My Five Favorite Classic Looking Turntables

I actually owned a couple of these turntables. The others I would love to own. I’m going to put them in the order of my desire by looks not sound. Let’s start with the Luxman PD 444. I know it’s not the most beautiful turntable ever made to most, but for some reason it appeals to me in every way. I love the low profile, the brushed aluminum top plate, and most of all I love the elegant way it handle two tonearms. To me it is simply and elegant looking turntable.

Of traditional looking turntable it would be hard to beat the Artisan Fidelity Garrard 301 Statement. You can read my review of this turntable at Dagogo. It is a very special turntable.

If I was picking my favorite classic looking turntable by sound alone there would be no contest. I would take the Saskia Reference II. It is a current production idler drive turntable, using the best combination of both vintage and modern design. It looks great, sounds even better but is way out of my price range, but a man can dream.

The last two turntables on the list are from the seventies. I loved the looks of the Denons of that day. I always thought I would love to own one, but never did. The picture is of a Denon DP-3000, but I liked the looks of most of the big Denons of the day.

The other is the Sony PS 2251 which is the turntable I owned when I was in college at the same time I owned the stacked Quad ESLs. To me it wasn’t as beautiful ans the Denon, but I got a great deal on one and many said it was a good as the SP-10. I never compared the two side by side, but the Sony was one fine turntable. I probably should have never gotten rid of it.

There are many classic looking turntables that I find beautiful. The Shindo, the Linn, Micro Seiki, JVC, Nakamichi, and others. Still the five above are the classic looking turntables that have caught my fancy. I’ll try to see if I can find five modern tables to share later.