The Technics brand has been around for about 35 years, no small feat in a world of constant innovations and improvements. A favorite of DJs for decades, the brand has sold more than 3 million units! Although you’ll pay a premium price for the SL-1200 turntable, you get premium performance that’s so important for repeat clientele. Its high torque direct drive motor gives you quick startup and slowdown and it has very reliable pitch control whose +/- 8% pitch adjustment isn’t the best but holds pitch better than 95% of turntables on the market today. At 24 pounds, it has a heavy rubber base to absorb noise, an S-shaped tone arm with height adjustment, a quartz synthesizer direct drive and an aluminum die cast cabinet. Sturdy, durable and able to take any punishment you can dish out, the Technics SL-1200 is a favorite among professional DJs because it never falls off pitch. The high torque motor makes it ideal for scratching at hip-hop gigs.

The Numark TT1 is just as tough but you have the added advantage of a pitch adjustment range of 10%/10%/50% plus or minus. It also has the ability to reverse the motor so you can play records backwards! The TT1 has changeable tone arms, too. A straight arm for scratching and battling and an S-shaped arm for mixing and blending. Its quick-start platter has 6.2 pounds of torque and there are adjustable start and brake settings. Three speed options, a direct drive turntable and a digital screen that tells you pitch, BPM and motor settings make this a real asset to a professional DJ. It has an anti-drag aluminum platter to reduce friction and its solid core makes unwanted vibrations and sounds a thing of the past. With a built in universal iPod dock to transfer media from vinyl to CD or MP3, this turntable is the choice of many professionals. In short, the Numark TT1 is just about everything you’ll ever need in a turntable.

Then you have the top of the line Numark TT500. It’s similar to the TT1 but has no digital screen or docking port; not every gig needs those extras. The TT500 provides adjustable start and stop brakes, instant reverse switch, dual tone arms for mixing and scratching and a target light/strobe. Some DJs have expressed a wish for Numark to replace the plastic knobs with aluminum ones but you’ll find them durable and responsive. With an anti-drag aluminum platter, powder coated steel base, replaceable pitch fader rubberized feet and rubber face panel it is very durable. In short, it provides all the basics a DJ needs. If you want function, quality, performance and reliability the Numark TT500 is a turntable that you should seriously consider.