The resurgence of vinyl records is a curiosity to some and a passion for others. It’s arguably ancient technology at this point, but that’s also part of its appeal. Sony is looking to bridge the gap with the PS-LX310BT, a turntable that incorporates modern technology to play a very old format. The company showed the new unit at CES this week.
The PS-LX310BT can play your music over wireless speakers via Bluetooth, or you can listen to records over an included USB-C port. Of course, you can connect it to your stereo setup the old-fashioned way if any of that sounds like blasphemy to you. Additionally, it includes a built-in phono stage, and you can choose from three audio settings—high, mid, and low—to best present the record you want to play.
It also has an aluminum tone arm that like some modern record players can automatically raise and lower when tracks start and end, then return to its neutral position on the side once the record has finished playing—and an aluminum die cast platter to match. It offers two operating speeds (33 and 1/2 rpm, and 45rpm,) and can accommodate both 7-inch and 12-inch records.
The unit measures at 367mm by 430mm by 108mm, so it’s quite compact, and it has a clear look that should allow it to blend in most rooms.
There’s a certain fascination to gadgets that are fundamentally decades-old technology, reinterpreted through a contemporary lens. It’s odd using a format that is all about the warmth of its analog sound, only to transmit it digitally. But sometimes what’s old can be just as appealing as what’s new, albeit for different reasons, and you want to hold on to just a little of that. The versatility of this product may have some appeal—yes, you can connect it to your analog speakers, but if you’re elsewhere in the home, you can stream the audio there instead. (There are other solutions out there for this from Sonos and others, though.)
The turntable will become available in April, and the UK price is £200, but the company hasn’t shared US pricing yet.
