Audio-TechnicaAT-LP140XP-BK Direct-Drive Professional DJ Turntable, Black, Hi-Fi, Fully Manual, 3 Speed, High Torque Motor

I decided to upgrade an older model turntable, that's seen better days. I wanted the best I could get, for under $250. Fortunately, Amazon Warehouse had this Audio Technica AT-LP140XP-SV, open box unit for $249.00. I see them listed new for $399 and up, so I feel like I got a great deal. It arrived in excellent condition, appearing to be played very little, if at all. Someone likely returned it, because they thought it was a semi-automatic turntable. It's a fully manual turntable, with a start/stop button for the platter to rotate. Everything but the box it shipped in was mint condition. This a heavy, sturdy, well made, professional model turntable, with so many nice features. It's quartz lock, direct drive, and came with a pre-installed Audio Technica XP3 cartridge/stylus. I'm very impressed with the build and sound quality. It's a vast improvement over my old turntable. Check all of the other reviews. If you're fine with a fully manual turntable, then you really can't go wrong with this one.

My old Thorens belt drive finally bit the dust after almost 25 years. Needless to say, purchasing a new turntable, and fast, was a top priority for me.This cost me less than the Thorens, but I have to say that, for me, this is the superior turntable. This thing is a beast!! Very solidly constructed, super easy to set up and use, it sounds great! The great reviews are certainly justified.I do have a couple of issues, though, which may very well be down to things I need to do. First of all, I do notice that with some of my LPs, I can detect a thumping kind of sound between tracks. I know that the suggested tracking weight for the cartridge is between two and four grams but the greater the tracking weight, the louder the thumping. It is also very sensitive in a way that my old Thorens was not as LPs that played fine on it have play with one or two skips on the AT. As I am not an audiophile per se, any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated here!All said, I certainly hope Audio-Technica keeps this model in production indefinitely!!

Here’s the thing: I bought the AT-LP140 for a very specific reason. I wanted an affordable record player to play my limited collection of mono microgroove LP’s and 78’s. My primary turntable rig is pretty “high end”; Sota Saphire with DC drive, Audio Origami tonearm and Benz Micro Wood cartridge. But mono records (like the Beach Boys Pet Sounds) sounded pretty lifeless on my rig. I had expected more engaging sound than this after reading articles from my favorite audio and music reviewers (RIP Art Dudley).It seemed that I needed a true mono cartridge to get the most out of mono recordings, but my tonearm doesn’t allow for easy cartridge swaps. So I resurrected an old REK-O-Kut-turntable and bought a couple of Audio Technica mono carts - one for 78’s and one for microgroove mono’s (AT Mono3/LP & AT Mono3/SP). The Rek-O-Kut proved to be a PITA to keep running at a constant speed, and I was about to give up on the whole project when I found this turntable on line. I’m glad I did!The first thing I did was ditch the felt DJ ‘slip mat’ and get a Herbie’s Way Excellent mat "5.56mm / 285mm Center Hole: Standard Hole", and it is a perfect fit! Not only does the diameter fit within the raised edge of the platter, but it's thickness is perfect for the VTA adjustment range when using the Audio Technica cartridges. I also bought a couple of Jelco headshells with adjustable azimuth and aligned everything as close as possible to Lofgren specs (which this arm can’t perfectly match).I recognize that this is not a fair comparison. My Sota rig is like fifteen times more expensive than the AT rig: using a Denon DL103 with ‘The Cap’ on the AT for stereo, stereo LP’s sounded like crap - dull and over simplified. Keep in mind that the Denon is a horrible match for the AT tonearm: it’s too heavy and low in compliance. BUT, mono microgrooves with the AT Mono sound BETTER on the AT rig than the Sota with the Benz.And, it turns out that 78’s can sound pretty good, if you’re willing to lower your expectations a bit. I am super pleased with this turntable. I’m thinking I might just try an AT-33PTG to see how good this thing is with stereo LP’s!