Posted on Wed, 04 Oct, 2017
Posted by Bob

TEAC Bluetooth Digital Turntables offer the convenience of modern digital connectivity, along with superb vinyl playback and quality audio for analogue enthusiasts.

What! Bluetooth and digital streaming! On an analogue turntable! Heresy!” – whilst such digital features may not appeal to the analogue die-hards amongst the audiophile community, they’d be overlooking some superbly designed turntables by a legendary name in Hi-Fi and analogue technology, TEAC.

 

TEAC Bluetooth Digital Turntables

 

Today on The Audio Affair Blog, we take a detailed look at TEAC Bluetooth Digital Turntables and investigate if adding digital technology to the world’s oldest format helps bring it into the 21st Century…

TEAC Bluetooth Digital Turntables

The last few years have brought about a new breed of vinyl enthusiast; those who are genuinely new to the format and may have grown up enjoying the convenience and immediacy of digital audio. With that said, today’s young vinyl enthusiast has come to love and embrace the unique experience of purchasing and enjoying a vinyl record; something I’m sure we can all agree is a unique and special experience.

TEAC Bluetooth Digital Turntables will undoubtedly appeal to this new “digital generation” of vinyl enthusiasts, but will also offer features and design which will also appeal to those of us raised on the format but will appreciate the convenience and practicalities of the integrated design of TEAC digital and Bluetooth Turntables.

TEAC TN300 & TN400BT Turntables

TEAC’s TN300 and TN400BT Turntables are very similar turntables, with the TN400BT offering a number of design upgrades and benefits for a mild increase in price. Starting with the TEAC TN300, we find a competent and traditional, 2-speed belt-drive turntable with Audio Technica’s stalwart AT95E elliptical tipped moving magnet cartridge, hung off the end of a nicely engineered, straight tonearm.

TEAC TN300

Clean, modern aesthetics with a choice of high-quality finishes define the TN300 visually; good design shows the TN300 to be more than just a pretty face, however. An integrated phono pre-amp and a USB output make connecting the TN300 to contemporary sources a doddle. The USB output will be of particular interest to those looking perhaps to archive valuable records from their collection to a computer.

The TEAC TN400BT, as the name suggests adds the unique addition of Bluetooth functionality along with some welcome design touches: an S-Shaped tonearm replaces the straight tonearm of the TN300, ensuring lower tracking errors. A 78RPM speed setting also allows playback of vintage shellac with an appropriate cartridge/stylus.

TEAC Bluetooth Turntable TN-400BT

Bluetooth integration on the TEAC TN400BT, opens up a world of new possibilities, however; listen to a vinyl record wirelessly, cast directly from the turntable to your Bluetooth headphones or wireless speakers, for example! Adoption of the Apt-X codec ensures audiophile quality casting for even the most demanding of listeners.

TEAC TN-550 and TN-570

The TEAC TN-550 and TN-570 ups the ante within TEAC’s integrated turntable range;  The TN-550 is a superbly stylish turntable, which makes use of a two-layer structure featuring a dense MDF core with a highly attractive artificial marble outer. The latter of which not only contributes to the TN-550’s superb good looks but also creates a dense, stable structure for optimum playback.

 

TEAC TN-570

 

The TEAC TN-550 utilises TEAC’s P.R. S3 drive system; based upon a belt drive principle, TEAC claims their P.R.S3 drive system achieves near direct drive standards of precision, thanks to closed loop feedback monitoring of the speed via optical sensors and high-tech circuitry. An S-Shaped arm with an Audio Technica AT100E elliptical tipped cartridge ensures tracking errors and distortion are kept low whilst audio quality is kept high.

Visually identical, the TEAC TN-570 adds an onboard phono preamp which also drives a very high-quality A/D converter, offering up to 192kHz/24bit operation on the optical digital outputs and 48kHz 16bit maximum resolution on the USB output. Once again, an excellent option for those looking to perhaps archive their collection in Hi-Res digital format.

 

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