High price of a vinyl collection putting you off? Follow my lead and get this new one-stop-shop turntable

Date:
Thu, 06 Nov 2025 22:30:00 +0000

Description:
Majority Folio turntable review: a simple and easy-to-use record player that won't break the bank.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Majority
Folio: Two-minute review

Given that vinyl records often feel like they belong in the Smithsonian, actually using them for music can seem like a scary proposition, and what doesn't help is how fiddly and delicate some of the best turntables can seem. Newbies to the vinyl game can find many reasons to stay away, but I'm here to offer one good reason to come over: the Majority Folio.

This record player for amplification and speaker are both onboard, squirrelled away into the base is here to downplay those reasons, and make listening to your collection (relatively) simple.

This is the joint-third turntable from British audio company Majority, following the Majority Moto 2.0 and releasing simultaneously with the pricier Stylo.

Like its predecessor, the Folio is an inexpensive turntable, and it also
totes a built-in speaker, which means you don't need to buy a separate one
(or indeed any phono stage or pre/power amplifiers) to hear your music. These facts alone make the device really easy to buy for people scared to take the plunge.

But beyond that it's easy to set up and use, and won't be scary for new users to experiment with. And once you decide to flesh out your hi-fi setup, the Majority Folio's support for many outputs and inputs means that unlike many cheap vinyl players, it actually can remain a central part of your kit and won't need to be replaced any time soon.

You may want to upgrade things though, because the Folio's speaker doesn't actually sound that great; it's fine as a starting-off point, or for people who aren't already too used to the fantastic audio that high-end kit can put out, but it retains all the issues of its predecessor in that it lacks a solid, weighty and impactful low-end and doesn't provide quality audio overall.

Another gripe I have with the Folio is that a few design choices show a lack of precision. The dust cover doesn't fit perfectly, and the turntable's
wooden surface showed up bumps and scratches really easy. These didn't affect playback, but it's still not ideal.

One novel feature I need to bring up in the introduction is that you can plug a USB stick into the Folio and rip/record your vinyl record onto it. This can be great for digitizing your record collection, but you could also use it to create your own mix-tapes (you can split the recording and break it up by track, changing vinyl while you do) or re-record your favorites at a shifted pitch... for some reason. It's a feature with admittedly limited appeal, but
I can see it being a game-changer for some music creators. Majority Folio review: Price and release date Announced on April 12, 2025 Sells for 169.95 (roughly $220, AU$340) No US or AUS availability

The Majority Folio was announced on Record Store Day, which was April 12, 2025. It went on sale shortly afterward.

You can buy the turntable for 169.95 (roughly $220 / AU$340), although its only available in certain regions, including the UK. Majoritys turntables
dont tend to go on sale in the US, and while they do in Australia, the Folio isnt currently offered in the region.

That price puts the Folio as one of the more affordable turntables on the market, a great budget buy for people who dont have the big bucks to invest
in a fancy home hi-fi system but want something solid to play vinyl. (Image credit: Future) Majority Folio review: Specs

Dimensions

41.2 x 32.3 x 14.2cm

Motor

Belt drive

Platter

Die-cast metal

Phono preamp

Yes

USB

Input & recording

Bluetooth

5.3

Speeds

33, 45RPM

Stylus

AT3600L

Extras

45RPM adapter, RCA cable, rubber mat, replacement belt (Image credit: Future) Majority Folio review: Features Easy to set-up and use Range of connection options USB recording feature

The Majority Folio seems designed as a plug-and-play dream; thanks to having its own speaker you dont need to fuss over connecting other devices or
extras, and simply plugging it into a power point is your first and last act to get it running. Well, youve got to add the record too, and its not an automatic turntable so you'll need to place the needle yourself; the record begins to spin as soon as you lift the arm.

Despite having its own speaker, and therefore being less reliant on external speakers to work, the Majority Folio offers quite a few connection options. You can pair to nearby Bluetooth speakers or wireless headphones with Bluetooth 5.3 (to transmit your vinyl wirelessly for playback, thus bypassing the Folio's inbuilt speaker), play via an AUX cord, output music from a USB stick or plug in other devices with RCA, and so the Folio can stand alone or be the nexus of a hi-fi set-up. Most of these options let you output the
vinyl music, but also use the devices speaker for other inputs.

In somewhat of a novelty, you can plug a USB stick into the Folio and record your vinyl recording onto it. Its a neat way of digitizing your music, especially with the ability to split a recording (ie, break it up by song), although the quality isnt exactly stellar. If you change the playback speed
of a record, this is reflected in your recording, but tweaking the volume isn't. Features score: 4/5 (Image credit: Future) Majority Folio review:
Sound quality AT3600L cartridge in play Build-in speaker lacks quality Output sounds a lot better

At the end of the arm is an AT3600L Moving Magnetic Cartridge, a piece of kit Majority has used before. And theres no shame in that, especially not when
the first two letters stand for Audio-Technica; this is a fine-tuned piece of kit. We've seen it grace plenty of other budget options and it provides fun audio, if lacking some high-fidelity flair of higher-end options.

One of the unique selling points of the Majority Folio is that it comes with its own speaker as part of the package; if youre at the first step of your home audio journey and dont have a hi-fi set-up, you can use the Folio out of the box

although Id recommend against it, if you can avoid it. Music from the built-in speaker sounds a bit tinny, lacking deep bass or crisp treble, and that's not just true of phono playback but for Bluetooth playing too. I couldnt help but feel that lots of the depth, detail and nuance that the
vinyl format provided, was lost when played through the main speaker. As I write this, Im listening to Bowies Space Oddity , and its hard to make out much of the song besides the vocals, strings and cymbals.

Thankfully, as Ive mentioned, the Folio has a range of connectivity options, and Im pleased to report that music sounds better from headphones or other speakers. The low end has a lot more weight (even accounting for the toning
of other devices), high-end is crisper and theres a full-bodied midrange
which adds to the sense of detail on a song. Its not going to wow audiophiles whove tested top-end equipment, but Id question how many such buyers have
made it this far into the review anyway!

Theres nothing strictly wrong with the built-in speaker if youre at the beginning of your home hi-fi journey, but its not something Id rely on in the long run.

Its worth noting that, according to the website and user manual, the Folio doesnt support high-quality or low latency Bluetooth codecs. So Id recommend buying wired speakers (see TechRadar's guide to the best stereo speakers
here) if you want to appreciate your music to the best standards. (Image credit: Future) Sound quality score: 3.5/5 Majority Folio review: Design Chunky, thanks to built-in speaker Lots of dials, ports, switches Easily
gains knicks

As you can probably expect from a turntable with a speaker built in, the Majority Folio is a little bit bigger than some rivals on the market, and it adds this heft in the height department. Its 14.2cm tall, 41.2cm wide and 32.3cm length-wise. And if were going through dimensions, it weighs 3.7kg.

The device has a classy look, with a nice wooden finish, although this material quickly showed some marks and splintering on my review unit. An S-shaped tonearm is light and nimble, though looks a little too much like a Mechano set towards the needle, which blocked my sight of the needle from certain angles (and I'm bad at placing it at the best of times). The party is at the back though with an easily-manipulated counterweight and RPM toggle hidden away from the plate.

The table begins to spin automatically, as soon as you lift the needle, but the arm cradle wasnt totally reliable at holding the limb in place; a few times I accidentally bumped the arm and the record began to spin of its own accord. A cradle with a slight edge would fix this problem.

Elsewhere on the body youre getting an RPM adapter plonked to the side, and then on the right edge a headphone jack as well as dials for the volume,
pitch and input method. Its a little more cluttered than some other
turntables Ive seen, but I prefer ease of use with your many functions, toggles and switches in plain view.

Thats only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the Majority Folios
buttons and dials. On the right edge theres a USB slot as well as buttons for recording, splitting and Bluetooth pairing, while on the back theres the
range of connection inputs weve already discussed. Perhaps one of the
benefits of a big body, is lots of room for ports and buttons.

Like most (but not all) alternatives, the Folio has a dust cover. It does its job but its a little wobbly, often not sitting straight on the turntable, and it quickly got quite scuffed up during my testing. (Image credit: Future) Design score: 4/5 Majority Folio review: Value

Based on the price, specs and feature set, the Majority is a great
entry-level turntable for people at the beginning of their hi-fi journey.

Its a purchase comparable to those guitar starter-packs you can buy, which
get you a budget amp, carry case and cables alongside a cheapie six-string; none of the kit is stellar, but youre getting a nice easy package to get you started. The further you get into your hi-fi journey, the more you can
augment your setup with extra speakers.

There are a few turntables on the market that are cheaper than the Majority, but most dont have the speaker built in, giving this an easy value win. Value score: 4.5/5 (Image credit: Future) Should I buy the Majority Folio? Majority Folio score card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Features

A range of connection options, and easy to use.

4/5

Sound quality

Built-in speaker isn't perfect, but there's a fun sound in general.

3.5/5

Design

Its big size facilitates its many features; it shows its wear readily though.

4/5

Value

It's great value for what you're getting (and what you don't need to get).

4.5/5 Buy it if

You're on a limited budget
If you buy the Folio, you don't need to buy extra speakers or players if you don't want. One purchase and you're done.

You want to digitize your record collection
The USB recording feature is a neat way to transfer your old vinyl records into a more digital form, or record your own mix tape.

You need something easy to use
While it's not an automatic turntable, the Majority Folio is simple to use
and doesn't need endless tweaking or tinkering. Dont buy it if

You've got limited shelf space
Thanks to its speaker, the Majority Folio is a pretty bulky piece of kit
which takes up a fair amount of space on a shelf.

You need top-quality audio
People who want to get every drop of audio goodness from their records will want to spend a lot more on their kit. Majority Folio review: Also consider

Majority Folio

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT

House of Marley Revolution

Dimensions

412 x 323 x 142mm

110 x 400 x 330mm

112 x 389 x 328mm

Motor

Belt drive

Belt drive

Belt drive

Platter

Die-cast metal

Aluminium

Plastic

Phono preamp

Yes

Yes

Yes

USB

Input & recording

No

No

Bluetooth

5.3

5.2

5.3

Speeds

33 1/3, 45RPM

33 1/3, 45RPM

33 1/3, 45, 78RPM

Cartridge

AT3600L

AT-VMN95C

AT3600L

Extras

Dust cover, rubber mat, 45 adapter, RCA cable.

Dust cover, felt mat, 45 adapter, 1m RCA cable

Dust cover, felt mat, 45 adapter

Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
We rate the AT-LP70XBT as our favorite budget turntable, though it costs a little more than the Folio. It's easy to use, sounds decent and doesn't break the bank, making it a solid beginner turntable.
Read our Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT review here.

House of Marley Revolution
Another highly-rated beginner turntable, which undercuts the Folio, comes
from HoM. It has the same cartridge as the Folio so you're getting a similar audio profile.
Read our House of Marley Revolution review here. How I tested the Majority Folio (Image credit: Future) Tested for three weeks Inputs include vinyl records, Bluetooth and USB Outputs include built-in speaker and wired headphones and speakers

I used the Majority Folio for three weeks in order to write this review, and through the whole process it was set up in my living room (which is also my dining room and kitchen; it's not a big apartment).

I primarily listened to music from my large vinyl record library, though also used the speaker's Bluetooth playback function and also listened to
recordings I'd made with the USB recording function.

For most of the testing period, I listened through the build-in speaker, but for additional listening I plugged in some over-ear headphones and some wireless speakers to get a sense for the sound. First reviewed November 2025



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/audio/turntables/majority-folio-review


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