Premium Models Lead Turntable Revival With New Features, Colors, Says Report

Premium turntables selling for above $250 had a 135 percent spike in dollar sales for the 12 months ended Feb. 28, said a Thursday NPD report. At the same time, entry-level turntable sales grew at the expense of margin, with lower end models at an average selling price decline of 6 percent during the period, NPD said. Overall, turntable sales were up 16 percent in dollars and 23 percent in units versus the previous 12-month period, it said. NPD analyst Ben Arnold attributed renewed interest in turntables to a breadth of colors and form factors that appeal to design-focused shoppers, plus “updated features like Bluetooth to keep up with the wider trend towards connectivity in audio.” Half of turntables sold in the 12-month period were Bluetooth-capable, 39 percent had the ability to digitize LPs into audio files and two-thirds were in colors other than black, Arnold said. The majority of turntable sales came from the top five brands: Innovative Technology, maker of turntables with vintage designs; Crosley; Audio-Technica; Jensen; and Sony, it said.