If you’re new to vinyl or have never touched a turntable before, the prospect can be daunting. Even the best turntables can be tricky to wrap your head around. Back with its first turntable in 20 years, Goldring’s new GR3 player squeezes classic performance into a more convenient package.

The GR3 turntable is a slick bit of kit that takes Goldring’s century-long expertise and whacks it into a modern frame. If you’re into your turntables looking as good as they sound, the GR3 won’t disappoint. It’s got a high-gloss black plinth and a perspex dust cover.

It comes preloaded with Goldring’s E3 moving magnet cartridge. With its aluminium cantilever, it promises cleaner sound, more detail, and none of that nasty distortion. It’s already pre-fitted and aligned, so no faffing about trying to set it up — just slap a record on, and you’re off.

To make sure you’re not messing about with a million boxes and cables, the GR3 comes with a built-in phono preamp. This means you can connect it to any amp or powered speaker and crack on. Goldring’s obviously keeping it in the family, as the brand reckons it’s a perfect partner for the Q Acoustics M20 and M40 speakers (from its sister company).

Speed stability is a big deal in the turntable world, and Goldring has handled that with a phenolic resin platter. Essentially, it spins smoothly and keeps your music sounding bang on. You even get a couple of QED interconnect cables (another sister brand, of course) to make sure the signal from the turntable to the speakers is top-notch.

The Goldring GR3 is available now, setting you back £699/€899. If you’re across the pond, you’ll need to hold tight until December when it launches at $999. You can grab it from Goldring’s website or authorised retailers.