I spy the perfect turntable to get you into vinyl: Cambridge Audio's new minimalist deck is designed to be easy to use for first-time owners

Cambridge Audio unveils new Spira turntable Mid-range price tag; on sale immediately Range of connection options, but nothing too complex If you've never used a record player before, they can seem quite complicated, which is why many of the best turntables are entry-level options targeted at relative novices — we all have to start somewhere, and that is good.

Cambridge has just entered that esteemed line-up with its new Spira.

Banish the thought of something complicated and expensive (or '90s Cadbury chocolate bars, if you're of a certain vintage), such as Cambridge's own Audio Alva TT V2 , fantastic though it is.

This is an option designed to be easy to set up and use, though one you can build a hi-fi system around if you get hooked on vinyl, as Cambridge surely expects.

To that end, it's relatively affordable, at $499 / £329 (about AU$640).

That's not quite as cheap as some of our entry-level favorites, like the Sony PS-LX310BT , but in the grand scheme of turntables it's very much at the lower end of things.

The Cambridge Spira is on sale right now, in five colors: black, white, green, orange or blue, which are the brand's go-to colors (its speakers take those hues — see the fantastic Cambridge L/R S ), so you can match the Spira to other pieces of kit if you pick more up.

The Cambridge whi-Spiras of a good friend (Image credit: Cambridge Audio) One of the perks of the Cambridge Audio Spira is that it can connect to basically anything, perfect to slot into an existing set-up, whether you own expensive floor-standers or a single Bluetooth speaker.

That means it has a a built-in phono preamp, or connects via Bluetooth (CA doesn't mention any other connection options in its press release).

The Spira has a pre-fitted Audio-Technica cartridge on its aluminum tonearm, and apparently it's easy to replace if you decide to make an upgrade.

The platter is steel and there's a wooden plinth to house the motor, designed to remove unwanted resonance.

Just looking at the pictures, you can see they're pretty simple, without extra dials or levers that could overwhelm a novice.

There is an rpm speed dial, but that's basically it.

The minimalism might put off die-hard record player users, who know exactly what they want and have thousands to drop on the right kit.