It’s been years since we last saw a new vinyl spinner from Sony, and now they’ve announced the launch of not one new turntable, but two.
The PS-LX3BT and PS-LX5BT follow in the same footsteps (grooves?) as the PS-LX310BT, which scored five-stars and, if we remember correctly, a Trusted Reviews award when it was first reviewed many, many years ago.
They both support Bluetooth wireless connectivity, but don’t think of these turntables as designed just for newbies, as Sony is looking to hoover up both first-time vinyl buyers and audiophiles with these latest efforts.
First off, what common ground do the turntables offer between them? There is the wireless support, as mentioned above, with aptX and aptX Adaptive support allowing users to connect wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers to the turntables (you can, of course, connect devices through a connection as well).
There’s what Sony is referring to a high-quality cartridge (it hasn’t stated which one yet), along with three-level gain control, an aluminum platter and a transparent dust cover when you’re not using the turntables and want to keep them safe from any any dust build-up.
Each vinyl spinner supports 33.3 and 45RPM records. Buy either one, and that’s what you can expect to get as the bare minimum. Both models offer one-button, fully automatic abilities with the inclusion of ‘start’ and ‘stop’ buttons, making it easier for those who want simple operation when playing vinyl records.
The PS-LX3BT is intended for newcomers, boasting a rather simply design and coming with an attached audio cable and a built-in phono equaliser, which will make it easier to connect this turntable to an amplifier or music streamer. Sony claims it produces a “warm analogue sound with smooth tracking”.
The PS-LX5BT seems to be the higher-specc’d of the two, featuring a rigid one-piece body and alumnium tone-arm, a “high-grade cartridge” that Sony says is able to deliver a “rich sound with a wide soundstage”; plus gold-plated audio jacks for a connection.
The PS-LX3BT is available for a suggested retail price of £299 / €350, and the PS-LX5BT goes on sale at £399 / €450 from the Sony website and authorised dealers.
