Built-in speakers or separate speakers?

Hi-fi forums will tell you separates always sound better. In a listening room with a budget to match, they are right. In a living room where the point is to hear your records again, the answer is less obvious.

The case for built-in speakers

• Nothing else to buy. No amplifier, no speaker cable, no second box to find space for.
• One object in the room. A cabinet in wood looks like furniture, not equipment.
• Tuned together. The speakers are matched to the cabinet they sit in.

The case for separates

• Stereo width. Two speakers a metre apart give a wider image than two speakers in one box.
• Upgrades. You can change the speakers later without changing the turntable.

The middle path

Choose a built-in turntable with an output. The Heirloom Four has an RCA line out and Bluetooth, so it plays on its own today and through a bigger system whenever you want. The Heirloom One sends Bluetooth to a wireless speaker or headphones. Neither closes the door on separates.

Our view

If you are reading this guide, you probably want to play records more than you want to build a system. Start with one cabinet that has a proper cartridge and an output. If the hobby grows, so can the system.