Audio-Technica AT-LP5X Matte Black

The Audio-Technica AT-LP5X is a fully manual direct-drive turntable finished in matte black. Its three-speed motor supports 33⅓, 45 and 78rpm, while the J-shaped tonearm draws on the manufacturer’s earlier turntable designs. An AT-VM95E moving-magnet cartridge arrives fitted to an AT-HS6 headshell, giving a clearly defined supplied cartridge rather than an unspecified dealer bundle. The VM95 stylus family also provides a route to later stylus changes. A switchable phono preamplifier accommodates moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges, although the cartridge supplied with the turntable is moving magnet. This allows connection to suitable line-level equipment or use with an appropriate external phono stage. USB connectivity provides a way to capture records with a computer; it does not make the turntable a network streamer or Bluetooth transmitter. Playback is fully manual, so the user must cue and lift the arm rather than expect automatic stopping. For appropriate 78rpm records, Audio-Technica specifies the separately sold AT-VM95SP stylus instead of the supplied standard elliptical stylus.