vibrations moved the needle up and down,
creating a groove on the foil that recorded
the frequencies of his voice over time. When
repeating the process, the needle traced the
pattern, vibrated, and the noise was amplified
by the horn, recreating his voice exactly.
Today’s turntables follow a very similar
principle, with the needle (or stylus, if you
prefer) following the grooves in a vinyl
record as it spins to recreate the sound of the
recording. However, instead of a giant horn
to amplify the sound, modern record players
convert the vibrations from your record into
electrical signals, which are then amplified
by a preamp or phonostage. This powers the
speakers or headphones connected to the
turntable, creating a louder (and far cleaner)
sound than the phonographs and
gramophones of the early 20th century.
Bluetooth and wireless turntables swap
the physical cables that connect the record
player to your speakers or headphones for a
wireless connection, transmitting the
electrical signals from the phonostage over
Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. Without the need for
cables, wireless turntables are easier to set
up than their wired siblings, and are often
cheaper too, as many manufacturers aim to
lure in vinyl novices with lower prices and
the convenience of Bluetooth connectivity.
There are a few downsides to opting for a
Bluetooth connection, however; while the
technology has advanced tremendously in
the past few years, some believe that the
audio quality still can’t match that of a wired
setup. This is because Bluetooth transmission
compresses audio files to fit in as much data
as possible over a low bandwidth, which
leads to a slight loss of detail. Connections
can also drop out, particularly if you have a
lot of Bluetooth devices being used in the
same area. Saying that, newer Bluetooth
codecs like aptX HD and aptX Adaptive offerlower rates of compression and are capable of
transmitting Hi-Res Audio files over a
wireless connection – they’re also much
better at offering a stable connection.
Worried about a loss of quality? Wi-Fi-
enabled turntables allow for compressionless
audio transmission thanks to Wi-Fi’s higher
bandwidth compared to Bluetooth, and drop
outs are far less common – however, you
may find that you have to pay a little more
for wireless turntables that offer Wi-Fi
connectivity, as opposed to those that only
offer Bluetooth pairing.CHOOSING THE BEST
So, how do you go about picking the best
wireless turntable for your needs? And what
exactly should you be looking for in your
new record player?
Well, there are a few key features you
should look out for when making your
decision. First up is price. Like all home
audio gadgets, Bluetooth turntables vary
massively in price, ranging from sub-£100
decks to top-of-the-range players that cost
well over £1,000.
While you might have to sacrifice the
premium finish and materials you’ll find in
expensive models, budget Bluetooth
turntables are often better suited to
beginners. That’s because cheaper record
players usually come pre-assembled, so youBudget Bluetooth
turntables are often
better suited to
beginners
The top three...
WIRELESS
SPEAKERS
No turntable is complete
without some kick-ass
speakers to blast your tunes- here are our top picks
BOWERS & WILKINS
FORMATION DUO
These snappy wireless stereo speakers
showcase the best of British brand Bowers
& Wilkins, with tight bass, precise trebles
and multi-room functionality.
£3,499, bowerswilkins.comSONOS MOVE
Prefer to listen solo? The Sonos Move is
one of the best Bluetooth speakers you can
buy right now, with an expansive, multi-
directional sound and algorithmic smarts
that adapt its audio to its surroundings.
£399, sonos.comKEF LSX WIRELESS SYSTEM
These modern-looking wireless stereo
speakers provide excellent sound quality
without the need for annoying cables – and
despite their compact size, offer enough
bass to pack a punch.
£999, uk.kef.com01
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