Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB turntable

Last updated: 18 September 2026

The three adjustments nothing else at this price gives you

Most decks under £300 are set at the factory and sealed off from you. This one is not, in three specific ways.

The counterweight. You balance the arm and then dial in the downforce yourself, which is how you match a cartridge properly rather than trusting a preset.

The anti-skate dial. It runs 0 to 4g. Anti-skate counteracts the arm's pull towards the centre of the record, and setting it correctly keeps the stylus sitting evenly between the two groove walls instead of leaning on one.

The headshell. It is an AT-HS6 on a standard half-inch mount, so almost any moving magnet cartridge will bolt on later. The arm takes cartridges weighing 3.5g to 8.5g, which covers nearly everything you would want to put on it.

It arrives with an AT-VM95E already fitted, an elliptical tip rather than the conical one on the cheaper decks, so the starting point is better too.

Direct drive, and why it matters here

Belt drive is the norm under £300 because a belt cheaply isolates the platter from motor vibration. Direct drive puts the platter on the motor instead, which gets it to speed faster and holds it there harder. That is why DJs use it, and it is why this deck has a quartz pitch lock, a pitch slider at plus or minus 8 or 16 per cent, and an electronic brake.

Starting torque is quoted at more than 1.0 kgf.cm. For listening to albums at home the drive type matters far less than the arm, but the arm here is the good part anyway.

It plays 78s, and it copies to USB

Three speeds rather than two, so inherited shellac is playable. Bear in mind that 78s want a wider stylus than the AT-VM95E, so a proper 78 tip is a separate purchase.

The USB output runs at 16-bit, 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz, selectable, and connects straight to a Mac or a PC for archiving a record you cannot replace.

Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB specifications

What it gives up

There is no Bluetooth. Audio-Technica sells that as the AT-LP120XBT-USB at £339, so wireless costs about £94 more here. There is no automatic start either, so you place the arm yourself, and the auto lift only rescues it at the end of the side.

It is also heavy and large: 8 kg and 452 mm wide, against 2.9 kg and 400 mm for the AT-LP70XBT. That is a real consideration on a narrow shelf, and it is the practical reason plenty of people buy the smaller deck instead.

What it costs, and where

Prices checked 4 September 2026 and they move, so the figure on the page you land on is the one that counts. The £55 gap between Amazon and Audio-Technica was unusually wide on the day, so it is the first thing to re-check.

Where to buy the AT-LP120XUSB

Buy on Amazon, £245 Buy from Audio-Technica, £299.99

This page contains affiliate links. If you click through and buy I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It does not affect what I write.

Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB FAQs

How much does the AT-LP120XUSB cost in the UK?

Amazon UK had it at £245 on 4 September 2026 against Audio-Technica's own £299.99, a gap of £55. That gap is wide enough to be worth re-checking on the day you buy.

Is the AT-LP120XUSB a DJ turntable?

It borrows the layout, the direct drive, the quartz lock and the pitch slider, so it will do the job for beat matching at home. It is not built for a club, and the S-shaped arm and elliptical cartridge are aimed at listening rather than scratching.

Can you change the cartridge?

Yes, and this is the main argument for buying it. The AT-HS6 headshell is a standard half-inch mount, so almost any moving magnet cartridge fits, and the arm accepts anything from 3.5g to 8.5g.

Does it play 78s?

It does, and it is the only deck in my budget turntables list that does. A 78 needs a wider stylus than the AT-VM95E fitted, so buy a 78 tip as well if you plan to play shellac properly.

Do you need a separate phono stage?

No. The phono preamplifier is built in and switchable, so it drives powered speakers or a line input directly, and switches off if your amplifier has its own.

What does the USB output actually do?

It sends a 16-bit digital copy at 44.1 or 48 kHz straight to a computer, which is how you archive a record that is out of print. Audio-Technica supplies the cable in the box.

More from CoolCuration

• Best budget turntables UK: where this deck sits against six others under £300.
• To Pimp a Butterfly on vinyl: a pressing worth putting on a deck this good.
• Best noise cancelling headphones UK: for when the record has to go off.
• Gift guide for techies: more kit for people who read the specification first.
• Audible: what a listening subscription costs alongside the records.

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