The turntables on today’s market fall into 1 of 2 categories. All-in-1 tables consist of a turntable, amplifier and speakers, contained within the same casework. Some systems include support for other formats too, including CD, digital playback via USB and even cassette. But are they as good as they seem?
Having cleaned more records than I've had hot dinners, I somehow believe I am in the privileged position to pontificate on the worst ways to do this.
In the past, I've described the inherent sound of cassette tape as "the analogue goodness of vinyl, just less of it". It wasn't always so however. Back in 1963, when Philips developed the cassette format, it was never intended to be a music medium, let alone a hi-fi one. The cassette (and the machine to play and record on them) was compact and simple enough to make a good dictation system for the office. There were a number of restrictions that hindered the cassette's use for music playback.
On September 7 2016, Apple announced the iPhone 7 confirming that the company had taken the decision to remove the 3.5MM headphone jack from their smartphone. However, the 3.5MM jacks' demise may actually be a change for the better, and here's why.
Apple music has the potential to be an exceptional streaming service. But too many features and an inconsistent user experience mean it's not there, yet.
A selection of hand-picked must-haves for fans of the vinyl format.
CD ripping is illegal, again. But why?
Cheap modern turntables and retro-style stereos are flooding the market... but they will destroy your records