JBL's new turntable packs Bluetooth 5.2 for wireless connectivity

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Harman has announced a new wireless turntable that will be part of its CES showcase in Las Vegas this week. Unfortunately, you'll have to wait several months for the opportunity to take it home.

The JBL Spinner BT plays records at 33 1/3 rpm for LPs and 45 rpm for EPs and singles, and speeds are locked with a sensor to guarantee perfect pitch from its belt-driven aluminum platter. As the name suggests, the turntable will allow listeners to enjoy their vinyl wirelessly over Bluetooth 5.2 "without sacrificing audio quality." It can easily pair with headphones, portable speakers or soundbars and supports aptX HD encoding.

Analog output over a wired connection is also possible for those wishing to use the turntable with traditional component or active loudspeaker systems.

Other highlights include an aluminum tonearm, black MDF plinth with JBL orange accents, a hinged dust cover and a contemporary front panel. The tonearm comes pre-loaded with an Audio Technica moving magnet cartridge on a removable head shell for easy replacement and upgrading. Furthermore, the turntable's feet are dampened to reduce vibration ingress.

According to Luminate Data (formerly Nielsen SoundScan), vinyl sales in the US hit a modern-era high in the week ending December 22, 2022, with sales topping out at 2.232 million copies – an increase of 46.7 percent week-over-week. That is the largest single week of sales since Luminate started tracking sales in 1991, and only the second time since then that weekly vinyl sales in the US have exceeded two million units.

The last time it happened was in the week leading up to Christmas last year, as sales peaked at 2.115 million units.

Heightened vinyl sales during the holidays don't necessarily mean more people are listening to records. I suspect that a sizable portion of purchases were nostalgia-fueled gifts as album covers are an excellent canvas to show off cover art.

The JBL Spinner BT is set to arrive in the third quarter of 2023 at an MSRP of $399.

Image credit: Matthias Groeneveld, Markus Spiske

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https://www.techspot.com/news/97161-jbl-new-turntable-packs-bluetooth-52-wireless-connectivity.html

 

[bviktor]

for this money you can get a direct-drive proper Reloop RP-4000 MK2. Belt-drive, seriously? If BT is a must, get a Reloop Spin for $300, that's also a belt-drive AND can use a battery (whereas I see no mention of that for JBL), or an Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT for $400, that's direct-drive AND with BT.

And this... this is just your usual overpriced JBL garbage.

 

[yRaz]

for this money you can get a direct-drive proper Reloop RP-4000 MK2. Belt-drive, seriously? If BT is a must, get a Reloop Spin for $300, that's also a belt-drive AND can use a battery (whereas I see no mention of that for JBL), or an Audio-Technica AT-LP120XBT for $400, that's direct-drive AND with BT.

And this... this is just your usual overpriced JBL garbage.

JBl has really tarnished their brand with not what I would call "low end" products, but simply silly products Noone asked for.

You can confidently buy anything JBL produces and reliably get "better than average" sound but they are far from the company that makes me collect vintage JBL speakers

 

[takaozo]

Vinyl lovers exists because of the "analog feeling" not because 24bit 192khz DAC.
Stupid approach.

 

[psycros]

Alternately, actual quality vintage turntable (anywhere from $30 to $100) + RCA to 3.5 adapter ($5) to decent Bluetooth transmitter ($15).

 

[BadThad]

This makes NO SENSE! So the vinyl fans put on their album and immediately convert it to digital for Bluetooth. What's the point, the analog experience has been ruined! Personally, never got the reason for the resurgence of vinyl albums. I spent decades spinning them and had an extensive collection - I've never missed them since going full digital. I don't miss the hassle, hissing, cracking, and popping! Also, it's been proven that modern digital music has MUCH more data and provides a much cleaner listening experience IMO.

 

[yRaz]

This makes NO SENSE! So the vinyl fans put on their album and immediately convert it to digital for Bluetooth. What's the point, the analog experience has been ruined! Personally, never got the reason for the resurgence of vinyl albums. I spent decades spinning them and had an extensive collection - I've never missed them since going full digital. I don't miss the hassle, hissing, cracking, and popping! Also, it's been proven that modern digital music has MUCH more data and provides a much cleaner listening experience IMO.

Frankly, some formats are just "cool" and "fun" to use. I love the satisfying feel of inserting a 5.5" or 3.5" floppy. I also get a satisfying click when putting in a cartridge into and n64. Some formats are just fun. If we could move passed the "this format is better" and admit that the experience of using some formats is just fun then I think a lot if these arguments would go away.

There is nothing wrong with having fun. No one is saying we shouldn't be having fu , it's lying about why we're having fun by saying something is "superior" where the problem starts.

A C8 corvette is a better vehicle than my friends 1960 Austin Heely Sprite. Fact of the matter is that I have more fun in the sprite than I do in his Corvette. And, again, there is nothing wrong with fun!

 

[Homerlovesbeer]

So let's take the main reason people buy turntables, the enjoyment of warm analogue music, and convert it into digital.