling at urban outfitters these days.

my suggestion would be to check out the numark or vestax portable turntables. i believe that both retail just above $100. they're designed for travel and shops without listening stations, but they'll be functional for your girlfriend if all she wants to do is listen without a huge system. i think the numark is just a little box with speakers, basically a big upgrade from the fisher-price turntables. and the vestax looks like a briefcase with the lid on. i have heard good things about both, but don't have any experience with either. i'd check them out.

edit for review links: vestax handitrax & numark pt-01

I would take a look here:

http://www.needledoctor.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.43/.f

Thanks for the suggestions.

They're selling the numark one at Urban Outfitters, but I'll look into all of these.

you could always pick up an old table/reciever combo for cheap and replace the stylus. radio shack sells replacement styli for just about everything (and there's lots of places online) which run about 20 bucks. i grabbed an old zenith all-in one unit at a thrift store for like 5 bucks, replaced the stylus and hooked up some speakers, and it sounds great. even if you had to buy some cheap speakers it could still cost less and sound better than something with built in speakers.

Hey Iron,

What did you end up getting?

I'm looking to get a portable turntable just to play vinyl at home. I'm looking at the Numark PT01. It plays pretty good, has a built in speaker and has the capability to hook up to stereo speakers. Headphone jack also. Only $99.

I just need something serviceable.

I have a numark PT01... works really well. I just have it hooked into the AUX on an old stereo I had lying around. It's really space efficient as well...