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Yes, inexpensive turntables can potentially harm your records. They are often made with lighter materials and lower quality parts, causing the platter to wobble and the stylus to skip, possibly scratching the surface of your vinyl. The tracking force is also important; if it’s not adjustable or doesn’t maintain a steady pressure, it could lead to premature record wear.

An additional consideration is the built-in preamp, typically found in budget turntables. These tend to introduce noise, distortion, and other unwanted artifacts into the signal, affecting sound quality. It’s generally better to have a separate, higher-quality preamp.

Finally, the stylus on an inexpensive turntable might be poorly made and more likely to degrade records over time due to its interaction with the vinyl grooves.

Despite these downsides, there are some budget turnt