Technics SL-40CBT vs Audio-Technica LP60X: Is It Worth Paying More?

Why does the SL-40CBT feel so much more premium?

The SL-40CBT is larger than the LP60X, but it still fitted well in my small cabinet. Its MDF body has a sleek, minimal look, decent weight and a smooth, almost matte finish. You can choose from three colours, and each vibration-resistant foot can be height-adjusted for an uneven surface.

Beside it, the LP60X looks and feels like a toy. That does not make it a bad starter turntable, but the difference in finish is obvious. The Technics also uses a direct-drive motor, while the LP60X uses belt drive. Belt drive is great sound-wise, though its belts can stretch and degrade and may need replacing every 1 to 5 years.

Both have aluminium platters and support 33 and 45 rpm. The SL-40CBT pulls further ahead with its S-shaped aluminium tonearm, which gives precise vinyl-groove tracking and simply looks much nicer to me.

Manual Technics setup or automatic LP60X convenience?

This is the real split between these turntables. The LP60X is fully automatic: press play and you are good to go. The SL-40CBT is completely manual. I had to balance the tonearm using its balance weight and anti-skate control to achieve the correct stylus pressure and tracking.

Each record also means using the cue lever to lower and raise the stylus, then locking the tonearm away afterwards. It is extra work, but that is part of vinyl for me. I am not using records for convenience. I like the intentional side of grabbing an album, looking at the artwork, reading the lyrics or booklet, and setting everything up.

The manual process may be confusing at first. I found it was, especially as I am terrible at reading instructions, but Technics has an easy-to-follow tutorial online. If you want simplicity, the automatic LP60X has a genuine advantage.

What connectivity does the Technics SL-40CBT add?

The SL-40CBT has a built-in phono preamp, so I could connect it straight to speakers without an external amplifier. It offers line out for that use, phono out for an external amp, and a phono earth connection that can help reduce signal noise and improve sound quality. The LP60X has a more minimal single analogue output and no phono earth.

This SL-40CBT version also has Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC and aptX Adaptive. Pairing was simple: I put my speaker, earbuds or headphones into pairing mode at the same time as the turntable and it connected automatically. I tried it with my JBL PartyBox 310, and the sound was pretty impressive considering it used SBC.

I expected a high-resolution codec option such as aptX Adaptive high-res or lossless. For most people, SBC or aptX Adaptive will be fine, but if you are using a turntable, I think you might as well plug in. That is how I used it most of the time.

Does the Technics SL-40CBT sound better than the LP60X?

Honestly, I cannot say for sure. Comparing turntables back to back was much harder than comparing the earbuds, headphones and Bluetooth speakers I normally review. I had to unplug one, plug in the other, and I did not have the gear to make a proper direct comparison.

I think the SL-40CBT produced slightly richer vocals and slightly better instrument separation. Listening to my go-to record test song, “Blood Moon” by Ry X, I may have heard better vocal clarity through the Technics. Still, that impression came from listening to the SL-40CBT for a couple of hours, then going back to the cheaper turntable for a shorter listen, so I would not treat it as a firm conclusion.

Even if the SL-40CBT does offer a small sound-quality improvement, I do not think that is its main selling point. The better reasons are its design, build quality, direct-drive motor and manual tonearm experience. All of its parts feel built to last in a way the LP60X does not.

The Pros and Cons