Known to produce some of the best affordable all-in-one turntables, Victrola has a new option that’s slightly above its usual price point.
The Victrola Stream Carbon is a high-end turntable that has a unique feature — it has been designed in collaboration with Sonos and, for the first time ever in a turntable, it allows you to stream your vinyl records over Wi-Fi directly to your existing Sonos system.
You don’t have to buy any extra component. It can then play to any or all Sonos speakers in your home, and it also includes a stereo RCA output using the onboard preamp. But you can’t use your own phono preamp if you want. According to Scott Hagen, CEO of Victrola, many Sonos owners are into vinyl and they told the company they would listen to their records more if it was possible through their Sonos system.
It comes with a high-end Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.
Before Stream Carbon ($799) came along, to integrate a turntable to your Sonos set-up, you needed to have built-in preamp or needed to buy an external one.Then you could connect it directly to Five or Play:5 speaker, which are the only Sonos speakers that have a line-in connection. You’ll need to set up the new turntable
Wires are not necessary to connect the Victrola Stream Carbon turntable to your Sonos system. Victrola
using a Victrola Stream app. Once done, you’ll be able to control the Stream Carbon via the Sonos app or a control knob on the device itself.
The turntable is stunning to look at and comes with a low-resonance MDF plinth, premium metal components (including a carbon fiber tonearm) and a large volume knob that glows in the dark. The turntable is a manual belt-driven one that supports two speeds — 33 1/3 and 45 rpm and comes with high-end Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.
But remember, the minimal design translates into a missing dust cover. All you have is a protector for the arm.