Group test: Turntables under £500

Overview Price: £450 More info: The Funk Firm Size (WxHxD): 115x43x335mm Key features: Electronic speed change, sapphire bearing, reviewed with Rega RB250 arm, vdH Condor cartridge Finishes: White/grey

Funk Firm Funk

This odd-looking turntable is the latest descendent of the Pink Triangle, the acrylic-plattered Linn jouster of the eighties and nineties. It has few if any similarities to its forbear however, save the DC motor and the use of an unusual material for the platter. The Funk's so-called Achroplat is made of expanded vinyl and is a lot lighter in weight than most, as is the shaped plinth with its minimal use of MDF and distinctive white plastic feet. These feet have a layer of Sorbothane between them and the plinth in an attempt to ward off vibration and are arranged so that the bearing sits in what the Funk Firm calls the 'sweetspot' from an isolation point of view.

The bearing is an inverted sapphire type while the armhole has been cut for Rega arms - our sample was supplied with a standard RB250 but equipped with an adjusting collar to allow height to be varied. You have to supply your own cartridge.

This is a surprisingly good turntable for any money and quite stunning at the price - it seems to do nearly everything well and some things very well. Dynamics are a real strong point, you can feel the energy in the recording, voices and instruments have a life and vitality that few source components can match. It is also extremely nimble, stopping and starting on a dime thanks to the low-mass platter.

Despite this it also does bass and plays the most gripping tunes with it. Inevitably it's not quite as refined and calm as heavier decks and if one area could be improved it's the high frequencies but that is judging it by absolute standards - as a sub-£500 turntable it's a giant slayer.

Verdict Plus points Supreme dynamics, speed and high resolution Minus points Build could be slicker, no dust cover, warrants an expensive cartridge

Overview Price: £265 More info: Goldring Size (WxHxD): 120x450x370mm Key features: Rega RB250 arm, Goldring 1012GX cartridge, proper hinged lid Finishes: Black, white

Goldring GR2

The more expensive of Goldring's two turntables is a dead ringer for the old Rega P2 and for good reason - it's made by Rega and alongside a couple of other brands' models, is the reason why that company's entry-level model was discontinued. It has an MDF plinth and platter, the latter being mass loaded at its periphery and supported on a chunky 18mm bearing.

The tonearm is a proper Rega RB250 rather than the plastic-based alternative found on cheaper decks, it supports a Goldring 1012GX moving magnet cartridge. That's £224 worth of arm and cartridge at retail prices - bulk buying must have its advantages! Drive is via O section belt from a motor with pulleys for 33 and 45, speed change is manual.

The GR2 is a highly engaging and remarkably revealing turntable for the price. It delivers high levels of detail and an open and spacious sound that leaves most CD players sounding flat. It is also highly revealing of variations in recording quality, responding to the better sounding records in no uncertain terms. It reveals tonal variation well and while the bass may not be depth-plumbing it's always highly tuneful. Voices stand out extremely well, the deck rendering a strong image that brings the performer into the room.

It times nicely as well with a confidence in its delivery that is highly reminiscent of its Rega forbear.

Verdict Plus points Well built and properly set-up with an excellent arm and great cartridge for the price Minus points Limited at the frequency extremes and requires the best isolation

Overview Price: £250 More info: NAD Size (WxHxD): 447x111x356mm Key features: Rega RB250 arm, Goldring Elektra cartridge, proper hinged lid Finishes: Black, grey

NAD C555

The renaissance of turntables has prompted a number of well-known brands to turn to OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) to supply a turntable that they can brand as their own. NAD has a history of making budget turntables but this latest example is like the Goldring GR2, another Rega P2 derivative made by Southend's finest.

While the C555 bears a strong resemblance to the GR2 it is rather closer in construction to Goldring's less expensive GR1.2 although NAD claims that it's a refined variation on that theme. This is a straightforward MDF plinth design with only rubber feet to stave off vibration in any supporting surface. A fixed AC synchronous motor drives a plastic sub-platter which supports the MDF platter and felt mat. Speed change is effected by removing the platter and then pulling the belt onto the alternative pulley, a crude but reliable system. The arm on here is the plastic-based RB250 variant but still enjoys the high quality one-piece casting found across Rega's range. The cartridge supplied and fitted is a Goldring Elektra, a £32 moving magnet with replaceable stylus.

Inevitably this turntable has much in common with the Goldring when it comes to sound, it can produce a coherent and homogenous soundstage and reveals plenty of detail from the vinyl. It isn't as refined as the Goldring but has a good sense of timing and an open balance that breathes life into even the most tired of albums.

Inevitably it has its limitations and these become apparent when the music gets dense - at such times you miss the calmness of better turntables and wonder if a cartridge upgrade might be able to improve matters significantly. Tone colour is nonetheless attractively painted with original orchestral instruments resonating in truly baroque shades.

Verdict Plus points Good timing and coherence, nice tone, decent build Minus points Relatively crude cartridge for the price

Overview Price: £298 More info: Rega Size (WxHxD): 445x113x355mm Key features: RB300 tonearm, various colour options, proper lid, reviewed with Rega Elys cartridge Finishes: Black, white, grey, yellow, green, blue, purple, red

Rega P3

The P3 has been in production for over twenty years and remains the benchmark by which budget turntables are judged the world over. It has not been resting on its laurels however as Rega has recently updated the high quality synchronous motor with control circuitry that ensures it runs “almost totally vibration free”. It is also available in a range of colours including white and black alongside some extremely lively shades.

The P3 has a 12mm glass platter under its felt mat and a plastic sub-platter beneath that. The latter is driven via a flat belt from a metal pulley with two gears to give 33 and 45rpm, speed change is manual. Despite appearances. the plinth is not solid but has internal cut-outs to control resonance, the simple rubber feet having only limited isolating potential. The tonearm is the budget tonearm to beat them all, the RB300, with better bearings than the RB250 and dial-in downforce. The P3 does not come with a cartridge as standard but our sample had a Rega Elys onboard.

In action it's not difficult to hear why this deck has proved such a long-term success, it has a very strong sense of timing which hooks you into the music every time. It may not offer the dynamics of the Funk but there is a coherence to the music it produces which is mighty convincing.

The P3 produces wide bandwidth and powerful bass. The Elys probably restricts high frequency finesse to a degree but is more than capable of reproducing a well spaced-out, three-dimensional soundstage. It also revels in differences between recordings which is always a good sign. Ultimately the key to the P3's continuing appeal is its sense of musical cohesion, you've just gotta listen.

Verdict Plus points High build quality, superb tonearm, great musicality Minus points Arm height set for Rega cartridges and requires shims to adjust for others

Final verdict You get plenty of variety with turntables - engineering has a far greater impact on the end result than with digital sources so it's almost inevitable that you get what you pay for. Having said that, the Goldring offers rather better value than the NAD despite their closeness in price. Both are good decks for the money but the Goldring has the better arm and cartridge and thus warrants its higher ranking. The latest Rega P3 clearly represents the next step up with a coherent and assured sound that makes for higher resolution and real insight into recordings. The Funk is head and shoulders ahead of this and most other packs - it may not have the build quality of the Rega but it produces righteous dynamics and considerably more thrill power than most turntables, assuming it's equipped with a cartridge that's capable.

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