CES 2023: JBL unveils its first-ever turntable with Bluetooth connectivity
What's the story
Record players became extremely popular in the 1960s when the first turntable to provide stereo playback was released.
At CES 2023, US audio equipment manufacturer, JBL brought back the memories of the past with its first-ever modern turntable, Spinner BT.
It comes with Bluetooth capability, allowing users to wirelessly stream vinyl records on capable speakers/headphones, "without sacrificing audio quality" as per the brand.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Digital music file formats often involve compression to make files smaller, which results in reduced sound quality.
On the other hand, a turntable offers analog audio through cable connections, providing a richer listening experience with uncompressed music.
However, JBL's Spinner BT is one of the modern-day Bluetooth-capable turntables with aptX HD wireless steaming, allowing high-quality sound reproduction wirelessly, without any cables in the way.
Design
The turntable has an all-black design with vibrant orange accents
The Spinner BT sports an all-black belt-drive design with an aluminum platter, vibrant orange accents, and a dust cover. It gets both wired/analog output and wireless connections.
The turntable gets a built-in switchable moving magnet phono stage for usage with active speakers. It also allows users to feed it into a traditional audio system/amp/wired speakers with an external phono preamp.
Highlights
The device features aptX HD wireless streaming
The Spinner BT offers Bluetooth capability with aptX HD wireless steaming. It streams vinyl records to wireless devices in 24-bit hi-res quality.
The turntable equips an MDF plinth with damped feet to reduce vibration. Its tonearm comes fitted with "high-quality" Audio Technica moving magnet cartridge, within a removable headshell.
Its 33 1/3 and 45rpm speeds are "locked with a speed sensor for perfect pitch."
Information
JBL Spinner BT: Pricing and availability
JBL will officially launch the Spinner BT by the third quarter of 2023. The turntable bears a price tag of $399 (nearly Rs. 32,800) in the US. It should be available in several markets across the world.