Cheap Turntables – Choosing Cheap DJ Turntables

When you first start out DJ’ing it can be confusing knowing which cheap dj turntables will be best suited to you and your budget. However, it need not be a big problem if you first understand the options and types of dj turntable available which we will explain in more detail below.

It is paramount that you try and spend as much as possible, within your budget, on your first set of turntables as this avoids the common dilemma of an expensive upgrade within months of your purchase. It should be said that your turntable purchase will be one of the most important ones in your dj equipment setup and other equipment can be scaled down to a lower initial cost without much sacrifice in quality or hindrance to your dj needs.

It is well known amongst the DJ community that Technics are the market leader in decks and also come very near the top manufacturers in dj mixers. The classic Technics 1200 and 1210’s provide everything that a DJ could wish for in a reliable and well built unit that can last for years if well treated. Therefore, if your budget can stretch to these brilliant dj turntables then you will avoid having to trash the cheaper ones and upgrade to these at a later date.

There are many other manufacturers of DJ turntables that have extremely good products and some of these include Numark, Stanton, Vestax and Gemini to name but a few. These come a close second to the Technics and there higher range products can easily be used for club and mobile disco work, but avoid a cheap turntable product that has an inferior drive unit and build quality.

OK, you will need to understand the most important aspects when buying cheap turntables and these include the drive, torque and the stylus:

1) Direct Drive versus Belt Drive Turntables

Direct Drive turntables have the advantage that they offer a quick start system. When you need to beat mix records you will hold one record and release at a point the beat from the opposite turntable can match the record you are trying to beat match. If you have a direct drive turntable it is easier to match the beats as the quick-start system gets your record up to speed in a very short time frame. Also, many dircet drive turntables will incorporate a special lighter platter which also aids the quick start of the deck and they give better resonance and sound quality. The Technics 1210’s are built around the direct drive principal but are also sturdy and reliable and as such are the no.1 choice for club DJ’s and professionals.

Belt Drive turntables have a different system which makes them cheaper to manufacture and generally are lower quality decks. The trouble with belt driven dj turntables is that because they have a significantly slower start-up time it causes a problem for beat matching club music and many resort to placing the needle on the moving record to try and catch a beat rather than the preferable precise placement on a direct drive turntable. Another downside to a belt driven turntable is that the belt can stretch and distort over time and may need replacing which can be expensive in itself. However, the upside is that these turntables usually cost considerably less than professional Direct Drive turntables.

2) Torque:

The torque is related to the strength that the drive of the unit gives to the platter. A higher torque level is better as it makes the turntable start up quicker than those of lower torque. Again the standard for torque on a good dj turntable is set by Technics as the premium and Numark follow a close second with their decks providing acceptable torque levels.

3) Choosing a Stylus

When you get a pair of dj turntables you will need a pair of stylus to add to them. You will find that cheaper ones are Spherical type (to be avoided). The next styli type would be Elliptical diamond styluses which are again reasonably cheap but you should bear in mind that you need a smaller needle size around 0.5 mil which should suit most dj requirements. You can get Linear Contact styli which are the most expensive type and these produce top rated sound quality due to the fact that they hug the record grooves much more precisely then the Elliptical and much much more than the Spherical type stylus. However, the choice of dj turntable stylus again depends on your budget and what level of sound quality you hope to achieve, an average dj stylus should cost you around $75 (£50) which will be suitable for most dj applications.

Take a look at some of the DJ turntable deals we have on our website and you can rest assured that the items we promote will be suitable for years of use rather than a cheap turntable that will only last for months. We also offer fantastic deals on cheap technics turntables and cheap turntables for sale via regular deals and discount arrangements with our suppliers.

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