Heyday Turntable Review [GREAT Sound on a Budget?]

What’s up y’all and welcome back. Hope everyone is doing well. Today I am going to be doing another product review. I am going to looking over the Heyday turntable.

This is a seriously talked about product in the music world (Especially with vinyl making such a huge comeback in recent years). This is a turntable recommended to musicians and vinyl aficionados alike.

But, the question to be answered today is it worth all of the hype or is it seriously overblown?

As can be anticipated, the Heyday turntable is a bit more pricey than some of the generic versions out there on the market, so if the higher pricetag a purchase that you will love making?

The device in all the reviews I’ve looked over claims to be a good fit for musicians of all ranges of experience, although some reviews challenge this. Is it really a good fit for everyone or is it a price point too far for newbies?

Well, ladies, gentlemen and everyone in between, let’s take a walk on the wild side and get after the what’s what of the product in question, shall we?

We’re gonna look at the merits of this little piece of tech.

We’re going to  look at the aesthetic appeal of the player (is it going to cramp your styleor is it a nice compliment?), the build of it (is it sturdily made and likely to last?), the usage and last but not least, how it compares to other turntables on the market (ultimately, what is the best buy for you?).

So without further pause, let’s get into it.

About the Aesthetics:

You know, when I am looking for a piece of tech that I want to amp up my music game, from a novice musician standpoint; look is the first thing to sell me on a purchase or to make me swipe left.

Now, a product can be not so great looking but totally still be worth a buy; that said; if it’s pleasing to the eye, to me that makes it all the more artistic.

This little player has a lot of eye candy to it, sleek gold accents, a slender frame. It also presents a very modern look to it with all of the reviews that I looked over.

This is a pretty little thing that is compact, easy on the ear with smooth playback and like a kindred spirit you never knew you wanted can fit most anywhere.

It clocks in at 16.02x18x5 ins and weighs roughly 11 pounds. It possesses a beautiful, clear plexiglass lid for anyone looking to watch their record do spins like a gorgeous obsidian ballerina.

The model also comes in a number of different colors, but the most common is a very minimalistic pewter; pewter may not be the flashiest of colors, but what she lacks in pizazz, she more than makes up for by complimenting nearly any style room she’s placed in. 

The body of the table also poses with a beautiful square frame that shows off every plain and edge of the stylish figure.

I saw a lot of arguments in some of the comments I read regarding the pros of the square body versus a rounded one; that said, the majority of the votes were for the square body.

Finally, for all the tech savvy folk seeking out a way to play their toons loud and proud; this little baby sport a few badges of honor, attesting to her quality.

The Heyday turntable connects to bluetooth speakers to wirelessly play every hot jam stuck in your head and includes a 45 adapter, phono cartridge and RCA cable.

So, in purchasing the device, you are also purchasing all the necessary equipment to set it up at no extra charge. Not all tables come so prepped and this makes it more of a steal at $100. 

Usage: Who is it for?

This device is marketed for absolute beginners, promising to work seamlessly and to have simplistic workability.

One buyer of the table did claim that the sound coming out of the table was muffled even at full volume and that she had difficulty setting it up.

She stated that she was a beginner which might not be a negative point against the turntable; however, the Heyday does promise to be quite easy to use even for beginners, meaning this is a definite blow.

At least one other review backed up this claim that the table was “VERY expensive” with a price tag of $100 (not including shipping if you’re buying online) and backed-up it being hard to assemble.

That said, there were dozens of positive reviews to every one negative; multiple reviews challenged the negative one: stating that the sound quality was awesome and that it was a purchase they had been looking forward to for quite some time.

All things considered, the table is marketed as being good for absolute beginners. Several of the reviews stated that it was fairly easy to use is you have some experience but it is a lot of cash to start out.

They stated that the table is more for intermediate djs than beginner djs who’s only starting out. It’s not necessarily hard to use but it requires a bit of attunement and is better for those with a little experience under their belt.

It is a tad on the expensive side and is certainly not the cheapest unit out there, but it’s still not as expensive as some more “professional” models marketed to social media stars and more avid listerners.

It is rather difficult from the research I did to find a new turntable for under a hundred bucks.

Some people did claim that a slightly used turntable might be a better fit for a newer performer however. Finally, this player claims to be much kinder to your records than some other records, scratching them up far less.

Contrary to the reviews that claimed the device played music that came out muffled, when I listened to it played, it seemed clear as a bell.

Build Quality and Features

As I said, I did read that there were cheaper models on the market. That said, a lot of those cheaper models do not come with some of the nice little compliments of the Heyday.

The Heyday has a lot of nice features, such as: an actual tonearm counterweight, anti-skate and swappable cartridge. The two-speed turntable even features a pre-amp and the anti-skate control is even adjustable.

Some of the reviews I read also claimed that an older player might be lacking in some of the add-ons, but it would be cheaper and likely more made to last.

I read several reviews that claimed that older models are able to take a lot more of a beating over time and keep on going.

The bluetooth connectivity means you can play your records from the days of old, or you can play the latest Ariana Grande song that you can’t get out of your head and unlike a lot of record players, it will be gentler on your albums.

Finally, the bluetooth connectivity seems to span quite a ways, even being able to hook up from another room.

The device seems to be sturdily made with a hefty arm and a considerably heavy plastic cover. The body of the whole thing is plastic unlike a lot of older models which are wood.

The plastic body is a little heavy but unlike the wooden body counterparts would not be hard to move; should you have to move or decide it would look better elsewhere.

The range being upto 1,800 square feet. The RCA cable it comes with seems to not be of the greatest quality and might require some upgrading down the road to get the best use out of the turntable.

Heyday Turntable Against the Competitors

Now, in doing my research, I did a littl brushing up on similar models on the market to see which was the best.

I looked at The Heyday, the Pro-Ject Carbon Debut Evo, as well as the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB and last but not least, the Fluance RT81.

To begin with, the Heyday is the most caring of your wallet, being the most inexpensive on the docket.

The Heyday is only $100, whereas the Pro-Ject Carbon Debut Evo comes in at a jaw-dropping $500, being 5 times the price of the Heyday.

In addition, the Pro-Ject Carbon Debut Evo does not come with the pre-amo ir adjustable arm feature that the Heyday does.

It does seem to have a similar range as the heyday, it does not have the bluettoch connectivity and it seems to have a sound that punches far above its weight class. It has a steel table and a direct drive.

It however does not have a USB. Finally, it does have three speeds, whereas the Heyday only has 2 speeds.

The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB, is clocks in at a wapping $300, being three times the cost of the Heyday.

It does seem to be a lot simpler to set up and thus if it were not for the price tag might be a better choice for a begginner than the Heyday turntable.

The dimensions seem to a bit bigger and bulkier than the Heyday, it does not possess the bluetooth connectivity and seems to put a bit more wear and tear on records; the sound quality seems to be a lot more muted.

It seems to be harder to set up. However, it does come with the Phono Pre-amp.

The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB is also a bit bulkier than the Heyday. Lastly, it also has three speeds, whereas on the contrary, the Heyday only has 2. 

The Fluance RT81 comes it at $250, making it cheaper than two of the other models, but still 2 ½ times the cost of the Heyday.

It features an auto-off that kicks in after the record has finished, preventing unnecessary wear and tear on the record.

It seems to be another good choice for someone starting out (again, if it weren’t for the hefty price tag which has to be considered), being much simpler to set up than the Heyday.

The Fluance RT81 does come with the pre-amp but does not have bluetooth connectivity.

It sports also a plastic body with a plastic, see-through cover. The Fluance RT81 is also a bit bulkier than the Heyday model and it features an aluminum belt whereas the Heyday has a steel one, making it less sturdy.

Finally the Fluance does not possess the adjustable arm of the Heyday.

Closing Remarks:

As far as what model turntable is the best for you, I can only give you my opinion and ultimately the choice is upto you. There are a lot of factors to consider.

The Heyday is worth a pretty penny, it’s definitely not the most inexpensive model on the market. That said, I was hard-pressed to find a cheaper price for any brand new model.

Several people said that a lightly used model is good for a beginner, but that is upto you as the price is better but you might be sacrificing some of the quality.

Out of the models I reviewed, the Heyday was the most price concious, being 2 to 5 times cheaper than the other devices.

The Heyday was missing a few perks, such as only being two speeds when some of the others possessed three. It does not have the auto-off of one of the other models but it does claim to be easier on you records’.

Much like many newermodels, the Heyday does have a plastic body that may not last quite as long as a wooden model of yesteryear.

The Heyday however is absolutely nothing to sneeze at, having a sleeker form, a sturdy yet adjustable arm. It also has a pre-amp contributing to the killer sound of the device.

Finally, it has wi-fi connectivity, making it a better choice for those who wanna jam out to oldies music and newbie artists alike.

The Heyday also claims to be a good choice for newer users (the price definitely atests to that), but some of the other models seems to be easier to set-up.

All I can say is do-you-boo, all of the above are exceelent choices. I personally do hold favor for the Heyday, but do what seems right for your needs’.

Pros	Cons
Compact	Not a sturdy as wooden models
Price conscious	2 speed not three
Pre-amp	Bit more complicated to setup
Bluetooth connectivity