With a smartphone in just about every pocket, we can carry our music with us wherever we go. But taking vinyl for a spin in the park is not so easy, which is where the retro-cool VibeSpin is designed to come in.
The VibeSpin is the first Kickstarter for a Hong Kong-based startup but is by no means the first or only portable record player. Indeed, the VibeSpin rocks a similar form factor to Crosley's Revolution and the Sound Burger from Audio Technica. But its styling is said to have been inspired by an age when vinyl ruled the music consumption roost and automobiles sported tail fins.
The retro-stylish turntable measures 280 x 110 x 50 mm (11 x 4.3 x 1.9 in) and tips the scales at 746 g (26 oz), though will bulk up a bit more when the included transparent cover is put in place. It can spin 7-, 10- and 12-inch vinyl at 33 or 45 rpm, and the platter will automatically start to rotate when the straight tonearm is manually moved over the record. A replaceable stylus is housed within an angled cartridge, and volume is turned up or down using a knob up top.
The design team has included a 5,000-mAh battery for grooving on the go, which is rated for 12 hours of playback – or more than 20 albums – and is topped up over USB-C.
The listener has a bit of a choice for sonic output. There's a single integrated 3-W speaker for portable ease. That isn't super powerful but should be loud enough for supplying the tunes around the firepit at camp or sitting in the yard with friends – though the creator is promising listeners "rich, vibrant tones" from the "high-grade speaker." A line out has been included too, for cabled connection to a powered speaker, and Bluetooth 5.3 is cooked in for wireless pairing with BT headphones or portable speaker.
Kickstarter pledges for the VibeSpin currently start at just US$89 (or HKD 695), which is about half the expected retail price. The usual crowdfunding cautions apply, but if all goes to plan with the successfully funded campaign, shipping is estimated to start from November. The designer is also offering an auto vinyl cleaning machine as a bundle or add-on. The video below has more.
Source: VibeSpin