Regular readers – and anyone on the hunt for one of the best turntables – will know of Sony‘s form in the budget vinyl spinning arena. Simply put, the Sony PS-LX310BT is one of the best Bluetooth turntables in its lowly price category, and has been since its 2019 release.
And after a long old wait, Sony has released a model to update it, plus a step-up option for anyone looking to level up – or replace a heritage deck, perhaps.
The names to jot down are the PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT, and both models are belt-drive decks offering one-button full auto playback (there’s “start”, “stop” and “up/down” buttons on each, so you never really need to touch the delicate tonearm).
You also get Bluetooth with aptX and aptX Adaptive if you’d like to listen through your Bluetooth speaker or wireless headphones, rather than to your wired speakers. Sony also lists a pre-fitted “high-quality moving-magnet cartridge”, three-level gain control, aluminum platter and transparent dust cover. Each also supports 33⅓ and 45 RPM records (7″ and 12″).
Sony PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT: the key specs (…and surprising pricing)
The PS-LX3BT (the model on the right of the main image, above) is billed as a direct replacement for the older PS-LX310BT. It has an attached audio cable and built-in phono equalizer, so you can plug it into an amp or powered speakers, if you’d like to stick to a more traditional setup.
Cartridge pressure here is listed as 3.5g ± 0.5g, and the solid die-cast aluminum platter should make it a dependable, solid deck for newbies to record collecting.
The PS-LX5BT introduces a few more premium refinements to enhance the audio performance, including a more delicate stylus pressure of 2.0g ± 0.5g, a thicker and more premium rubber mat and a slightly tweaked circuit design that, says Sony, has been carefully engineered to suppress unwanted vibration.
It also adds a dedicated, gold-plated audio jack out port (something not present on the older PS-LX310BT) with a cable in the box, plus a slightly more high-end all-black finish.
Sounds good, no? So why am I a little reticent to show my pleasure? Well, the PS-LX3BT is available from today (January 22) for a suggested retail price of £299 / €299 (so around $401 or AU$597), and the PS-LX5BT will be available for £399 / €399 (so around $536 or AU$797) – or just a little cheaper than the excellent Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo, which initially launched for $499 / £499 but can ofter be found for closer to $449 / £439.
And that turntable is the deck we recommend as the best for most people – not vinyl newbies; not those who want a cheap Bluetooth option to kick off their vinyl hobby. Just the best, generally.
To clarify, the older Sony PS-LX310BT regularly sells for $199 / £179 / AU$395 and while I understand the incremental gains Sony has listed, I’m not sure a cult-favorite budget deck can be successfully superseded by a “direct replacement” that costs so much more – and a step-up model that’s even pricier and thus vying against long-term class-leaders.
I adored the original PS-LX310BT when I helped test it (for TechRadar’s sister site, What Hi-Fi? back in 2019, not long after its release), but the key selling point then was its relative uniqueness at that budget level.
How unique and affordable are these new iterations in 2026 – and will fledgling vinyl collectors pay the surcharge, rather than fight over any remaining stock of the older model? That remains to be seen. What I can tell you is that I still can’t wait to try them out. Watch this space.
The best turntables for all budgets
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