Best Bluetooth record players: budget to premium plate spinners

Source: What HIFI? added 02nd Mar 2021

  • best-bluetooth-record-players:-budget-to-premium-plate-spinners

Best Bluetooth Record Players Buying Guide: Welcome to What Hi-Fi?’s round-up of the best Bluetooth turntables you can buy in 2021.

While the mechanics of vinyl playback haven’t changed all that much since the medium’s inception, turntable technology hasn’t stood entirely still.

One major evolution that has brought a growing number of record players spinning into the 21st century – and with a growing number of great-sounding decks, more to the point – is the adoption of Bluetooth.

No longer is vinyl solely the preserve of those with a traditional hi-fi set-up. Crate diggers can now enjoy their finds free from wires, with systems consisting only of their deck and a competent pair of wireless Bluetooth speakers or headphones.

In this list there are talented turntables ranging from entry level to premium, and there’s even an Award-winning just-add-speakers system fully loaded with on-board amplification that you can send tracks to via Bluetooth rather than connecting wireless speakers or headphones the other end.

The landscape of vinyl is changing with the times, and with our pick of the best Bluetooth record players, you can come along for the ride too. 

  • 10 of the best-sounding vinyl records

1. Sony PS-LX310BT

A fully automatic deck with oodles of character.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 11 x 43 x 37cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Belt drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: No | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Black

Reasons to Buy

Entertaining sound

Easy to use

Plug-and-play

Reasons to Avoid

Purist alternatives sound better

Not only does this Sony leave you with little to do during set-up – just attach the belt to the platter – it does pretty much everything but shaking the vinyl from its sleeve, too.

What’s more, it sounds ridiculously fun. More traditional decks, such as the Award-winning Rega Planar 1 (£250), can be more mature in their performance, but when you consider this fully-automatic deck’s list of features, it’s hard to believe it can sound this good with such a price tag.

Read the full review: Sony PS-LX310BT

2. Pro-Ject Juke Box E

An Award-winning turntable system.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 11.8 x 41.5 x 33.5cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Belt drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: No | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Red, white, black

Reasons to Buy

True just-add-speakers convenience

Capable, even-handed sound

Good range of features

Reasons to Avoid

Some will hanker after more power

Baffling remote control

The Pro-Ject Juke Box E is based on Pro-Ject’s well-regarded Primary turntable and is tricked out with an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge, amplification (25W per channel into 8 ohms) and Bluetooth receiver, meaning you can stream music to its amp as well. 

It’s an all-in-one system that demands very few compromises, given its price. It’s also an all-in-one system that we can’t easily argue against in favour of separates. The Juke Box E delivers convenience and backs it up with Award-winning sound quality. You can’t really ask for more than that.

Read the full review: Pro-Ject Juke Box E

3. Cambridge Audio Alva TT

An interesting spin on premium turntable design.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 13.9 x 43.5 x 36.8cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Direct drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: No | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Grey

Reasons to Buy

Solid build

Clear, detailed presentation

Impressive midrange

Reasons to Avoid

Sound lacks a little dynamics and drive

This is no ordinary £1500 turntable. Cambridge Audio has added a twist or two of its own by fitting it with a built-in phono stage, direct drive motor and Bluetooth connectivity. The fact it’s aptX HD Bluetooth means the Alva TT can stream your vinyl wirelessly to compatible Bluetooth headphones or a wireless speaker in hi-res 24-bit/48kHz.

Sound quality is pleasing, with vinyl given an open and airy soundstage and vocals a particular highlight. If you want a simple home hi-fi system with a premium turntable as your source, the Alva TT could be just the ticket.

Read the full review: Cambridge Audio Alva TT

4. Elipson Omega 100 RIAA BT

A pleasant-sounding deck with plenty of features.

SPECIFICATIONS

Dimensions: 12 x 45 x 38cm (HxWxD) | Motor: Belt drive | Cartridge: MM | Phono preamp: Yes | USB: Yes | Bluetooth: Yes | Speeds: 33 ⅓, 45 | Finish: Black, white, red

Reasons to Buy

Defined, insightful and musical

Impressive bass

Simple to use

As well as giving you the ability to archive all your records on your computer via the USB port, a built-in phono stage means you can plug the Omega straight into your amplifier. The Bluetooth connectivity means whether you have wireless or powered speakers, you needn’t have any physical connections whatsoever.

That said, Elipson has still directed its main focus towards designing a turntable that sounds good, ensuring this deck is much more than just an impressive list of features.

Read the full review: Elipson Omega 100 RIAA BT

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Read the full article at What HIFI?

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keywords: aptX  Audio  Bluetooth  Headphones  Music  Review  Sound  Speakers  

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