When we review the best record players we tend to have a particular kind of listener in mind: a vinyl fan who already has a pretty sweet setup and who wants to either add a turntable or upgrade their existing one. But if you're starting from scratch the choice can seem pretty daunting, because not only do you have to choose a turntable but you need to find an amp and speakers too. If that sounds like you, Lenco may have just the turntable.
The new Lenco LS-600WA is a turntable with a built-in amp, Bluetooth streaming and a pair of stereo speakers – all for £389.
Is an all-in-one sound system a sound buy?
That depends on what you're looking for. If you're a student looking for something suitable for uni accommodation or fancy a turntable for a smaller room then a compact all-in-one sounds like an ideal option.
Lenco isn't really a household name in the UK but it's a Swiss firm that recently celebrated its 75th year in the audio business. And the Lenco LS-600WA has a decent spec for the money: a carbon fibre arm with removable headshell, an integrated pre-amp and amp, a 280mm belt-driven metal platter with anti-skate, and Bluetooth 5.0. It's encased in a nice-looking walnut cabinet, as are the 30W RMS speakers. The cartridge is an Audio Technica AT-VM95E and there are RCA outputs for future-proofing.
At this price, of course, there are bound to be compromises: you're not going to get the same sonic magic as a four-figure setup. But hopefully you should get a better experience than we did with the even more affordable Crosley C62 all-in-one package: with that one we liked its design but didn't like listening to it, which defeats the purpose somewhat.
I'm not familiar with Lenco's audio products so I did some research: our friends at What Hi-Fi have reviewed previous products from the firm and found that they delivered impressive sound quality but did have some quality control issues, so this may be one to try before you buy. The Lenco is being sold in the UK by HMV, so you should be able to check it out in store before committing any cash.
