Stop, There's a Difference Between a 'Turntable' and 'Record Player'? Here's Why They're Not the Same Thing, and Which You Should Get

Image of a long, custom record player stand with built-in record storage. The walls of the room are a dark green wallpaper, and there is an orb light on the chest that's on.

With analog listening well and truly on the rise in 2025, you may be thinking about purchasing a record player for yourself. Or is it a turntable? Do you know the difference? Or that there even was one?

In short, a vinyl record player refers to what most people are thinking of — an all-in-one sound system where you can play and listen to vinyl records. A turntable, on the other hand, refers solely to the component that spins the vinyl record. That means, in order to actually listen to the music, you'll need to attach a separate audio component.