Christmas 2015 is rapidly approaching and you still don’t have any idea what to get your loved ones. But never fear! MaPlatine.com can help you fill the stockings this Christmas! Turntables, comprehensive packages, gift cards and others. You're sure to find what you're looking for in the perfect gift idea.
Our Christmas shopping guide for 2015 contains all of the most important products from 2015, as well as some of the new additions to our selections of turntables and 'Ready to Listen' packages.
You can also take a look at our Christmas selection of turntable accessories.
1. Give the gift of a ‘Ready to Listen’ package this Christmas
2. Our selection of turntables for Christmas 2015
A. Buy a turntable for a budget of €500 and below
B. Buy a turntable for a budget between €600 and €1000
C. Buy a turntable for a budget of €1000 and above
1. Give the gift of a ‘Ready to Listen’ package this Christmas
For Christmas 2015, you may be looking to buy a turntable for a loved one who is new to the world of analogue and therefore doesn’t own all the gear already.
As you may know, if a turntable is not connected to a phono preamplifier or an amplifier with a 'phono' input, you'll have a hard time getting any sound out of your speakers! This is a serious matter! This is why we offer a turntable & amplifier package with great value for money, which includes a turntable by Pro-Ject and an amp with a phono input by Cambridge Audio.
We don't take it for granted that everyone owns a full Hi-Fi setup. This is why we have put together comprehensive packages, available from our website, which allow you to start listening to your record player straight away - as quickly as you can tear off the wrapping paper!. This means that the large majority of our packages are made up of a turntable, an amp with a phono input, and a pair of top quality speakers.
For less than €1000 you can make sure you're getting a remarkable vinyl sound quality, as well as the guarantee that you're giving your loved one the Christmas present they really want. All of our packages are carefully put together by our expert technicians, so you can be sure that the equipment combinations chosen have been thoroughly researched and are as complementary as they can possibly be.
Our favourite package is the Discovery package available in 3 colour finishes, which includes a Pro-Ject Debut carbon turntable, an AM10 amplifier by Cambridge Audio and a pair of Positive Technologie speakers by Pro-Ject.
If you're working with a higher budget, the almost 100% Rega Prestige package is one of our best buys. To put it together, our technicians have combined a Rega RP3 turntable, a Rega Brio R amplifier and a pair of Monitor Audio BX5 speakers.
2. Our selection of turntables for Christmas 2015
Here is our non comprehensive selection of turntables that will make a great Christmas gift. Please feel free to take a look at our full catalogue of record players as well, and you’ll be sure to find what you're looking for.
A. Buy a turntable for a budget of €500 and below
Our selection of turntables is very broad, so if you're looking to buy one as a Christmas gift, even on a budget of €500, you'll be spoilt for choice between many renowned brands: Pro-Ject, Rega, Thorens… Browse our selection of entry level turntables the perfect Christmas gift.
- Pro-Ject DEBUT Carbon turntable with 2M Red cartridge (special edition):
The DEBUT Carbon turntable with 2M Red cartridge by Pro-Ject is a flagship model in this price range. It has all of the main features of the famous DEBUT Carbon turntable, with some key improvements. The most significant difference is the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, which has replaced the original OM10 cartridge. This record player is one of our top picks, and at this price, this special edition (which is also a limited edition!) is truly an opportunity not to be missed for Christmas 2015. It also has huge potential for upgrades, so it would make the perfect Christmas gift for someone looking to start building up an analogue sound system.
It should be noted that this 2M Red cartridge model is only available in the gloss black finish.
- Pro-Ject Essential II Digital turntable:
The Essential II Digital turntable by the famous Austrian manufacturer Pro-Ject is a new product for the end of 2015. It is perfect for beginners, combining all the features of its sister product the Essential II turntable with a built-in phono preamplifier. This means that all you have to do to get it up and running is plug it directly into an amplifier or Hi-Fi system (without a phono input, of course). Another significant advantage of the Essential II Digital turntable is its optical output, which allows you to enjoy an analogue sound through a Sonos playbar, for example, which does not have an optical input.
The value for money is undeniable. Also, this turntable allows a number of upgrades (phono cable, cartridge, etc.)
- Rega RP1 turntable with Rega performance pack:
Do we really need to present this pack, complete with the Rega RP1 turntable and its performance pack? Has been a best-selling crowd-pleaser for years, and is mainly used to play rock. This turntable is Rega's entry-level model. It couldn’t be simpler to install and start up, so it's perfect for novices just starting to discover the analogue sound. The Rega Performance Pack included in this package allows you to make significant upgrades to the RP1 turntable: Bias cartridge, high performance belt and a platter mat, you're sure to get the most out of this turntable.
- Pro-Ject RPM1 Carbon turntable:
Pro-Ject is always at the cutting edge of innovation, releasing this RPM1 Carbon turntable in late 2014 to replace the previous RPM 1.3 Genie. It is available in 3 colours (red, white and black) and comes delivered as standard with the excellent Ortofon 2M Red cartridge. Its decoupled motor and carbon fibre tonearm work to significantly dampen vibrations during playback.
This excellent turntable has already won the highly coveted What Hi-Fi award. The RPM1 Carbon is without a doubt one of our best buys, with very few, if any, serious competitors in its price range.
B. Buy a turntable for a budget between €600 and €1000
If you're working with a higher budget for your Christmas shopping, then you should take a look at our large turntable catalogue from €600 to €1000. It contains best-sellers from the biggest brands in High Fidelity. Below you will find our selection of record players in this category.
- Pro-Ject RPM3 Carbon turntable:
The Pro-Ject RPM3 Carbon turntable is getting a lot of attention currently. No sooner was it out of the Pro-Jectworkshop than it won the highly coveted EISA Award for Best Product of the Year 2015-2016! Each element of this record player has been carefully designed to create a distinctly high fidelity sound - it comes delivered as standard with an Ortofon 2M Silver cartridge and has a decoupled motor to dampen vibrations. It is also highly upgradeable. In our opinion, the Pro-Ject RPM3 Carbon would make an excellent present to wake up to on Christmas morning 2015.
It’s already one of our best buys, and we haven’t heard the last of it yet. A definite maPlatine.com top pick.
- Rega RP3 turntable:
British manufacturer Rega needs no introduction and neither does the Planar range. The Rega RP3 turntable differs significantly from its little sister, the Rega RP1 turntable (which also needs no introduction!). For example, the separate power supply opens a lot more doors in terms of upgrades, as you can quite easily add the Rega TT PSU power supply unit which noticeably improves sound quality.
The Rega RP3 record player delivers the British brand’s signature musicality, earning it the Product of the Year award from the renowned What Hi-Fi magazine.
You can find more information about this turntable on its product page here.
- Thorens TD 209 turntable:
This TD 209 turntable is the perfect illustration of the expertise of the famous manufacturer Thorens. And it has the highly coveted Diapason d’Or award (2014) to prove it. It has the same shape as its big sister, the Thorens TD 309 turntable, as well as a variety of other features that you can find out more about on the fact sheet of this turntable here. For those of you who dream of the TD 309 but don’t have the budget, the TD 209 turntable is the perfect alternative.
C. Buy a turntable for a budget of €1000 and above
With this sort of budget, you're sure to give the ideal gift for Christmas! With a gift branded Clearaudio, Pro-Ject, VPI, AVID and even Transrotor under the Christmas tree, you can't go wrong! Here is our selection of renowned turntables to treat your loved ones (or yourself!) to this Christmas.
- Clearaudio concept Pack MM turntable:
German brand Clearaudio is famous in the Hi-Fidelity industry. The Concept series was created to cater for novices looking to enter the world of high-end Hi-Fi at a relatively affordable price and with easy installation. The Clearaudio Concept turntable (MM Package) is therefore a strong example of the German brand’s trademark high production quality and impressive features.
Please feel free to consult our fact sheet for further information here.
- Avid Ingenium turntable:
The Ingenium turntable is the entry-level range of the prestigious brand Avid. While it has incorporated some of the Avid Diva II turntable's features, such as the bearing and motor, the Ingenium sets itself apart. In fact, its tonearm is the renowned Pro-Ject 9CC which accommodates a Nagaoka MP110 cartridge.
You’ll be blown away by the sound quality this record player can deliver.
- Pro-Ject X-tension 9 turntable with Ortofon Quintet Blue cartridge:
The Pro-Ject X-tension 9 CC Evo turntable is one of the Austrian brand's flagship products. The combination of its production quality and price make this a truly exceptional turntable. And it has the accolades to prove it, with an EISA Award for Best Analogue Source 2014-2015 and a Classica Choc, among others. It is normally delivered without a cartridge, but with our package you can have it fitted with Ortofon's excellent Quintet Blue cartridge. Naturally, we take care of the assembly and setup before delivery, so you can just sit back and enjoy!
You really can’t go wrong with this deal - it’s the perfect Christmas gift for any audiophile who wants to get the absolute most out of their record collection.
This package is also available as the Super Pack Edition with Quintet Black cartridge or as MM Pack with Ortofon 2M Black cartridge.
- Transrotor Darkstar turntable:
The Transrotor Dark Star turntable is a perfect ambassador for the German manufacturer. As well as a striking design and remarkable production quality, the Darkstar turntable also offers huge freedom and potential for upgrades (cartridge, phono cable, Konstant 1 external power supply unit etc.).
This Transrotor turntable is one of our top picks - we recommended it without hesitation.
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Buying someone a turntable depends on a number of criteria, therefore we advise you to read our guide of what you need to know before buying a turntable. If you’re still having trouble deciding between different options in the same range, take a look at our comparison guide here.
When you buy a turntable on maPlatine.com, you're guaranteed it will be delivered set up and tested! A ready-to-listen Christmas gift is a bonus, don't you think? ;)
Naturally, the maPlatine.com is available for help by e-mail (contact@maplatine.com). We'll be delighted to talk to you and give you personalised advice to help you purchase a turntable as a Christmas gift.
