Review: The +RECORD PLAYER, A Compact All-In-One Audio System With A Pro-Ject Turntable And Killer Sound – Forbes

Serious fans of vinyl and audiophiles who want the ability to listen to records tend to avoid all-in-one record players like the plague. These systems are very popular. They combine a turntable, amplifier, speakers and additional features like Bluetooth wireless in a single wooden cabinet. The vintage appeal and compact size (compared to separate components) keeps them flying off shelves. However... With prices typically $200 or less, no-one is going to mistake these systems for a premium offering. The wood is usually fake, the audio output is tinny, the record player often exhibits distortion from the speakers, and the inexpensive stylus used in many of these systems can actually damage records.

Those who know better stick to a high quality turntable connected to decent audio components.

That leaves a big gap in the market, though. A turntable plus components takes up a lot of physical space and requires multiple unsightly wires to connect everything. In a small space like an apartment or a den, a traditional setup isnt always an option. The +RECORD PLAYER from +AUDIO was designed to address this gap.

The +RECORD PLAYER in walnut.

Its an all-in-one record player, but one with a modern take on the classic wood cabinet design and audio performance that will impress even the audiophile crowd. The +AUDIO team that spent over three years working on the +RECORD PLAYER includes engineers with decades of experience at some of the worlds leading audio brands (including JBL and Cambridge SoundWorks) along with an accomplished furniture designer. The end result is a beautiful all-in-one record player with premium touches including real wood veneer and aluminum trim, and high quality audio components throughout starting with a European-made Pro-Ject Debut III turntable nested into the top of the cabinet.

Premium Components + Advanced Design

The team at +AUDIO is very proud of the components and design that went into the +RECORD PLAYER, and its worth talking about these because they are key to designing an all-in-one system thats not compromised.

As mentioned, the turntable isnt just any old record player stuck on top, its a highly regarded Pro-Ject Debut III. This two speed belt-drive turntable is equipped with a 24 pole synchronous motor with crystal stabilized digital electronic speed controller for minimal wow and flutter. An Ortofon OM10 MM cartridge is pre-mounted (an upgrade from the OM5e typically found on this turntable). I have this cartridge installed on several of my turntables, and its a solid performer with excellent tracking and high quality audio.

The +RECORD PLAYER, top view of the integrated Pro-Ject Debut III turntable.

The two stage phono pre-amp uses passive equalization to deliver superior accuracy. You can flip a switch on the back of the system to bypass the internal speakers and instead output via Line Out to powered speakers or an amplifier, but the +RECORD PLAYER sounds fantastic without external components. The turntable sits atop a base that does double duty as the speaker enclosure an arrangement that leads to distortion in most systems. In this case, careful design has gone into producing a cabinet that allows for decent bass (low frequency output down to 55Hz) while isolating the turntable from speaker feedback and vibration, even at high volume.

The drivers themselves are custom units, a pair of 3.5-inch high excursion long throw aluminum cone woofers and a pair of 1-inch soft dome tweeters. Each is driven by its own Class D digital amplifier (35W to each of the woofers and 15W to each of the tweeters for 100W total). According to +AUDIO, the team spent weeks with male and female listeners ranging in ages from 18 to 70, optimizing the output of the DSP to deliver an ideal audio experience in a typical living space. This includes a Wide sound mode, which does a very good job of producing expansive audio with a wide soundstage, replicating what youd get with a pair of speakers.

Assembly

The +RECORD PLAYER comes in several pieces, but assembly is straightforward. The Pro-Ject turntable arrives with the cartridge pre-mounted and adjusted. Connecting it to the base is a matter of plugging in a power cable, and a pair of RCA output cables (both of which are then hidden from view), then aligning the turntables feet up with four cutouts on the base top. The drive belt is then placed over the inner platter and pulley, followed by placing the platter over the spindle. The tonearm needs to be balanced, the tracking force set and the anti-skate set. Then the clear cover is slipped onto the pre-installed hinges.

The +RECORD PLAYER interior, prior to turntable installation.

Excellent instructions are included in the box, and the entire operation should take less then half an hour.

The Pro-Ject Debut III turntable prior to installation and setup.

Positioning is important with this system. Its recommended that you keep at least one foot of clear space on either side of the +RECORD PLAYER, and avoid enclosed cabinets. Not having space will interfere with speakers performance, especially in Wide mode. Fortunately, the system has a footprint little larger than just a turntable, at 17.6 x 13.9 inches.

The turntable is connected to the base (two RCA jacks plus a power cable) then lowered into ... [+] position.

Performance

Ive reviewed several mainstream all-in-one record players over the years, and I keep an assortment of sacrificial test records for use with those theres no way I would play vinyl from my own collection on any of them. And the sound is always pretty terrible. Like listening to a record played over a cheap mono speaker, muddied by being wrapped in layers of foam...

I was really looking forward to how the +RECORD PLAYER would sound. The system looks sleek and modern, and if the sound matched the premium appearance it was going to be something special. I wasnt disappointed.

The +RECORD PLAYER is equipped with a high quality Pro-Ject turntable and Ortofon OM10 MM ... [+] cartridge.

I had no concerns about playing my records on the +RECORD PLAYERs Pro-Ject turntable. Initial testing took place in my office, which is a fairly small room. It still sounded fantastic, with respectable bass, solid midrange and clear highs. I played through albums from bands representing a wide range of genres Simple Minds, Talking Heads, Fleetwood Mac, Steely Dan and it was always impressive. I was unable to detect any issue with the speakers impacting record playback, even when volume was cranked up on bass-heavy tracks. But the real test was moving from my office to the main floor of the house after a week, once the stylus and speakers had a chance to be broken in.

Ive always wanted to set up a turntable on this floor so I could listen to records in the living room and kitchen, but there just isnt enough free space for a turntable, amplifier and speakers.

The +RECORD PLAYER is compact, and shines when set up in an open space.

This is a scenario where the +RECORD PLAYER absolutely shines. Its entire footprint is roughly the size of a turntable and it was easy to clear a little space on the top of a cabinet. In Wide mode in the open concept space, vinyl sounded nearly as good as the traditional stereo setup in my office. There is a real sense of depth, and plenty of power on tap to fill an open space with high quality audio. This system would be ideal in an apartment or condo.

Bluetooth and USB

You can use the +RECORD PLAYER as a Bluetooth speaker to stream audio from your smartphone. Connectivity is easy theres a Bluetooth button on the front panel and audio is decent, although a definite step down from what the turntable can deliver and not at the quality you would get from Wi-Fi streaming (more on that shortly). With the system volume at maximum, theres a noticeable hum between tracks and as a result Ive been keeping system volume around 75% when using Bluetooth. That means music cant get quite as loud as when playing a record, but its still sufficient to nicely fill a medium-sized space.

+RECORD PLAYER inputs and outputs.

The back panel has inputs for 3.5mm AUX, Line in and optical sources, but youll also find a USB port. This can be used to output audio to a PC or Mac for digitizing vinyl tracks, and can also be used to power a connected USB device.

+RECORD PLAYER Key Specs (as tested):

What About Wi-Fi and Streaming Audio?

When I spoke to the +RECORD PLAYER team, they said one of the objectives of this system was to avoid complexity. There was also some concern during the design phase about the rapid changes in streaming audio technology and the potential risk of obsolescence. So there is no integrated Wi-Fi connectivity, and that means no onboard support for streaming services like Spotify. However, Bluetooth connectivity is there for those who want to stream music from their smartphone.

That being said, the system includes multiple inputs and +AUDIO says a signal sensing circuit will automatically detect a streamer like an Amazon Echo Dot connected to the AUX input, and will switch to that source automatically. In other words, you can add the Wi-Fi streaming music source of your choice by connecting an inexpensive accessory.

I have an Apple Airport Express on order and will update this review when received to reflect how well the +RECORD PLAYER worked with AirPlay streaming...

Quibbles

There really wasnt much to find fault with here. The turntable platter immediately starts spinning when powered on, not when the tonearm is cued, and remains on until put in standby mode. That took a little adjusting to get used to. The good news is that unlike most Pro-Ject turntables Ive used, this one automatically switches between 45 and 33-1/3 rpm instead of requiring you to manually move the belt up and down on the spindle.

The red LED volume level lights which are activated when you adjust volume seemed to have a life of their own sometimes several presses would move the lights up one level, sometimes a single press would advance the lights two levels but that had no effect on the actual volume adjustments.

Thats about it... The +RECORD PLAYER is a well-designed, and well-built audio system. Wi-Fi streaming would be high on my wish list, but thats easily taken care of.

Recommendation

The +RECORD PLAYER delivers premium quality vinyl playback in a modern, all-in-one cabinet.

Theres no getting around the fact that at over $1,300 the +RECORD PLAYER is an expensive product. However, if youre a vinyl fan in the market for an all-in-one record player with audio performance that would put many bookshelf turntable + amplifier + speaker systems to shame the +RECORD PLAYER is a standout option.

With its natural wood veneer and aluminum trim, the +RECORD PLAYER looks modern, the integrated Pro-Ject turntable with Ortofon OM 10 cartridge ensures your records sound their best, and the custom 100W speaker system delivers premium quality audio with detailed and expansive sound. The two-year warranty (with extended 10-year coverage) offered by +AUDIO, which is significantly better than the industry standard single year, is another big win.

If you want to take the vinyl listening experience up a notch, +AUDIO offers a Special Edition version. An additional $200 gets you an upgrade to a carbon fiber tonearm, and an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.

Disclosure: +AUDIO provided a +RECORD PLAYER for evaluation but had no input into this review.

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Review: The +RECORD PLAYER, A Compact All-In-One Audio System With A Pro-Ject Turntable And Killer Sound - Forbes