Victrola, purveyor of music related devices in the home for 115 years, has announced new entries into its turntable series with the launch of the Hi-Res Carbon and Hi-Res Onyx.
The Hi-Res models, according to Victrola, represent its “evolution in the high-fidelity wireless turntable category”. The Hi-Res aspect pertains to support for Qualcomm’s aptX Adaptive Bluetooth, as well as the latest Bluetooth 5.4 connection.
Traditional users aren’t kept out of the loop, as for those after a more analogue listening experience can plug in active speakers or integrate the turntables into component-based systems.
Other notable details include a low-resonance veneered MDF plinth as well as “premium metal turntable components and platter” for a high-quality performance. There’s a switchable pre-amp with traditional analogue gold-plated RCA outputs, along with an auto-sensor to prevent the stylus from wearing out and custom-designed, removable headshells.
For more details on the Victrola range of turntables, scroll down below. They’ll go on sale in early November 2023. Perhaps they’ll make it onto our best turntables list…
Hi-Res Carbon
The Hi-Res Carbon comes in a two-toned finish (black and silver) with Bluetooth support up to aptX Adaptive (interestingly there’s no AAC included). This model is the more premium of the two, with carbon fibre used in the construction of the tonearm that also features an removable headshell and adjustable counterweight. The Ortofon 2M Red cartridge aims to bring dynamic sound and warmth to vinyl playback.
- Price: £599 / $599 / €499
- Bluetooth support: SBC, aptX, aptX-HD, aptX Adaptive
- Outputs: RCA (built-in preamp), phono
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Speeds: 33.3 / 45RPM
- Cartridge: Ortofon 2M Red
Hi-Res Onyx
The cheaper of the two new models, the Hi-Res Onyx comes in an all-black finish and carries the same Bluetooth support but drops the carbon fibre tonearm and switches out the Ortofon 2M Red cartridge for an Audio Technica AT-V95ME, which Victrola says delivers “balanced and distortion-free audio playback”.
- Price: £399 / $399 / €499
- Bluetooth support: SBC, aptX, aptX-HD, aptX Adaptive
- Outputs: RCA (built-in preamp), phono
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Speeds: 33.3 / 45RPM
- Cartridge: Audio Technica AT-V95ME
Stream Carbon
Part of the ‘Works with’ Sonos program, you can stream vinyl records directly from the Stream Carbon to any Sonos speaker in the home, with full integration into the Sonos app. It comes packaged with a carbon-fibre tonearm and be connected to a home network via Wi-Fi or the Ethernet port.
- Price: £899 / $799
- Bluetooth support: N/A
- Outputs: RCA
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Speeds: 33.3 / 45RPM
- Cartridge: Ortofon 2M Red
Stream Onyx
The Stream Onyx is the follow-up to the Stream Carbon with wireless support that allows users to stream their vinyl records straight to their Sonos speakers. The cartridge for this model is the same as the Hi-Res Onyx (VM95E). The Stream Onyx is currently only available in the US, though Victrola did announce plans to launch it in Europe later in 2023.
- Price: $599
- Bluetooth support: N/A
- Outputs: RCA
- Drive: Belt-drive
- Speeds: 33.3 / 45 RPM
- Cartridge: Audio-Technica VM95E
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
