My old LPs sounded sweet and very "analog-like," which is to say rich, warm and inviting. UPS shipping in the US runs around $20, and U-Turn is also selling turntables to Canadian customers.
#Orbit turntable plus
The Plus version is available with black, blue, or green bases, other colors are in the works.
I reviewed the all-black $179 Orbit Basic, the $279 Orbit Plus is much the same but features an acrylic platter instead of the Basic's medium-density fiberboard platter, and an upgraded Audio-Technica AT95E phono cartridge.
#Orbit turntable upgrade
So if you want to change or upgrade cartridges you'll need to buy an inexpensive gauge to properly set the stylus pressure. Second, there's no calibration for applying stylus pressure when you change phono cartridges, but the stylus force is preset at the factory for the included Audio-Technica CN5625AL cartridge. The Orbit's budgetary constraints show up in the lack of a tonearm cueing lift lever, you have to pick up the tonearm by grabbing the finger lift on the tonearm's head shell (U-Turn is developing an add-on cueing device that will be sold separately for around $40). The whole operation took just a few minutes.
#Orbit turntable full
Just place the platter on the turntable spindle, put the belt around the motor pulley and platter, hook up the included cable to your receiver or phono preamp (I used a NAD PP 2i, full review to come), and you're good to go. Some turntables are a hassle to setup, but the Orbit is a snap. U-Turn might be a newborn audio company, but that old school approach to getting things right is impressive.īuild quality is excellent for an entry-level 'table, all the parts fit nicely, and a clear plastic dust cover is standard. In addition, each turntable undergoes a 15-point quality control regimen, and each one is listened to by a U-Turn technician. The turntable and tonearm were designed by U-Turn's Bob Hertig. The tonearm is a completely proprietary design, a feat few audiophile turntable manufacturers, even ones that make more expensive designs, pull off. As promised, the Orbit is made near Boston with mostly US-made parts (only the motor, phono cartridge, and a few small plastic molded parts are sourced overseas). I first heard about the Orbit when it was a Kickstarter project late last year, and now it's a reality. If you're ready to take the plunge and explore new vinyl frontiers, you need a decent turntable to hear what the fuss is all about. And while used turntables might be a way to get into vinyl for less, turntables are rather delicate devices, so used buys can be risky. Before the $179 Orbit's debut, audiophile turntable prices started at around $400. Most cheap turntables sound cheap - they're rumbly, thin and distorted - but the U-Turn Orbit Basic suffers no such faults.