Audio-TechnicaAT-LP140XP-BK Direct-Drive Professional DJ Turntable, Black, Hi-Fi, Fully Manual, 3 Speed, High Torque Motor

My old Thorens belt drive finally bit the dust after almost 25 years. Needless to say, purchasing a new turntable, and fast, was a top priority for me.This cost me less than the Thorens, but I have to say that, for me, this is the superior turntable. This thing is a beast!! Very solidly constructed, super easy to set up and use, it sounds great! The great reviews are certainly justified.I do have a couple of issues, though, which may very well be down to things I need to do. First of all, I do notice that with some of my LPs, I can detect a thumping kind of sound between tracks. I know that the suggested tracking weight for the cartridge is between two and four grams but the greater the tracking weight, the louder the thumping. It is also very sensitive in a way that my old Thorens was not as LPs that played fine on it have play with one or two skips on the AT. As I am not an audiophile per se, any suggestions or tips would be greatly appreciated here!All said, I certainly hope Audio-Technica keeps this model in production indefinitely!!

Not a DJ here... more of a guy into some good classic vinyl. Luckily i got into it in early 2000's before the recent wave. Only owned it for a few days, however I can really tell for the build quality its very robust and durable. It doesn't seem to introduce unwanted "noise" at all in my setup. Running a nobsound tube amplifier with a set of Klispch's R-41M's speakers.I was using a little Bear phono preamp however it seems to be having issues now, so im borrowing a friends solid state phono preamp for the time being and this thing is incredible!!I found a review on this from a audiophile guru and he recommended backing the tracking force to 2 to 2.2 from the recommended setting of 3 for dj use and, if your not doing dj work. 2 to 2.4 is where the sweetspot is for me personally.I've seen people recommended different cartridge/stylus for just regular listening and honestly I don't think it needs it. I'm hearing things I've never heard before even from digital copies, and I listen to pretty heavy beats and rock music and even with the track is completely full, everything still gets out crystal clear. From the tiny little bells to the large drums, it all there everything proud true full crisp and tight!!!And perfectly balanced with my setup at least, even without an equalizer beleive it or not.I think this was the right choice for me upgrading from a basic RCA turntable i bought new back in 2002. I was looking at the audio technica LP120XUSB however I couldn't get it in black, and I really didn't need the built in preamp or usb so I settled for this even though more expensive I figured it would be more robust since its DJ commercial quality..... And I'm glad i did!!I really like i can vary the pitch to almost anything I feel like and really like the blue strobe scope and blue cue light.Great turntable for whatever you want to do with it. DJ'ing or relaxing in the recliner.

Here’s the thing: I bought the AT-LP140 for a very specific reason. I wanted an affordable record player to play my limited collection of mono microgroove LP’s and 78’s. My primary turntable rig is pretty “high end”; Sota Saphire with DC drive, Audio Origami tonearm and Benz Micro Wood cartridge. But mono records (like the Beach Boys Pet Sounds) sounded pretty lifeless on my rig. I had expected more engaging sound than this after reading articles from my favorite audio and music reviewers (RIP Art Dudley).It seemed that I needed a true mono cartridge to get the most out of mono recordings, but my tonearm doesn’t allow for easy cartridge swaps. So I resurrected an old REK-O-Kut-turntable and bought a couple of Audio Technica mono carts - one for 78’s and one for microgroove mono’s (AT Mono3/LP & AT Mono3/SP). The Rek-O-Kut proved to be a PITA to keep running at a constant speed, and I was about to give up on the whole project when I found this turntable on line. I’m glad I did!The first thing I did was ditch the felt DJ ‘slip mat’ and get a Herbie’s Way Excellent mat "5.56mm / 285mm Center Hole: Standard Hole", and it is a perfect fit! Not only does the diameter fit within the raised edge of the platter, but it's thickness is perfect for the VTA adjustment range when using the Audio Technica cartridges. I also bought a couple of Jelco headshells with adjustable azimuth and aligned everything as close as possible to Lofgren specs (which this arm can’t perfectly match).I recognize that this is not a fair comparison. My Sota rig is like fifteen times more expensive than the AT rig: using a Denon DL103 with ‘The Cap’ on the AT for stereo, stereo LP’s sounded like crap - dull and over simplified. Keep in mind that the Denon is a horrible match for the AT tonearm: it’s too heavy and low in compliance. BUT, mono microgrooves with the AT Mono sound BETTER on the AT rig than the Sota with the Benz.And, it turns out that 78’s can sound pretty good, if you’re willing to lower your expectations a bit. I am super pleased with this turntable. I’m thinking I might just try an AT-33PTG to see how good this thing is with stereo LP’s!