In this lineup of 12 turntables, we’ve got the weird, the wonderful, and the downright wacky. These aren’t your grandma’s turntables; they’re a blend of high-tech wizardry and designs that’ll make you look twice. From gadgets that could double as modern art to sonic powerhouses that might just make your vinyls leap for joy, this list is a mash-up of fun, flair, and serious tech. So, let’s drop the needle on this eclectic mix and see which ones spin your records and your head!

Audiowood Black Barky

Barky is a limited-production, high-quality turntable, handcrafted in New Orleans with a unique design featuring a solid ash round and audiophile-grade parts from Rega, UK. Each unit, produced in small quantities (10-15 per year), is individually crafted with precision, ensuring no two are alike. Barky stands out for its easy setup, compatibility with Rega TTPSU for speed changes, and options for various cartridges and voltages for international customers. It’s sustainably made in the USA, shipped globally, and comes with a 3-year warranty from Audiowood, highlighting its commitment to quality and eco-friendly practices.

Brian Eno’s limited edition turntable

Brian Eno has partnered with London’s Paul Stolper Gallery to create a limited-edition turntable featuring color-changing LEDs, encapsulating his psychedelic sonic style. This exclusive collaboration produces 50 experimental turntables, merging Eno’s musical and visual artistry with a design that reflects his ambient, avant-pop influences. This project marks a blend of Eno’s storied career in music and visual arts, offering a unique, multisensory experience.

Lego ‘The Planet’ Turntable

Korean designer and LEGO enthusiast Hayarobi has ingeniously crafted a fully operational turntable using only LEGO pieces, aptly named “The Planet.” This unique creation, assembled from over 2,400 LEGO bricks, is powered by a LEGO Power Functions 8878 battery coupled with a Power Functions 8883 M-Motor. Complementing the turntable, the tube amp and speakers are encased in LEGO, sharing the same deep brown color scheme. The sole non-LEGO component is the essential Audio-Technica phono cartridge, which holds the stylus. “The Planet,” a fusion of playful toy and functional gadget, stands alone in its category. It made its debut at the 2014 Seoul Brick Pop Art Exhibition. Watch it in action here.

The Flip O Flip

Designer Juwon Kim’s Flip O Flip is a modern, approachable turntable designed to ease the intimidation often associated with analog vinyl players, particularly for millennials. This innovative design features a unique pin-shaped axis that rotates the record, allowing easy switching between A and B sides with an ‘auto flip button.’ It includes a controller for speed adjustment and a dial for tonearm placement. Visually, Flip O Flip departs from traditional aesthetics, sporting a white body with bright orange accents for the axis and tonearm, focusing on visual appeal.

RECORD RUNNER®

The RECORD RUNNER®, a clever and unique reinterpretation of the iconic SOUNDWAGON from the 1980s, stands out as the world’s smallest record player, doubling as a whimsical, officially licensed Volkswagen® Westfalia-themed gadget. This amusing, palm-sized device, weighing just 111 grams, not only plays 33 1/3 RPM records but also adds a dash of fun with its Westfalia design. It’s equipped with essential features like volume and playback-speed controls, an automatic stop function, and an Audio Technica-powered stylus. With a built-in motor, amplifier, and speaker, it offers around 90 minutes of playtime on two AAA batteries. Crafted in Japan, this delightful Westfalia record player is a perfect gift for music fans, DJs, and record collectors. Please note: RECORD RUNNER® should not be used on your most rarest & valuable records.

R-evolution Meteor – Stealth turntable

The R-evolution Meteor – Stealth turntable, priced at CHF 252,200 (that’s swiss francs, so almost 300k USD), is a technologically advanced direct drive turntable featuring a unique two-chassis design. The inner chassis houses the motor and platter, while the outer “Meteor” chassis, crafted from a tree dried for over 20 years, minimizes standing waves. It includes a new axle-shaft assembly and an ultra-stable wood-based platter shielded from vibrations. The turntable is powered by the latest battery technology and incorporates an Accurion active anti-vibration system to eliminate frequencies below 200 Hz and is capable of mounting two arms simultaneously.

MT5 Precision Turntable

The McIntosh MT5 Precision Turntable is a high-end, complete turntable package, engineered to McIntosh’s exacting standards. It features a magnetically suspended, illuminated platter, a high-performance motor, precision tone arm, and a Sumiko Amethyst cartridge, known for its dynamic handling and clarity. Praised for its natural sound reproduction and stability, the MT5 is easy to set up and offers an exceptional vinyl listening experience, making it a standout choice for audiophiles.

Transrotor Artus FMD

The Transrotor Artus FMD is a premium turntable featuring a polished aluminum-black acrylic chassis, an 80mm acrylic platter, and Cadanic suspension for optimal leveling. It uses a Free Magnetic Drive (FMD) bearing to eliminate distortion from belts and motors, ensuring smooth and accurate speed. The turntable accommodates up to two tone arms (9-inch or 12-inch) and comes with the Konstant FMD power supply and a 370-gram chrome record weight. Also, it’s $200 000 USD and weighs around 445 pounds.

The Work of Art Turntable

The Basis Work of Art turntable is a high-end audio masterpiece combining advanced design and technology. It features a unique isolation system for stability, a custom-modified AC synchronous motor for speed precision, and a meticulously designed bearing and platter system for optimal playback quality. Enhanced with a vacuum record hold-down system, it ensures superior sound reproduction. This turntable, a result of decades of development, represents the zenith of vinyl music reproduction, merging the art and science of analog playback.

Air Force Zero

TechDAS’s Air Force Zero turntable project emerged from the audio industry’s shift back to analog in response to the digital transition. Initiated in 2008, this endeavor culminated in the 2012 release of the Air Force One, a milestone in analog audio that led to a series including the Air Force One Premium, Two, Three, and V. Concurrently, TechDAS developed the Zero, their ultimate turntable, with no cost constraints, resulting in a groundbreaking, 330 kg system designed for unparalleled sonic performance, accommodating various tonearm sizes and featuring a large 40 cm diameter platter.

Invictus Jr. NEO

The Invictus Junior NEO, a compact version of the reference Invictus NEO turntable, embodies high-end audio design and technology. It features four insulated AC motors, a digital motor controller with AVC technology, a diamond-coated spindle bearing, a massive 16.5 kg aluminum-brass sandwich platter with silencer modules, and CLD technology for improved resonance. Accommodating up to four tonearms, it offers customizable finishes, including a black-gold option with 24K gold-plated components, and comes with a 15-year warranty.

Av Design Haus’ Dereneville VPM 2010-1 Turntable

The Dereneville VPM 2010-1 by AV Design Haus, priced at a staggering $650,000, is among the world’s most luxurious turntables. It features a corian chassis on air-suspended feet for stability, dual motors, precise speed measurement, and a camera for perfect cartridge alignment. Additionally, it boasts a sophisticated scanner for track detection and selection, epitomizing the pinnacle of high-end audio technology. At this turntable’s steep price, your dog better have an ear for audio finesse, because such precision is probably overkill for human ears.