"Volkman" for vinyl
I remember in childhood, when I got a CD player, I looked at my mother’s vinyl records and thought, “what if we do the same with them?” Of course, it was a joke, but recently I saw almost such a device - it is called ION Audio Vinyl Motion. The problem of presenting yourself for the New Year has been resolved - I’ve got myself a new “toy”. “What a compact and smart box,” I thought, when they brought me a gadget in the store. Just under the Christmas tree!
The gadget is made in the form of a suitcase in retro style: the lid is decorated with black leatherette on the outside, and red velvet inside. All materials are of high quality, the handle is metal. Despite its impressive appearance, the device weighs 2.7 kg - recently 15-inch laptops weighed more.
I put it on the table, consider it. In front are two square grilles, behind which the speakers are hidden. On the case there is a speed switch 33/45/78 rpm. The kit includes a USB cable, stereo cable, 45 rpm adapter, blank with software, power adapter and instructions. It's funny that the manual says that you can use the device only with the lid open. The humor is that with the plate installed, you simply cannot close the player - the edges of the vinyl go beyond the dimensions of the turntable. Oh, the dreams of using it as a mobile player are shattered! What kind of pickup is here - I don’t know, obviously something universal. Before use, I install a felt lining, which was also found in a separate bag.
I have a relatively large collection of records, and of high quality. The first thing I put on the “turntable” is The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The recording is monophonic, but I love it not for the stereo effect - it is saturated with the spirit that once created the very Beatlemania. I note that ION Audio Vinyl Motion has several playback modes: through the built-in speakers, through external (for this there is a classic pair of RCA connectors), through a computer, connecting the device to USB and, of course, to the headphones - for them there is a separate stereo output.
When connected to a PC / Mac, you can also digitize the plates, for which you need to install the EZ Vinyl program. The utility is very simple, there are few settings. You set the desired bitrate and turn on the recording - you get an MP3 file at the output. The program automatically divides into tracks, after which each of them can be assigned a name and prescribe other attributes. The manufacturer’s website has distributions for both Windows and iOS.
Now I’m going to the tastiest - to nutrition! ION Audio Vinyl Motion is an economical device. It is enough for him to be connected to the USB port to function. But most importantly - it has a built-in battery. You should have seen the eyes of friends to whom I came for New Year’s meeting with this suitcase, opened it and turned it on. The effect is clear - it's some kind of magic! The only thing to consider is it is better to use a power adapter with a current of 2A or a computer port with similar characteristics. Then the built-in batteries will be charged faster, and the power shortage, if at this time the device will work, will not be guaranteed. At medium volume, I was able to listen to 5 records, which is approximately equal to 4 hours.
The gadget sounds pretty decent. Yes, of course, the built-in 2x5W acoustics is not the ultimate dream of a “high-tech”, it has a clear deficit of low frequencies, but this is a problem. If you want to “get high” from the sound - connect the external speakers of the corresponding class. It’s necessary to create a wow effect - just open the suitcase, put the correct record and honky! The case of the device is made of MDF, so the sound does not have nasty plastic aberrations.
The money spent on ION Audio Vinyl Motion I do not mind a bit. This is such a toy for adults, which gives a lot of pleasure. And given that the records can now also be digitized, I can now listen to that very sound with the same soft hiss in my smartphone or car. You should not perceive this model as the only spinner in the house, but it plays its role perfectly.