Cheaper suitcase-style record players are notorious for their use of inexpensive ceramic cartridges, which exact a heavy toll on the records they play (and for less-than worthwhile results).

The best record players we've tried Why you can trust T3 ... On the end of the tone arm is a not-too-shabby Ortofon 2M Red cartridge, not a cheap item in itself, which uses an elliptical stylus ...