If you’ve been following the music scene for the past decade, you’re more or less aware of the vinyl resurgence. Artists have been releasing (and re-releasing) some of their albums on vinyl, and people buy them because vinyl offers a different kind of warmth compared to streaming music–even if you listen to Lossless Audio. As a vinyl enthusiast, Audio-Technica is one of the more established brands for turntables, and their latest offering–the AT-LP70XBT Bluetooth turntable–is a suitable entry-level option for those who want to enjoy their records.
The AT-LP70XBT has a built-in Bluetooth receiver that supports the aptX codec, so you can enjoy your records wirelessly and in high-quality audio. That is important especially if you prefer to play your records wirelessly, as a higher audio quality brings out the best possible audio.
If you prefer the traditional route, you get RCA audio jacks in the back, along with a switch to optimize the AT-LP70XBT’s audio quality especially if you’re using a dedicated preamplifier for your sound system.
While this is Audio-Technica’s entry-level offering, the AT-LP70XBT has a removable VM95C series cartridge that allows you to upgrade to other more premium cartridges Audio-Technica has to offer like the elliptical (VMN95E), elliptical nude (VMN95EN), shibata (VMN95SH), and microline (VMN95ML). This allows you to upgrade the AT-LP70XBT’s audio quality along the way, making it an investment as you build up your sound system at home.
Making the AT-LP70XBT a modern turntable is its automatic play-and-stop system done with two buttons. Aside from its automatic play-and-stop system, you can also play your records manually with its easy-to-use J-shaped tonearm if you prefer to play specific tracks on your records.
You can also adjust the tonearm for playing 7-inch or 12-inch records via a switch, along with adjusting the belt-drive system for 33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM vinyl records. This makes the AT-LP70XBT suitable for most records–you’ll not have to worry about playing those uncommon 7-inch records or those that run at a faster 45 RPM.
The AT-LP70XBT comes in three color options, and we got our hands on the Black/Bronze colorway, which gives this turntable a modern look while retaining the core classic design of traditional turntables. You also get a dust cover to keep the stylus protected when not in use, along with a metal platter that has adequate heft to balance your vinyl records while you’re playing them.
The AP-LP70XBT uses a belt drive system, which is known to turntable enthusiasts as being able to deliver cleaner audio with less background noise, as the belt is good at absorbing vibrations and minimizes motor noise being transmitted to the metal platter.
To complement the AT-LP70XBT, Audio-Technica also has the AT-SP3X bookshelf speakers. These powered speakers have two sets of RCA audio jacks and Bluetooth connectivity to cover both wired and wireless connections. The speakers have 3-inch woofers and 1.1-inch tweeters, and the built-in DSP helps deliver balanced sound that’s optimized for turntables like the AT-LP70XBT.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT is priced at Php 17,999 for the White/Silver and Black/Silver versions and Php 18,999 for the Black/Bronze version, while the AT-SP3X is priced at Php 12,999. You can purchase both at authorized Audio-Technica stores and online via Lazada and Shopee.
