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Tech · Audio-Technica · 2019

Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB

Plug in and play: a cartridge, a phono preamp, and USB out, on a lighter build than the decks above it.

Used turntables: the 1200 family and its rivals — #5

Overall

7.5

out of 10

Axis scores

Strongest on Ease of use (8.8), weakest on Durability (6.4), a 2.4-point spread. The 7.5 overall is the plain average of all 5 Tech axes, with no weighting.

Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB — axis scores out of 10Horizontal bar chart of editorial scores out of 10 across 5 axes. Bars run from a shared zero baseline; longer is better. Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB: Performance 6.8, Value 8.6, Durability 6.4, Ease of use 8.8, Design 6.8.PerformanceAudio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB — Performance 6.8 out of 106.8ValueAudio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB — Value 8.6 out of 108.6DurabilityAudio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB — Durability 6.4 out of 106.4Ease of useAudio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB — Ease of use 8.8 out of 108.8DesignAudio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB — Design 6.8 out of 106.8Editorial score out of 10 — higher is better
  • Performance — How well it does the core job
  • Value — What the same money buys elsewhere
  • Durability — Failure and fade reports past the one-year mark
  • Ease of use — Setup, daily operation, cleaning, maintenance
  • Design — Build quality and how it sits in a room

Specs

Drive
DC servo direct drive
Speeds
33⅓, 45, 78 rpm
Pitch range
±8% or ±16%
Cartridge
AT-VM95E included
Outputs
Switchable built-in phono preamp, USB, detachable RCA

As published by the manufacturer. We didn't measure these ourselves.

Is it for you

Buy it if

  • It is your first turntable and you have powered speakers without a phono input
  • You want to digitize records to a computer over USB
  • You want something that plays out of the box

Skip it if

  • You want a deck that will last decades, since the build is lighter than the Technics models
  • You plan to DJ hard, where the motor torque falls short of the decks above it

The LP120XUSB borrows the 1200’s general layout and adds what a first-time buyer is missing: a cartridge already mounted, a phono preamp you can switch on, and a USB output for recording to a computer.

It is lighter and simpler inside than the decks above it, and reviewers have noted more rumble and lower motor torque. For listening through a pair of powered speakers, those gaps are hard to hear.

The included AT-VM95E cartridge takes a range of replacement styli that pull straight off. On a used unit, assume the stylus is worn and budget for a new one.

Last updated . The scoring method is on how we rank.