Reloop RP-2000 MK4: The Ideal First Turntable
, by Graig Upton, 4 min reading time
Reloop RP-2000 MK4: The Ideal First Turntable
Buying your first proper turntable is a rite of passage for any vinyl DJ, and the deck you learn on shapes how quickly you improve. The Reloop RP-2000 MK4 is built for exactly that moment. It is an entry-level, direct-drive turntable priced at £319 that gives you a genuine club-style layout to learn on, and because it arrives with a cartridge already fitted, you can play a record the moment it is out of the box.
Direct drive, and why it matters. The RP-2000 MK4 uses a quartz-controlled direct-drive motor that reaches full speed in under a second. Direct drive sends the motor's power straight to the platter, so you can hold, back-cue and release a record without the speed dragging or lagging. Cheaper belt-driven decks slip and drift when you touch the platter, which makes them frustrating to learn beatmatching on, so this is the single most important thing to get right in a first deck.
Ready to play out of the box. A high-grade Ortofon OM Black cartridge comes pre-mounted on the headshell, so you avoid the fiddly alignment that trips up newcomers. It tracks cleanly, treats your records gently, and means the deck is genuinely plug-and-play from the start.
A real club layout to learn on. The statically balanced S-shaped tonearm has anti-skating, an adjustable counterweight and a hydraulic lift for safe, controlled needle drops, while the pitch fader offers a plus or minus 8 percent range with a centre click so you can find zero by feel. The whole layout mirrors the industry-standard decks you will meet in a booth, so the muscle memory you build here carries straight over.
Stable and built to last. A precision die-cast aluminium platter, a reinforced chassis and shock-absorbing feet keep vibration and feedback at bay, which means fewer skips whether you are practising at home or playing a lively room. A retractable target light helps you place the needle accurately in a dark booth, a small touch that says a lot about the deck's DJ focus.
Two speeds and room to grow. It plays both 33⅓ and 45 rpm, with a single adapter included for seven-inch records. When your skills develop, the universal SME connection lets you swap the headshell or fit a different cartridge without changing the deck.
Two honest things to know. First, the turntable outputs a phono-level signal, so you will need a mixer with a phono input or a separate phono preamp to use it, rather than plugging it straight into powered speakers. Second, this is deliberately an entry-level deck: the plus or minus 8 percent pitch and two-speed design are perfect for learning, but dedicated turntablists who want a wider pitch range, higher torque and 78 rpm should look at a step-up model such as the Reloop RP-5000 MK4.
For new DJs learning the fundamentals, music students, and vinyl collectors who want a rugged, dependable deck, the RP-2000 MK4 hits the sweet spot of authentic direct-drive feel at a sensible price. It comes in black and silver, and pairs naturally with a starter DJ mixer and your choice of cartridge and stylus down the line. See the full spec on the Reloop RP-2000 MK4 product page, browse the wider turntable range, and spread the cost with DJ finance if that helps.