With spring around the corner we thought it would be fitting to do a round up of new portable turntables. We’ve been suspecting for a while that with the current upswing in vinyl sales a lot of new portables would have been hitting the shelves lately, and after digging around for a while our suspicion seems to be confirmed. There are quite a few new portables out there, many which should be more than suitable to bring to the park for some relaxing afternoons with friends and a beer or two – so let’s see what’s out there!

Hammacher Schlemmer

This portable from Hammacher Schlemmer is the smallest portable available. Nevertheless, it’s capable of playing full-sized LPs through two 5-watt, full-range speakers built into the front of the hardwood case. It’s belt driven and handles 33 1/3, 45, and 78-speed LPs, and the diamond stylus, according to the reports, is capable of  picking up all the nuances of vinyl records, while the speaker are supposed to be pretty good for a turntable this size. It also has a sturdy handle which should make it optimal for carrying around. The price is $99.9.

Ion IPT-USB Portable USB Turntable

This one from ION is light and features a neat cover, which makes it great for carrying around. It also has a USB output for direct recording to a computer. According to the reports the plastic tone arm feels a bit flimsy, but aside from that the sound quality apparently defies its small size. With a price at $149.99 this sounds like a good deal.

Vestax Handy Trax

The most portable from Vestax to date. It’s built to play anywhere, and from what we have heard, has a dynamic balanced and durable tone-arm, which should handle most angles and conditions. Price: $129

Numark PT01USB Portable Turntable

The Numark PT01USB enables you to convert your vinyl to WAV or MP3 and can run on either wall or battery power. It comes with a sweet cover and integrated handle, and has internal speaker for total mobility. The price is not too bad either – $99.95.

Teac GF-650 Turntable/CD Recorder

The Teac GF-650 sports a retro style and has a new aluminum platter design, which adds to the precision of the sound experience. Being able to record directly from vinyl to CD without any software is what makes this one stand out. The price is $445.99.

Crosley CR49 Traveler Portable Turntable, Tweed

This one from Crosley is inspired by the original portables of the late 1950s, is belt driven and plays 33-1/3, 45, and 78 rpm, so it seems like an optimal solution for anyone who doesn’t want to compromise while on the road. Other neat features are a pair of built-in, full-range stereo speakers, an adjustable tone control and a diamond-stylus needle. Price: $129.95.

Oak Record Changer

The Oak Record Changer costs a whopping $649.00 and is a reintroduction of the Original Record Changer from Crosley. It supports stacking of up to 6 records at a time and has a fully automatic swinging motion so as the arm reaches the stack, your next favorite album gracefully drops on the platter. Neat!

Califone 1005: Plays 33 / 45 / 78 rpm Discs, Removeable Lid

The Califone 1005 comes loaded with features, has clear sound, and although the product description claims it’s a killer for early childhood education and dance material this box should still do the job for the rest of us as well. The price is $241.

If you feel we’ve overlooked anything we would be happy to hear in the comments! Also, if you enjoyed this post consider to check out some of our other turntable posts:

The World’s Most Expensive Turntables

Vintage Turntables (1971-1983)

More..

Tags: New Portable Turntables

This entry was posted on Monday, March 30th, 2009 at 3:39 pm and is filed under Turntables. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.