The return of the humble turntable – but now with digital features

The Denon DP-450USB lets you save songs from a record straight to a USB stick. — Denon/dpa

Millions of songs, available at any time, even on your smartphone: The infinite choices on streaming services is turning more and more listeners back to the manageable lengths and tactile feel of a good old vinyl. So why is digitalisation creeping into vinyl players?

The arm swings over and lowers a playing needle onto the spinning black vinyl. Then, with a soft crackle, music begins to play.

Despite all that's offered by digital music and streaming services like Spotify, many people still miss the tactile analogue experience of a vinyl record player.

With music streaming, the choice is almost infinite. A long-playing record (LP) offers eight, maybe ten songs. So what's the attraction?

Some say it's because listening to a record is a more unhurried experience, beginning with the anticipation of unpacking the vinyl from its sleeve.

"Digital is unsexy," says Holger Biermann from German HiFi magazine Lowbeats.de. "People take more time to listen to music while looking at the record cover or song lyrics."

If you want to buy a new turntable today, you have a lot of options – and many of them are, ironically, digital features.

Cheap models can be had for a little over US$100 (RM414) while expensive ones cost thousands.

Buyers face a lot of options. For example, should you buy a manual or automatic turntable? In the latter case the arm that holds the playing needle moves back and forth at the touch of a button, in the former you have to move it yourself.

There are many more esoteric choices but the good news is that for most people they're unimportant.

For someone who simply wants to listen to their old LPs or play the odd new record, the choice is not that difficult, according to Biermann.

"Record technology is not complicated," he says, and a fully equipped entry-level record player can be had for around US$350 (RM1,450) to US$550 (RM2,279).

It's useful to get a record player with an analogue-to-digital converter on board. Even cheap models often have a USB port so you can connect to a computer if you want to digitise your record collection.

Alongside the turntable, the stereo system, amplifier or AV receiver may also make a comeback. Many people still have them in their houses.

To connect them with the record player the amplifier or AV receiver needs to have the right input. Otherwise you'll need a pre-amplifier, Biermann explains. Some turntables come with one installed.

A growing number turntables even have built-in Bluetooth and so can connect directly to Bluetooth speakers. However, connecting an analogue turntable to a digital speaker via Bluetooth may be a step too far for audio purists who love the authentic analogue experience.

One low tech accessory that's essential to have is a brush for cleaning off the records – otherwise dust will build up on the playing needle. – dpa