Turntables & Phonographs

TURNTABLES VS PHONOGRAPHS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

Turntables, phonographs, and record players, oh my!  Is there a difference? 

Why yes, Virginia, there is a difference.  While these terms are frequently used interchangeably, there are differences.  And don’t forget RECORD CHANGERS!  

TURNTABLES are a standalone item that must be plugged into the phono input jack on the back of a receiver.  If there is no phono input jack, you must purchase a phono pre amplifier (pre-amp for short).  The red plug ALWAYS goes to the red RCA jack, and the other goes into the white (sometimes black or another color) RCA jack on the back of receiver.  You will also need to attach a set of speakers to the receiver to amplify (hear) the music.  Please refer to the images below to see what a phono pre-amp looks like, as well as what the input jacks on the back of the receiver should look like.   

PHONOGRAPHS are a standalone unit, which have an amplifier and speaker(s) built INTO the body.  These usually resemble a small square suitcase, much like the ones in grade schools prior to the 1990s.

RECORD CHANGERS are a turntable that have a stackable center stem which allows you to stack more than one record to play.  Only one side will play, so you have to manually flip them over after they have all dropped and played.  

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