Sony drives at Ion with own-brand USB turntable
Rippin' and clubbin'
Vinyl record fans with a love for the PC no longer have to rely on manufacturer Ion for USB turntables, because Sony has stepped up to the mic and spun out a USB model of its own.
The PS-LX300USB isn’t particularly stylish, but then how many turntables are? Nonetheless, an up-and-coming Fat Boy Slim can scratch to their heart’s desire at 33-1/3 and 45rpm speeds.
A USB port’s built-into the turntable and Sony’s throwing-in its own Sound Forge Audio Studio software for editing your mixes on a PC, before exporting them to an MP3 player.
Sony's PS-LX300USB: ideal for retro ripping?
Clubs are loud places, but Sony clearly doesn’t want the Noise Police on its back and so has built-in a belt drive system to reduce, it claimed, the turntable’s motor noise. It provides added rotational stability, it added.
A static balance arm features a bonded diamond stylus that, Sony claimed, reduces the amount of wear and tear caused to your vinyl. It comes with a dust cover, but no felt-pad for dusting your LPs to prevent the inevitable pops and clicks of the analogue era.
Sony’s due to go old school with the PS-LX300USB turntable in the US next month for $150 (£75/€100). It hasn’t laid down a UK release date yet.
COMMENTS
what's wrong with line out?
nothing, if you've got RCA phono-to-.125" phone cabling, and your PC is near your amp. i think these products from ion and sony are for people who don't have a working turntable anymore, or the folks whose VCR is still flashing "00:00".
Current deck plus amp line out = win
What's wrong with using the line out on your amp all of a sudden? Do people really want to go out and buy a whole new record deck with a USB connection instead?
I just don't get it.
Belt Drive
Belt drive is quieter than direct-drive, which is why there are no high-end direct-drive tables (and high-end tables often go to great lengths to move the motor away from the cartridge). Also, wannabe Fatboy Slims should stay away from this and all other belt-drive tables - pretty sure all DJ tables are direct-drive.
-Audiophile dork
Marketing departments eh
"has built-in a belt drive system to reduce, it claimed, the turntable’s motor noise."
Which is also of course cheaper than direct-drive...
"Spin" me around...
Damn! Someone beat me to it.
I was going to wonder about DRM given the Sony software supplied.
Why on earth would anyone pay a Sony premium for a device that Sony basically declared dead almost 2 decades ago?
