Monoprice Monolith Turntable
Best affordable turntable
Pros
- Good specification for the money
- Nicely balanced sound no matter how you access it
- Decent quality of build and finish
Cons
- Sound lacks dynamic impetus
- Not quite as plug and play as it thinks it is
Best affordable turntable goes to a surprising entrant with Monoprice’s Monolith Turntable. Monoprice has gained a reputation for offering high quality products at affordable prices in the United States, and they’re starting to make their way into the UK market, this record spinner is available for $249 / £249, the same price as the Sony LX310BT
According to our reviewer, despite the low price, the build quality is everything you could respectably hope for. Everything is put together well, the damped MDF construction feels both sturdy and substantial; with no visible seams or sharp corners. Colours come in gloss back and walnut veneer to match your surroundings.
The carbon fibre tone-arm is one we found to be very acceptable, with its straight design and pre-fitted Audio Technica AT-VM95E moving-magnet cartridge. You are expected to sort out the anti-skate and adjust the counterweight, with controls essentially a stop/start button below the tonearm and an automatic speed change (33.3/45rpm). Aside from having an auto-stop feature, the Monolith should be easy enough for most to operate.
There’s an integrated phono stage that can also be bypassed if you have a phono stage of your own. Connections flow from stereo RCA outputs and USB-B output (to make digital copies of your records), with Bluetooth wireless support also included for those who prefer some convenience.
You may expect a trade-off in terms of price and performance, but the Monoprice shoots above expectations with its performance. Our reviewer for that trade-off to be minor, finding the turntable to be a decently balanced, detailed and organised listen. Trade up from the integrated phono stage for a more expensive phono stage, and a sharper, more assertive performance can be had, but that only serves to make clear that the Monoprice’s internals do a good job for the asking price.
The Bluetooth performance is consistent with the character of its wired sound, though it suffers a loss of detail and low frequency impact, but in terms of tone, you can expect the same kind of performance. For those after an affordable turntable, consider the Monoprice Monolith Turntable a good alternative to the Sony LX310BT and the Audio Technica AT-LP60XBT.
Reviewer: Simon Lucas
Full Review: Monoprice Monolith Turntable
