Sales of vinyl records have been steadily rising over the last few years, even overtaking CD sales last year for the first time since 1986. Many music lovers will be dusting off an old turntable or buying a new one, but some may not have the space for hi-fi separates and huge floor-standing speakers, and need an all-in-one system instead. That's where the Victrola Premiere V1 comes in.
The V1 music system is made up of a turntable unit with integrated speakers and an external subwoofer. The belt-drive turntable spins at 33.3 or 45 rpm, and comes with a metal platter topped by a silicone slip mat, and a custom aluminum tonearm with anti-skate and adjustable counterweight that ends in the veteran company's first moving-magnet phono cartridge.
When not in use, the platter and tonearm are protected by a striking dust cover that lifts out of the way when it's time to start the vinyl party.
The system is home to a pair of integrated speakers and connects wirelessly with a 6.5-inch front-firing external subwoofer for full-range audio that "will fill an entire room," while a patent-pending anti-vibration technology promises to nip distortion in the bud at higher volumes.
To help cater to modern music listeners as well as disc spinners, Victrola has included Bluetooth so that users can route vinyl playback to wireless speakers (useful if you want to enjoy an album via a portable speaker in the kitchen or garden, for example), while also allowing for the streaming of tunes from smartphones for playback through the unit's own speakers.
Powering on and control are undertaken via an illuminated multi-function knob to the front, or a simple remote. And in addition to RCA output jacks around back, there's an optical audio input port so you can hook the system up to a big-screen TV and use it as a soundbar.
We've no word on availability, but the Premiere V1 music system is priced at US$499.99. The turntable/speaker unit can also be had on its own for $299.99.
Product page: Premiere V1
