Manual vs Automatic Turntables: Does One Sound Better or Worse?

Before buying a turntable, there are a bunch of questions you have to ask yourself. How much do you want to spend? Do you want a turntable with a built-in phono preamp or do you want to be able to build out the system with your own amplification and components? What size records will you be playing and what speed(s) will you need the turntable to play?

Most importantly, however: Do you want a manual or an automatic turntable? And more importantly. And what the is the difference?

What’s the difference between a manual and automatic turntable?

With a manual turntable, you have to manually lower the tonearm onto the record to start playing. When the record is over, you have to lift the tonearm back into its resting position. It’s more work, of course, but many vinyl enthusiasts believe manual is the point. This kind of turntable makes playing the music very deliberate.

Photo by Chase Pellerin for Gear Patrol

An automatic turntable takes that work away from you. Once you place the record, all you have to do is press a button (or lever) and the tonearm will automatically lower onto the record. When the record is over, the tonearm will lift and return back to its resting position. It’s a minor bit of automation but with a big effect — it makes your turntable essentially a press-and-play machine.

There are hybrid turntables, too. A semi-automatic turntable splits the difference by requiring you to place the needle into the groove, but after the album is done, the tonearm will automatically lift and return to its resting position at the end of the record. Most automatic and semi-automatic turntables will also turn off at the end of the record.

What are the advantages of an automatic turntable?

The biggest advantage of an automatic turntable is that you don’t have to worry about placing the stylus. That can be a big relief if you’re just getting into vinyl because you won’t have to worry about missing the edge of the record or placing the stylus cleanly. And it’s important to do so; if done improperly this can scratch and ruin the record, not to mention make a terrible screeching sound in the process.

With an automatic turntable, there’s also less likelihood of you damaging your turntable’s stylus; most automatic turntables have an “auto off” feature that also picks up and returns the tonearm, that way the stylus doesn’t keep riding the record for hours before you realize it’s still on.

Do automatic turntables sound worse?

This is a topic of contention. Some people claim that automatic turntables’ abundance of moving parts can actually have a negative effect on the sound quality. There’s also the fact that most audiophiles prefer manual turntables for the simple fact that they like the analog ritual of placing the stylus and having to pay closer attention to the music.

Sound aside, there’s more that can go wrong on an automatic turntable, putting their longevity in question. If you’re someone who wants a buy-it-for-life product, manual turntables may be the better route.

The bottom line, however, is that it comes down to the turntable. If you have a high-quality turntable and you take care of, the odds are high that it will sound great.

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