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Enjoying a piece of quality music using your vinyl records has been made possible with the help of a portable record player. Imagine going for an outing, and you want to carry high-quality music so you can gaze at the scenery and listen to your favorite track on the turntable on a vinyl record. All you need is a suitcase with a portable record player inside it.
Or if you have a pile of vinyl records sitting in your collection, then you have got to have one of the portable players so that you can carry around the quality music and make others addicted to the quality music on Vinyl records.
We have carefully curated a list of some of the best portable players that hundreds of classic music enthusiasts have used. We have also added a guide at the end that will enable you to understand more about portable music players.
The 8 Best Portable Record Players
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Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Record Player
Product Dimensions: 13.9 x 10.1 x 5 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Wireless, Wired.
Positive: Features Bluetooth Technology, Easy To Port, Offers Quality Construction.
Negative: Minor Connecting Issues.
The Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Record Player is perfect for convenient, multi-functional sound. This stylish vintage suitcase features a handle for easy mobility, and it’s sure to bring some retro charm and modern convenience to any home or office. Stream audio from your smartphone through the integrated Bluetooth speakers and appreciate the improved sound quality thanks to its noise-isolating feet.
The record player is also conveniently simple to operate with an input selector knob, power/volume knob, and auto-stop switch. Ready to go in minutes and beautiful to look at in equal measure, this is the ultimate flexible listening experience.
Customer Review For Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Record Player
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Popsky Record Player
Product Dimensions: 15.79 x 12.44 x 7.68 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth.
Positive: Provide Stereo RCA Connector, Classic Look, Offers Bluetooth Connectivity.
Negative: Doesn’t Work Well.
The Popsky Record Player’s classic design in a wooden housing is sure to impress any audiophile. It includes a 3-speed, belt-driven turntable that plays 7″, 10″, and 12″ vinyl records. Moreover, it features two built-in full-range stereo speakers that deliver crystal-clear audio. Its unique anti-resonance design also lends itself to providing optimal sound performance by way of its three elastic plugs beneath the platter.
Additionally, you can play music with the player via Bluetooth or other connections such as 3.5mm aux-in, RCA, and USB and headphone jacks. For added convenience, it can even encode from vinyl into WAV or MP3 files if desired. Lastly, its stylish look and lightweight build make relocating easy due to its briefcase design for effortless transport from room to room.
Customer Review For Popsky Record Player
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Crosley CR8005F-TD Record Player
Product Dimensions: 13.78 x 10.24 x 4.72 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth.
Positive: Features 3-speed Turntable, Delivers Dynamic Sound, Easy To Use.
Negative: Doesn’t Provide Extra Needle.
Every vinyl lover should have the great Crosley CR8005F-TD Record Player. Adjustable pitch control allows you to play your music just how you like it. The Bluetooth connectivity lets you easily sync your favorite vinyl, and its portability makes it the perfect record player for traveling. Not to mention, the RCA output helps you to connect this excellent device with your stereo system.
At the same time, a headphone jack makes private listening an enjoyable experience. On top of all these fantastic features, the Crosley includes two dynamic full-range stereo speakers and an Aux input which allows users to connect their mobile devices. It is an outstanding product that ensures you get a great sound every time your music plays!
Customer Review For Crosley CR8005F-TD Record Player
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ByronStatics Vinyl Record Player
Product Dimensions: 13.66 x 10 x 4.6 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth.
Positive: Compatible With All Records, Easy To Operate, Lightweight Construction.
Negative: Build Quality Is Not Long-lasting.
The revolutionary ByronStatics Vinyl Record Player makes it easy to play an assortment of music no matter which speed you favor. With the ability to accommodate 33, 45, and 78 RPMs, you can move seamlessly between playlists without switching machines. Besides its broad compatibility with different speed record sizes, its turntable rotates entirely flat for the smoother playing of tracks.
Its needle arm picks up well and quietly drops onto the record for a seamless audio experience. Additionally, this device is lightweight and perfect for travel. It also comes with a pair of speakers – great for intimate parties or gatherings! And don’t worry about switching out needles between plays; this player comes with an extra one so that every track plays like a dream.
Customer Review For ByronStatics Vinyl Record Player
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Victrola 50's Retro Bluetooth Record Player
Product Dimensions: 13 x 7 x 15 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, Auxiliary, USB.
Positive: High-quality Design, Features LED Light Screen, Retro Look.
Negative: Loose Turntable.
The Victrola 50’s Retro Bluetooth Record Player gives you the best of both worlds: a modern selection of features with the classic, stylish look of the 50s. With this hybridized turntable, you can not only play your vinyl in all its vintage glory but convert them to MP3 for easy and more durable storage.
Its advanced sound engagement technology ensures no disruptively loud vibrations disturb your listening. Its 3-speed settings (33 1/3, 45, 78 rpm) ensure compatibility as broad as your record collection. The bonus features, such as an FM tuner knob, auxiliary & headphone jack, and CD player with customizable buttons, are sure to please even the hardest-to-please audio enthusiast.
Customer Review For Victrola 50's Retro Bluetooth Record Player
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Udreamer Vinyl Record Player
Product Dimensions: 12.8 x 9.8 x 4.7 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth.
Positive: Built-in Stereo Speakers, Features Auto Stop Button, Bluetooth Compatible.
Negative: Not Long-lasting.
The Udreamer Vinyl Record Player is the perfect combination of classic and contemporary. This unique system has built-in stereo speakers with Bluetooth wireless technology, allowing users to listen to their favorite music from their phone effortlessly.
Not only that, but it also supports three listening speeds (33-1/3, 45, and 78 rpm) and three sizes of record (7”, 10”, and 12”)—giving you a variety of options for revisiting those classic albums. Plus, its turntable base is equipped with a spring and belt-driven design to absorb shock for smooth music playback. Its vintage wooden construction and modern fashion technology allow you to enjoy your favorite records in style!
Customer Review For Udreamer Vinyl Record Player
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LP&No.1 Bluetooth Vinyl Record Player
Product Dimensions: 18 x 14 x 8 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth.
Positive: Easy To Pair, Provide Multiple Placement Options, Features Powerful Speakers.
Negative: A Bit Tinny.
The LP&No.1 Bluetooth Vinyl Record Player is the perfect device for any vintage audiophile, allowing them to easily enjoy complete, accurate, and live vinyl audio in dual speakers.
It will enable you to play 33 1/3, 45, and 79 RPM records, but it also has an Auto-stop setting, so you don’t have to stop it when a description ends manually. To top it off, these dual bookshelf speakers give you various placement options on any surface and are even Bluetooth-compatible. With these features, your music listening experience will surely be something special.
Customer Review For LP&No.1 Bluetooth Vinyl Record Player
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Sony PS-LX310BT Vinyl Record Player
Product Dimensions: 14.5 x 17 x 4.3 inches.
Connectivity Technology: Wireless, Bluetooth.
Positive: Easy To Operate, Features Aluminum Die-cast Platter, Delivers High-quality Audio.
Negative: The turntable Does Not Run Well.
The Sony PS-LX310BT Vinyl Record Player has an automatic start, stop and return feature, making it easier to enjoy your favorite music. It also supports two speeds – 33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM – so you can play any of your classic or modern records. Plus, it offers wireless streaming capabilities to connect it to wireless speakers or headphones to hear your music.
To ensure that the sound quality is excellent, the record player has a built-in switchable phono output/line-out phono preamp and three gain settings. Additionally, its aluminum die-cast platter ensures minimal vibrations for a more transparent sound. The newly designed aluminum pipe tonearm helps improve tracking for maximum audio precision.
Customer Review For Sony PS-LX310BT Vinyl Record Player
What Are Portable Record Players?
A complete turntable device that could fit into a suitcase so that it does not restrict your movements is regarded as a portable record player. Most of these record players have whistles and bells and built-in speakers that offer decent audio quality for casual listeners. In addition, they are complete turntable devices with the same capacity as full-sized record players.
These audio devices provide warmer tones and better audio quality for listening to vinyl records so you can enjoy high-quality music wherever you go. These polyvinyl chloride flat disc gramophone records, and you can use them as an analog sound storage medium with an engraved spiral groove.
Benefits Of Portable Record Player
Portable record players are ideal for tuning into playing vinyl records, but they can ruin record quality more than traditional record players. However, you can use them for convenience and carry them to your friend’s house or for camping.
Below are a few noticeable benefits of portable record players that I found worth mentioning.
- Better vintage sound: These record players enable you to listen to vintage music without compression or tone loss. They offer warmer music tones, similar to the quality with which the artist originally envisioned them. Thus, while outing with family and friends, listening to pure quality jazz songs recorded before the 1930s cannot be possible without a good quality portable record player.
- It’s lightweight and easy to carry: The manufacturers create this by keeping traveling in mind. They use plastic ABS that are easy to use and move around so that you do not feel under the constant weight of these record players.
- Durable construction material: The manufacturer also uses durable plastic in the manufacturing process. They can last longer when properly taken care of and covered using dust covers that maintain pitch-perfect audio quality.
- Affordable: Portable record players are more affordable than their conventional counterparts. A classic example is the Udreamer Vinyl Record Player, which has a dedicated auto-on/auto-off button and falls under the reasonable $65 price range. You can also listen to records at three speeds: 33-1/3, 45, and 78 rpm. Thus, these varieties of features make them a preferred choice for travelers who have a knack for everything vintage, including premium vintage audio tracks.
Difference Between An Automatic And A Manual Record Player
Record players are available in different forms that determine their functionality. While you have to decide which type of portable record player you want to buy, selecting between automatic and manual can give you the heebie-jeebies and get tricky. Read below to find out the difference between the two and select the one that best suits your needs.
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Based on Definition
Automatic record players are convenient players with a tonearm that can automatically move out of its position and place itself on the vinyl record without manual effort. All you need to do is turn them on, and these record players will play your favorite record.
A manual record player is a device on which you will have to lift the tonearm and put it on the vinyl record, and then you must take it off the vinyl once the music is playing. They give you better control over the vinyl and stylus quality. You need to cue the needle manually on the spinning record.
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Based on Function
Automatic record players are easier to use and attract newbies who find listening to vinyl records attractive. Click a button to start and stop playback, move the tonearm, and adjust the turntable’s speed.
They contain switches, a series of motors, and built-in sensors that play the record on the platter when you press the play button. The motor triggers the tonearm by placing it at the beginning of the record. When it starts playing, it is directed by switches, levers, and sensors that ensure the vinyl record’s smooth, controlled, and steady running.
When the tonearm reaches the end of the record, the motor turns it off, bringing it back to its initial position, which means that your record has ended.
Manual record players work by lining up the stylus at the beginning of the tonearm and lowering it without using motors. Here, you do everything on your own, and once the record has ended, you lift the tone arm from the vinyl and place it back in its initial position.
Things To Consider When Looking For A Portable Record Player
This range of record players can accompany you on family outings, picnics, or even hiking because of their effortless portability. You can pack them in their durable boxes or purchase a portable record player with a suitcase design, which would give you the feeling of carrying a suitcase and are surprisingly light.
While these are the most common features, other points to pay more attention to are the stylus, turntable speed, and connectivity. I have explained these attributes briefly, which you better not skip if you are serious about listening to true audio quality.
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Budget
Budget is the significant deciding aspect when you have to get your hands on your favorite portable record player. If you love vintage, you can look for the Victrola Vintage 3-Speed Record Player. Thus, vintage classics fall under the price range of $80. In addition, it comes with built-in stereo speakers that offer crisp and clear sound, so you can carry it with its suitcase design and listen to your favorite record wherever you wish.
If you fancy vibrant colors, you can also try the Crosley CR8005F-TD Record Player, which has beautiful tie-dye colors. In addition, it has a full dynamic range of stereo speakers and an aux cable that can connect your smartphone like a walk in the park. All of these features you could get under the price range of $55.
While it’s still economical, it can miss out on features like those in the LP-1 Bluetooth Vinyl Record Player. This one is the audiophile’s favorite and comes with a 3-speed belt drive turntable that is powerful enough to play 33 1/3, 45, and 79 RPM records. In addition, it has an auto-stop button to stop the platter the moment the record stops playing the music, which adds to protecting its audio quality. These features under the price range of $120 are a steal.
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Stylus
The diamond-tipped stylus in LP&No.1 Bluetooth Vinyl Record Player is a quality to look for. It could smoothly play even the 79RPM records and uncompressed analog audio songs in a much fuller and more impressive way. Thus, it becomes essential to give some attention to its quality and material while selecting the portable record player of your choice.
A metal cantilever rests against the cord, usually made of diamonds and sapphires. It is connected to the tonearm through an adjustable metal. This flexible metal allows the smooth up-and-down movement of the stylus while the record is being played on the record player.
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Turntable Speed
This feature determines the speed at which the record player spins measured in revolutions per minute(RPM), also described as the number of times a vinyl record takes to complete one spin. Although vinyl records are available in three speeds, most players have a rate of 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm, and some also support 78 rpm.
If you fancy a portable record player that gives you the freedom to use all the three-speed variations along with the flexibility to use different sizes of the vinyl disc, in that case, you can go with Popsky Record Player, which comes with a classic look that has a 3-speed belt-driven turntable that effortlessly plays 7″, 10″, and 12″ vinyl records. It also includes a 45RPM for smooth and uninterrupted audio listening hours.
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Drive
When selecting your favorite record player piece, you can find some models categorized as belt-drive turntables while others are available as direct-drive turntable types. Belt-drive record players use an elastomeric belt to drive the record with a motor positioned on the player’s side. This belt wraps the platter and isolates the motor from the platter of the record player.
You can find this design feature in the Udreamer Vinyl Record Player, which has a belt-driven design to absorb shock and other low-frequency sounds. Though it may take some time for a belt-driven record player to get up to full speed, it does provide speed stability when using a heavy platter.
Direct-drive record players have motors directly positioned under the platter without any intermediary gears, belts, or wheels, and they work almost instantly when turned on. However, true vintage lovers like belt-driven record players like the one mentioned for their speed and resilience and for listening to the more apparent nuances of the instruments.
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Connectivity
The ability to connect to audio devices and exchange audio data without wires or cables can give you freedom while using your record players. This feature could help you control your record player from a distance without having to leave your couch or handle it several times while out on a picnic.
The Victrola 50’s Retro Bluetooth Record Player has Bluetooth, auxiliary, and USB cable connectivity technology. So, you can get the feel of the 1950s with a modern glimmer of technology. The Udreamer Vinyl Record Player also has Bluetooth compatibility to listen to your favorite records through your phone.
Another great option in this segment could be Audio Technicia’s AT-LP60XBT; this is a complete wireless option with a belt drive turntable.
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Sound Quality
Sound quality is the essence of a premium-quality portable record player. A good sound quality gives you clear, detailed music listening, giving close attention to audio details because of little to no compression in vinyl records. One example is the fully automatic wireless vinyl Sony PS-LX310BT Vinyl Record Player, which features an aluminum die-cast platter.
This vinyl record player has three settings, low, mid, and high, and the gain select switch that lets you change the gain to match the audio level of your record. It offers to change between different audio levels so that you can listen to your tune in its finest and untouched sound quality, with no distortion.
Frequently Asked Questions/FAQs
Cheap turntables made with inferior materials can ruin vinyl records. The low-quality stylus can also damage vinyl records as they wear out in 40 playing hours.
Most portable record players come with built-in speakers, but for maximizing audio quality and sound levels, you will need external speakers. These speakers or extra amplifiers can be connected through record players’ RCA inputs and outputs or Bluetooth connectivity.
No, not all types of records are compatible with a record player. Turntables play around 22 and 45 RPM records. Those record players classified as “three speed” are compatible with playing 78 RPM. Records pressed before the 1950s require these that have wider grooves and need a strong turntable with 78 RPM to support their audio quality.
No, leaving the record outside the sleeves, on the sides, or on the turntable for extended periods can expose it to dust that will damage the surface and ruin the surface. Cover it with the dust cover when you are done listening to your vinyl record if you wish to add better life years to your most-priced possession.