Do Turntables Have Speakers?
Most do not. Here is why a turntable needs a phono stage and an amplifier, three ways to build the chain, and what suitcase players cost you in record wear.
Most turntables do not have speakers. All in one suitcase players and a few modern Bluetooth decks do, but any turntable sold as a hi-fi component outputs a signal only and needs a phono stage, an amplifier and separate speakers. That signal is also around a thousand times quieter than a normal line output, which is why plugging a turntable straight into powered speakers usually produces almost nothing.
The confusion is reasonable, because the two categories look similar in photographs and sit next to each other in shops. What separates them is whether the deck contains amplification, and that changes everything about what else you need to buy.
The turntables that do have speakers
Suitcase and portable players from Crosley, Victrola, Audio-Technica’s Sound Burger and similar brands have small drivers built into the case, usually 5 to 10 watts a side. Plug it in, put a record on, and it plays.
They are convenient and they sound like what they are. Two tiny drivers a few inches apart in a plastic box produce no stereo image, no bass, and a thin midrange.
The more serious concern is the cartridge. Many budget all in one players use a ceramic cartridge tracking at 4 to 6 grams, against roughly 1.5 to 2 grams for a decent moving magnet cartridge on a proper deck. That extra force wears records measurably faster, and the wear is permanent. If the records matter to you, this is the argument against these players rather than the sound quality.
Some modern decks from Audio-Technica, Sony and others include Bluetooth output, which is a different thing: no speakers built in, but it will transmit to a Bluetooth speaker without any wired chain.
What a component turntable needs
Three things sit between the deck and the sound.
A phono stage, also called a phono preamp. A cartridge produces a few millivolts against the roughly two volts a line input expects, and the signal also has the RIAA equalization curve baked into it, with bass reduced and treble boosted to fit more music on the disc. The phono stage boosts the level and reverses that curve. Skip it and you get a quiet, thin, tinny sound.
An amplifier to drive the speakers, unless the speakers are powered.
Speakers, passive or powered.
Many turntables now include a built in phono stage with a switch on the back marked Phono and Line. In Line position it has already done the work, so it can feed any ordinary input. Many amplifiers also include one, marked Phono on the input selector. Use one or the other, never both, since running the signal through two phono stages produces a distorted mess.
Three ways to build the chain
| Setup | What you need | Cost beyond the deck |
|---|---|---|
| Simplest | Turntable with built in phono stage plus powered speakers | USD 100 to 300 |
| Classic | Turntable, integrated amplifier with phono input, passive speakers | USD 250 to 600 |
| Flexible | Turntable, external phono preamp, amplifier, passive speakers | USD 280 to 700 |
The simplest route suits most people starting out. A deck with a switchable phono stage and a pair of powered bookshelf speakers is two boxes, one cable, and it sounds far better than any suitcase player.
The classic route is the better value long term, because a decent integrated amplifier lets you add a CD player, a streamer or a TV later, and passive speakers give you far more choice at every price. Our guide on choosing an amplifier for your speakers covers matching power and impedance.
Things that catch people out
Powered speakers with only a 3.5 mm or RCA line input will not work directly with a turntable that has no built in phono stage. This is the most common disappointment in the whole hobby, and the fix is a USD 30 to 150 phono preamp.
Ground hum is the other. Most turntables have a thin separate ground wire that connects to a grounding post on the amplifier or phono stage. Leave it disconnected and you get a persistent low hum. It takes ten seconds to fix and people spend weeks blaming the cartridge.
Bluetooth speakers introduce latency, which does not matter for listening to a record but does mean the sound arrives slightly after the needle drops. Harmless, occasionally disconcerting.
Vibration matters more with vinyl than with anything else. A turntable sitting on the same surface as the speakers will pick up their output through the plinth and feed it back, which shows up as muddy bass and, at volume, as howling feedback. Put the deck on a separate shelf or as far from the speakers as the room allows. Our roundup of standing speakers for vinyl covers pairings that work well with records.
Frequently asked questions
Can you play a turntable without speakers?
Only through headphones, and only if something in the chain provides amplification. A turntable produces a very low level signal with no power behind it, so it cannot drive headphones directly any more than it can drive speakers. Some amplifiers and phono stages include a headphone output, which is the usual solution for listening quietly.
Do I need a phono preamp for my turntable?
Yes, unless one is already built into either the turntable or the amplifier. A cartridge outputs a few millivolts with the RIAA equalization curve still applied, so it needs both amplification and that curve reversed before it sounds correct. Check the back of the deck for a Phono and Line switch, and the amplifier for a Phono input. If neither has one, add an external unit at USD 30 to 150.
Are turntables with built in speakers bad?
They are convenient and they compromise on two things that matter. The sound is limited by tiny drivers a few inches apart, which rules out any real bass or stereo image. More importantly, many budget models use heavy tracking ceramic cartridges that wear records faster than a proper deck does, and that wear cannot be undone. For casual listening they are fine. For a collection you care about they are not.
Can I connect a turntable to Bluetooth speakers?
Yes, if the turntable has Bluetooth output, which several modern decks from Audio-Technica and Sony do. Otherwise you need a phono stage to bring the signal up to line level, then a Bluetooth transmitter to send it. Expect a small delay between the needle and the sound, which is a Bluetooth characteristic and does not affect playback quality.