- Toshiba has unveiled a new portable turntable for vinyl records
- Similar to the iconic Audio-Technica Sound Burger, it has a 10-hour battery
- Despite its portable design, we’d think twice about taking it to the beach
Bluetooth speakers are pretty much a necessity when it comes to a beach day or a summer day at the park, but have you ever wanted to flaunt your vinyl record collection in public? Well, Toshiba’s new portable turntable aims to answer that question.
Toshiba, though not renowned for producing the best turntables, has announced the Aurex AX-RP10, a new wireless vinyl record player expected to be released later this month designed for analog music fans who want to take advantage of their collection outside of their usual home audio set up. Pricing hasn’t been unveiled yet, though we can’t imagine it’ll be long before that’s out in the open too.
Though the Aurex AX-RP10 isn’t quite as pocket-friendly as other music playback devices (it’s a lot bigger than the best digital audio players), it still packs a compact size of 160mm x 300mm that can be transported around in its dedicated storage bag. But how does it run you may ask? It’s quite simple; a built-in chargeable battery with a 10-hour battery life.
Let’s be honest: Toshiba’s new portable turntable is strikingly similar to the iconic and re-released Audio Technica Sound Burger, which is a minor red flag in itself, given the original 1983 Sound Burger’s reported tendency to gradually scratch vinyl records over time (possibly not the Sound Burger’s fault because I mean, if they’re coming on road-trips with you, it’s going to happen at some point). If this is the case for the Aurex AX-RP10 though, I worry for its longevity, and its audio quality likely won’t be enough to sway audiophiles.
Since the Aurex-RP10 lacks its own inbuilt speakers, there’s a stereo mini audio jack for plugging in the best wired headphones or your more traditional sound system, but if you’re out and about, the turntable’s Bluetooth connectivity means you can also hook it up to Bluetooth speakers or headphones (and invite a bit of compression).
I’m not saying ‘never’ when it comes to Toshiba’s answer to portable tangible music – I still think it would look great as part of a minimal audio setup, especially if you’re limited for space. Or perhaps you want to replicate a Pinterest-perfect image in your living space, something I’d be guilty of and I’m not sorry. But as far as its portability goes, the beach is the last place I’d take it; my vinyl collection is far too precious for sand.
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