Majority Moto Turntable Review
Interested in vinyl but short on cash? Majority might have the answer…
Verdict
The Majority Moto is a well thought out means of starting out in vinyl and the level of functionality is genuinely impressive at the asking price making it easy and fun to use in a variety of different ways.
Pros
- Extremely competitive price
- Impressive functionality
- Sounds pretty decent over Bluetooth and wired connections
Cons
- Some mechanical noise
- On board speakers lack bass extension
- More performance is available for a bit more outlay
Key Features
- ConnectivityCan be used standalone, via Bluetooth or over wired connections
- Playback speeds33, 45 and 78 RPM playback
- RippingCan convert records to digital files
Introduction
As we celebrate another Record Store Day, the journey that vinyl has undergone in the last decade seems ever more surreal. An obsolete format that was dead and buried at the turn of the century is now very much in the mainstream and – depending on how you calculate such things – outperforming CD in sales terms.
The catch is that turntables can be rather expensive things. Even basic models can be a few hundred pounds and they can rapidly become spectacular money pits if you start chasing truly outstanding performance (ask me how I know). Compared to on demand streaming, vinyl replay has the potential to empty pockets at a spectacular rate.
This makes the Majority Moto turntable a very interesting bit of kit indeed. It’s being sold at a price I genuinely didn’t believe it was still possible to buy a new turntable with warranty for and what’s more, the spec it offers is extremely comprehensive.
Of course, the reasons why turntables can become very expensive is that they are mechanical engineering which can’t easily be done on the cheap. Can the Moto deliver decent performance at its rock bottom price?
Availability
The Majority Moto can be ordered off Amazon UK for £89.95 inclusive of delivery if you’re a Prime member. At the moment, this appears to be the only outlet for it and while shipping to other international locations seems to be possible, the exact price this will set you back is going to vary depending on where you are.
Something that is genuinely impressive for the asking price is that the Moto includes a three year warranty which is a respectable level of faith from the company that the Moto is going to work correctly for a reasonable amount of time and more than you will find on other turntables at the price or indeed at the level higher than this.
Design
- Compact plinth with sprung sub chassis.
- Built in speakers
- Small dustcover
Most turntables on the market are roughly 430mm wide (which is in turn the width of a classic hi-fi separate). The Majority is unusual because it’s smaller than this, just 38cm wide. This is achieved by tucking the arm closer to the platter and making it shorter. This assembly sits on a separately isolated sub chassis which is designed to isolate it from external interference. Power comes courtesy of a wall wart type power supply.
The separate sub chassis is a decent idea because at the front of the plinth is a pair of speakers that allow the Moto to play audio records without needing any additional equipment which is convenient but will be a source of interference to the playing surface. In order to ensure everything fits, the platter is smaller than a twelve inch record and there is a considerable overhang when you put one on the platter. It looks odd but it’s a fairly neat piece of packaging.
The plinth is finished in a wood effect which is reasonably well applied but feels a bit old fashioned to this set of eyes. I would have liked to see a solid colour option that would have made the Moto look a bit more contemporary (I am aware that vinyl is some way from a contemporary medium but if JBL can make the Spinner look fresh and modern, it’s not impossible). Inclusive in the price is a small dust cover which is a welcome thing to find at the price point.
Features
- Audio Technica cartridge
- Adjustable speed and auto stop
- Two way Bluetooth
- Headphone amp
- Built in phono stage
- Rip your records to digital
Majority is keen to make a play of the Moto being fitted with an Audio Technica cartridge and rightly so. The AT3600L is not the last word in vinyl replay but it’s a solid and reliable performer and easy to buy a replacement stylus for.
It tracks at roughly 3 grams which is a bit higher than truly ideal but quite a lot less than some of the suitcase style players on the market which will massively help the life of your records and this is about the lowest price that this hardware is available. The Moto can play at 33, 45 and 78rpm and there is also an auto stop function so the platter stops spinning at the end of a side which should help the life of the stylus as well.
Key to the Moto’s specification is Majority thinking that not only might it be the first turntable you buy, it might well be the first piece of audio equipment full stop. This means it can play records with no recourse to any other device. Put a record on, twist the volume dial and audio will be replayed out of the two small speakers on the plinth. What’s more, you can connect your phone to the Moto and output sound from that to it too.
If you have an existing Bluetooth speaker, the Bluetooth on board can also be set to wirelessly transmit to that. The Moto is a Bluetooth 5.3 fitment with no aptX or AAC but it is stable and easy to pair and this ensures you can make use of existing equipment you might have.
If you are more about wired connections, the Moto has you covered there too. There is a 3.5mm headphone socket on the front panel and an RCA connection on the rear that allows you to wire the Moto to an amplifier or powered speaker. You don’t need to worry about needing a phono stage either as there is one built in that ensures that any connection you make will work at a normal line level. This makes the Moto an impressively flexible bit of kit.
Finally, you can also use the Moto to convert your records to digital files on a PC or Mac. Connect a USB cable and use software like Audacity and you can create rips of your records. It’s only fair I point out that this seems like a really good idea right up to the point you realise it has to be done in real time and any noise on the record is preserved for eternity but these limitations apply to everything and not just the Moto.
Sound Quality
- Limited bass
- Fun, enjoyable sound
Before we get too far into this section, a little bit of context is needed about the level of performance on offer here. For my sins, I am very into vinyl and have been for over twenty years. Lurking in the background of some of the pics is my own personal turntable which is… £21,345 more than the Moto’s £89.95 asking price. As you might imagine, there’s a huge gulf in performance.
Little things like the amount of noise that the Moto makes when spinning is much, much higher and the stability of the speed it rotates at is rather less consistent meaning you will hear a fractional wobble to sustained notes when they play. There are limits to what the Moto is capable of. What’s impressive is how much it can do for £90.
Kicking off with the internal speakers, a run through Little Feat’s Time Loves a Hero (which for long and involved reasons is the first record I play on every turntable that is set up in this room) and the presentation captures the energy and musicianship very well. Lowell George’s vocals in the opening High Roller are clear and easy to follow and his distinctive tone and style is well captured.
Bass is fairly limited but there’s enough low end to ensure things don’t sound too thin. Use the same speakers to stream Spotify from a phone and the basic performance on offer is similar. If you’re looking for eye wobbling bass, you’ve come to the wrong place but it sounds better than the internal phone speakers ever will.
Pairing the Moto up with a JBL Authentics 300 wireless speaker unlocks a whole extra level of performance thanks to the rather greater heft that the JBL has at its disposal. The slick Confessions PtII by Badbadnotgood on their album IV is lively and engaging, with plenty of power behind the jazz style rhythms.
Something that is quite impressive is that the character of the record survives this method of transmission. You can stop the Moto and ask the JBL to play the high res version on Tidal and it’s audibly a little harder and more forward in terms of its overall presentation. Some of the flow and engagement of the vinyl is lost.
The headphone output is more than reasonable too. It’s here that some of that background noise and slight pitch wobble is easier to hear but it’s never so overt that the result is unlistenable. There’s also a useful amount of gain too so you can select a very respectable listening level. I used a pair of Grado GW100x phones both over wired connection but I also paired them wirelessly to the Moto and that worked pleasantly well too.
The absolute test of the Moto comes when you connect it via the rear RCA connections into an amp and speakers; in this case a Marantz Model 50 and a pair of Wharfedale Super Dentons. Playing the lovely Me Myself and I by Joan Armatrading on the Moto is demonstration that it offers a genuinely impressive level of performance for £90.
The catchy title track has plenty of punch and energy and while the treble is a little hard edged at times it is never unlistenable. The internal phono stage gives the Moto a respectable output level and there is little in the way of unwanted noise (with the added benefit that the mechanical noise the Moto itself makes when running is not audible at the listening position). I would be happy to argue that what you’re hearing isn’t ‘hi-fi’ in the most rigorous use of the term but it’s good fun and generally very enjoyable.
Latest deals
Should you buy it?
A fine start
The Majority Moto does an astonishing amount for £90 and by and large, does it rather well. I don’t think it’s possible to spend much less than this without buying something that’s likely to harm your records and it’s unlikely they’ll be as flexible to use.
Not the last word
If you do have other audio equipment and don’t need built in speakers or Bluetooth, more performance is available for not a lot more money, particularly if you don’t mind shopping used.
Final Thoughts
If you are interested in seeing what all the fuss over vinyl is about, the Moto will give you a taste of what it can offer at a price that cannot easily be beaten. It’s a very neat way of getting up and running, however you choose to use it.
There are other Bluetooth turntables but none as inexpensive as this. For instance, the JBL BT Spinner and Sony PS-LX310BT are on the horizon, but given how affordable the Moto is, these turntables are further away in the distance. For more record spinning options, check out our best turntable page.
How we test
We test every turntable we review thoroughly over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly. We’ll always tell you what we find. We never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Find out more about how we test in our ethics policy.
Tested for several days
Tested with real world use
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FAQs
The Moto Turntable can play records at 33.3, 45, and 78RPM.
Full specs
Editorial independence
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.
Editorial independence
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.
