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Sony is releasing a wireless turntable to anger the vinyl junkies

No, seriously, wtf is this?

Sony's new turntable announced at ces 2019 on wooden table
Image: Sony

The recent resurgence in vinyl, no doubt in part to the rise of the DJ culture, is one of those modern anachronisms that manages to be both retro and futuristic. Seeking to bridge that gap further, Sony is releasing the PS-LX310BT, a turntable that includes modern connectivity while still letting you play that ancient format.

The turntable should be just as polarizing as vinyl itself. Lovers of the sound will decry the Bluetooth connectivity and USB-C digital out. Vinyl’s warm sound comes from it being analog all the way through, so unless Sony has found a way to reproduce this over the airwaves it subtracts from the effect.

You can connect it with the traditional phono cables, however, so that might quench the fires of the enthusiasts.

More about Sony’s turntable

There’s also a built-in phono stage, with a three-setting gain switch to best present the record you want to listen to. The tone-arm is aluminum, which will automatically raise and lower when tracks end and start, and move back to its resting point when the record is over.

It only supports 33-1/2 rpm and 45 rpm records, so no 78’s here. 7-inch and 12-inch records can both be played.

How will it sound?

I’d just like to mention how much I really love vinyl. The feel, the tactility, the warm sound with the soft crackling of the pickup. Now, if Sony can reproduce all of that with a wireless connection, I’m sold. Until I hear proof, however, I’m very skeptical of this which feels like cashing in on the nostalgia without providing anything of value.

If you want to stream music, there are a hundred different app services for that, there’s no need to keep vinyl around. Once a DAC gets hold of the signal, it loses something, something that no amount of trickery can replace.

The PS-LX310BT will be £200.00 when it goes on sale in April. No US pricing has been announced as yet.

What do you think of Sony’s turntable? Interested in picking one up when it becomes available? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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Maker, meme-r, and unabashed geek with nearly half a decade of blogging experience. If it runs on electricity (or even if it doesn't), Joe probably has one around his office somewhere. His hobbies include photography, animation, and hoarding Reddit gold.

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