Everyone enjoys vinyl as a music format – not only because it’s capable of sounding sublime, but because there’s tactility to LPs that you just don’t get from any other music format.
Sure, there are downsides to vinyl too – the physical size means records can be a pain to store, plus they’re fairly easy to damage. But putting them on display is very on trend right now.
Lately, turntable manufacturers have been attempting to drag this old technology into the 21st century by adding Bluetooth. So the Bluetooth turntable has been born – meaning you can output its analogue format to your digital wireless Bluetooth speaker.
Whether that's to a full-sized system, a pair of powered speakers, or a single Bluetooth portable – the choice is yours. It's all about having no wires and no fuss. Plus it all looks very lovely, doesn't it?
T3's Top 3
For what's relatively little money, Sony will sell you a well-made, compact turntable that's a doddle to set up and operate, fully automatic in operation, complete with a pre-fitted and pre-adjusted cartridge. Most significant of all, however, is the 310BT’s ability to stream wirelessly, using Bluetooth 4.2, to multiple receivers with absolutely no fuss. It also features an integrated phono stage, so if it’s hard-wired into a system it can provide the necessary oomph to make itself heard too.
Pro-Ject's T1 Evo delivers the most straightforward yet enjoyable style – and it's celebrated for the remarkable value for money it delivers. All you need to do is fit the platter, mat, belt and dust-cover, and you’re ready to go – the integrated phono stage means the T1 will slot into any traditional system without issues, and Bluetooth 5.0 means wireless connectivity from quite a distance (even from a different room) is on the menu too. The selection of nicely realised finishes further adds to the appeal.
If you want to combine authentic high-end performance with supreme wireless convenience, then Cambridge has produced a beautifully made turntable in the Alva TT v2. Fitted with direct-drive technology for ultimate rotational stability, there's a phono stage to make it as widely compatible as possible – in addition to its Bluetooth smarts. The fact the Alva TT v2 feels, as well as looks, like a luxury product is its real upsell, though, just as much as its convenience and performance prove compelling.
Sony v Pro-Ject v Cambridge: Pricing
Sony
Given that it sells for £249 / $349, the PS-LX310BT looks like notable value for money right from the off. You can spend this sort of money on a ‘regular’ deck, of course, but the mild gains in outright performance you might make are more than offset by the simplicity and functionality of this Sony. And don’t let the budget price fool you into thinking any corners have been cut – the record player is built sturdily and to last.
Pro-Ject
All of the above also applies to the £439 / $649 T1 Evo BT – but the extra outlay buys you a little bit more of everything. Nicer, more expensive-looking finishes, a better tonearm and cartridge combination, a better-specified motor and bearing assembly, and an altogether more upmarket feel. If you’re in the market for a Bluetooth-equipped record player, there’s a strong case to be made for this Pro-Ject representing the best value out there.
Cambridge
Put £1699 / $1999 Cambridge’s way for an Alva TT v2 and it’s apparent where your money has gone before you even plug it in. The 6mm slice of aluminium that forms the top-plate has the company logo punched in, and the standard of construction is absolutely beyond reproach. At every point, the Cambridge deck is specified to the point of extravagance – and yet it remains a friendly, easy-to-use device that’s pretty much ready to go straight from the box.
Sony v Pro-Ject v Cambridge: Which wins?
‘Overall’? Well, overall the best record player here is the Cambridge Alva TT v2 – it sounds biggest and boldest, it has the most to say where transient details are concerned, it communicates fluently through the midrange, and it lays out a soundstage in the most explicit manner imaginable.
Even without the bells and whistles of its Bluetooth connectivity and integrated phono stage, this is a fine-sounding turntable that will reward the listener for year after year. It might be a little rich as a Christmas gift, mind, which may lead you back to the other two picks.
The fact that a couple of turntables costing roughly a quarter and a fifth of the Alva TT v2’s asking price, respectively, offer tremendous value for money. So, if your budget can stretch no further than the Sony, I can’t imagine for a moment you'll be disappointed with what you’ve acquired – and neither will be any intended recipient of what's under the tree...
Other options?
The Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT-USB wants to be all things to all people. It’s a direct drive deck with DJ features like pitch-control; it has Bluetooth 5.0 for wireless connectivity; it has a USB output for connection to a computer in case you want to archive your vinyl as digital files. And it’s not a bad-sounding turntable at all – with a little more sonic pizzazz it might have muscled its way into the top three – as it is, it’s a diverting alternative that sits in between Sony and Pro-Ject in terms of price.
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