Audio-Technica's affordable new turntable wants to get you hooked on vinyl

Audio-Technica LP70XBT turntable
(Image credit: Audio-Technica)

Audio-Technica's AT-LP60XBT turntable is our current budget pick of the best turntables even though it's been around since God was in short pants, and now there's a new version: the AT-LP70XBT. The firm is pitching it as the perfect first turntable for vinyl newcomers, but says that it'll delight more experienced LP listeners too.

The AT-LP70XBT is a belt driven, fully automatic turntable with a switchable phono stage and built-in Bluetooth with aptX Adaptive for high-quality streaming to compatible headphones. The cartridge here is the AT-VM95C Integral Dual Moving Magnet cartridge, and it's compatible with any VM95 series replacement stylus. 

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT: key features, price and availability

The belt-driven turntable has two speed settings, 45 rpm and 33⅓, and the J-shaped tonearm is designed to minimise tracking errors. The switchable pre-amp means you can use it with an amp or connect it directly to powered speakers via the included RCA cable. 

The AT-VM95C cartridge is AT's entry-level cartridge and has attracted lots of positive reviews for its impressive all-round performance, and it's upgradeable to elliptical, micro linear or Shibata options. It replaces the ATN3600L you'll find in the LP60XBT.

The other big difference from the AT-LP60X is the chassis construction, which Audio-Technica says dampens resonance to deliver improved sound quality over its predecessor. The anti-resonance platter is made from die-cast aluminum and the AC adapter does its thing outside the chassis in order to reduce signal chain noise. 

It's a good-looking deck, and as an AT turntable owner (I have the AT-LP120XUSB) I'm sure it'll deliver impressive sound for the price. However, that price is slightly higher than the LP60: where that model comes in at $149 / £179 / AU$299 the new AT-LP70XBT is $249 / £219 / AU$599. 

There are three color options: Black Silver, Black Bronze and White Silver, and the two silver models will be available from early August 2024. The Black Bronze model will follow a few weeks later.

You may also like

Carrie Marshall
Contributor

Writer, broadcaster, musician and kitchen gadget obsessive Carrie Marshall has been writing about tech since 1998, contributing sage advice and odd opinions to all kinds of magazines and websites as well as writing more than a dozen books. Her memoir, Carrie Kills A Man, is on sale now and her next book, about pop music, is out in 2025. She is the singer in Glaswegian rock band Unquiet Mind.

Read more
The Lenco LBT-215BK at the CES 2025 trade show
I tried Lenco's gorgeous and affordable new wireless turntable, and this will be hard to beat for the money
MIXX Analog System 5
This budget turntable and wireless stereo speakers combo looks like a vinyl beginner's dream
Lenco TTA-080SI record stabilizer
Lenco launches 3 budget turntables all perfect for beginners – plus a light-up disco ball 'record stabilizer'
Victrola Journey Glow at CES 2025
I tried Victrola’s new turntables, and they're seriously good value, with some smart extra features
Gadhouse Cosmos Solar turntable on a blue background
The 5 best turntables and accessories of CES 2025
Korg Handytraxx Play
Korg's new portable turntables make me want to hit the streets and rock some blocks
Latest in Turntables
A close up of the limited edition vinyl turntable wrist watch from AndoAndoAndo
This limited-edition timepiece turns the iconic Technics SL-1200 turntable into a watch, and I want one
Victrola Stream Carbon turntable playing David Bowie, with the tonearm being operated
Victrola adding Bluetooth and Roon to its Sonos-only turntables is the hi-fi equivalent of ‘I think we should see other people’
Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000C Saint Laurent Rive Droite Edition
Bang & Olufsen's latest reworked turntable is a masterpiece of retro revival, in a breathtaking wooden presentation box
Waiting For Ideas PP-1 turntable
This wild turntable plays vinyl without a tonearm, automatically detects the RPM, and is a solid lump of aluminum
The EAT C-Dur Concrete turntable on a wooden shelf
I reviewed EAT's C-Dur Concrete turntable, and you'd be amazed how delicate and detailed a slab of real concrete can be with your vinyl
Zig-Zag Turntable
Zig-Zag (yes, the rolling papers) just launched a turntable right before the Grammys to say: don't you forget about Dre
Latest in News
Perplexity Squid Game Ad
New ad declares Squid Game's real winner is Perplexity AI
Pedro Pascal in Apple's Someday ad promoting the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation.
Pedro Pascal cures his heartbreak thanks to AirPods 4 (and the power of dance) in this new ad
Frank Grimes confronts Homer Simpson in The Simpsons' Homer's Enemy episode
Disney+ adds a new continuous Simpsons stream, so you no longer have to spend ages choosing an episode
Helly and Mark standing on an artificial hill surrounded by goats in Severance season 2 episode 3
New Apple teaser for Severance season 2 finale suggests we might finally find out what Lumon is doing with those goats, and I don't think it's anything good
Nvidia GR00T N1 humanoid robot
Nvidia is dreaming of trillion-dollar datacentres with millions of GPUs and I can't wait to live in the Omniverse
Foldable iPhone
Apple’s first foldable iPhone could beat the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 in one key way