I'm confused. States it pays 33 1/3, 45's and 78's. Yet in the reviews it says you need a 3 mil stylus to play 78's What's the deal?

The needle that comes with it works perfectly. No need to buy a different needle. I just bought this turntable largely so I can rip a bunch of 78s to MP3, but before buying another needle like people are saying, I first tried it using the needle that comes with it. And it works just fine on 78s. I have some with good quality grooves, poor quality (scratched, warped, melted) and it works great on all. Of course sounds great on 45s and 33s also.

About how loud is it? Can I hook this up to a bigger set of speakers if I needed to?

This turntable is set up to operate in a couple of ways. 1. You can hook it up to your computer via usb and play it through the pc/laptop while recording your vinyl onto another storage medium. 2. You can play your vinyl using the speakers on the machine. The speakers are ok, they are not bad for something small. 3. This item has the capacity to be plugged into your traditional home audio system using RCA cables. There is a switch on the unit that allows you to switch from magnetic cartridge and ceramic cartridge.

does it come with a 45 adapter

Does the adapter hold more than one 45 record and change automatically?

do I just plug it in to any outlet?

I bought the turntable as a gift, so have not used it, but the specifications list it as Power: AC120V 60Hz, so it must plug in to a regular outlet, if in the US.