Bluetooth Turntable?
Discussion
Moving house soon so want to set up a turntable for all my old vinyl that's been sitting idle for years but am completely out of touch of what I need or what's out there or even if it exists. 
Basically I want to replace my current Yamahs AV amp with something a bit nicer and am thinking Arcam as I loved my okd Arcam amp I had in the '90s. This is to run the telly, DVD and CD player through.
Now comes the bit I need help with. The turntable. Do Bluetooth turntables just connect up to the amp like my tablet does , so it can be one side of the room and play the vinyl or does it need connecting via cables?
Secondly, what do people recommend as far as a turnable goes?
Don't want to spend the Earth, so looking at a budget of £500 tops really, but to be fair I don't know if that's a good or bad budget.
Thanks in advance, but I really do feel like this bloke
:
Basically I want to replace my current Yamahs AV amp with something a bit nicer and am thinking Arcam as I loved my okd Arcam amp I had in the '90s. This is to run the telly, DVD and CD player through.
Now comes the bit I need help with. The turntable. Do Bluetooth turntables just connect up to the amp like my tablet does , so it can be one side of the room and play the vinyl or does it need connecting via cables?
Secondly, what do people recommend as far as a turnable goes?
Don't want to spend the Earth, so looking at a budget of £500 tops really, but to be fair I don't know if that's a good or bad budget.
Thanks in advance, but I really do feel like this bloke
:If this question is genuine and not a wind up then I think a little piece of me just died.
Surely if you're going to the expense of getting an ARCAM AV receiver - which is deservedly renowned as being one of the best brands for music - and you're prepared to spend upto £500 on a turntable, then do you really want to put a bag of cat sick that is Bluetooth as the connection between them?
Your Yamaha might be long in the tooth, but even that should be able to demonstrate the difference between a wired connection and BT. If you cant hear it with that, then why bother spendingbthe extra on the ARCAM?
Surely if you're going to the expense of getting an ARCAM AV receiver - which is deservedly renowned as being one of the best brands for music - and you're prepared to spend upto £500 on a turntable, then do you really want to put a bag of cat sick that is Bluetooth as the connection between them?
Your Yamaha might be long in the tooth, but even that should be able to demonstrate the difference between a wired connection and BT. If you cant hear it with that, then why bother spendingbthe extra on the ARCAM?
I did explain my ignorance, and hoped for a non Rowen Atkinson reply.
An AV amp would be used for the telly, DVD and CD player as well as the turntable.
Sorry if part of you died. I'm not looking at Linn quality, just asking a question before I venture into a gramophone shop.
Thanks for replying anyway.
An AV amp would be used for the telly, DVD and CD player as well as the turntable.
Sorry if part of you died. I'm not looking at Linn quality, just asking a question before I venture into a gramophone shop.
Thanks for replying anyway.
I wasn't trying to be flippant or condescending. I appreciate the honesty in the original question, and I was trying to be honest in my reply.
I understand how your equipment will be set up; the physical separation between the AV receiver under/by the TV and the TT on the other side of the room. I also understand your past experience with ARCAM. It's a good brand. I have sold and installed a fair bit of it in the past.
It's not even that good BT TTs aren't available. They are. Both Rega and Pro-Ject make lower tier (for them,at least) TTs with BT output as well as the regular phono level/line level outs. That makes sense if say you'd like to listen via headphones without disturbing others.
Also, ARCAM is no stranger to BT. It had external BT receivers because some customers want the convenience of playing stuff off their phone. I get that too.
What doesn't make sense is using BT to connect a good TT with either a phone or line out facility to the sort of AV receiver that can shine a spotlight on whether your interconnect is up to snuff.
Hobbling a good TT-to-amp connection with BT (even the "good Hi-Fi" version of Aptx BT) makes about as much sense to me as going out to find the finest fillet steak only to come back and mince it up to make something that tadtes like economy burgers.
Yes, I also understand that for you maybe BT is what you know. But isn't that why you came here to ask the question whether this is the right thing to do? Wasn't that the purpose of starting your thread?
I stand by what I wrote. If you can't tell between good and bad line level connections on your Yamaha then is it worth going to the expensive ARCAM and a good TT at <£500?
My view is that the ARCAM will throw a spotlight on any BT connection from a source as good as a decent TT. Either connect with cable at line level or save some cash and buy a much cheaper TT.
I understand how your equipment will be set up; the physical separation between the AV receiver under/by the TV and the TT on the other side of the room. I also understand your past experience with ARCAM. It's a good brand. I have sold and installed a fair bit of it in the past.
It's not even that good BT TTs aren't available. They are. Both Rega and Pro-Ject make lower tier (for them,at least) TTs with BT output as well as the regular phono level/line level outs. That makes sense if say you'd like to listen via headphones without disturbing others.
Also, ARCAM is no stranger to BT. It had external BT receivers because some customers want the convenience of playing stuff off their phone. I get that too.
What doesn't make sense is using BT to connect a good TT with either a phone or line out facility to the sort of AV receiver that can shine a spotlight on whether your interconnect is up to snuff.
Hobbling a good TT-to-amp connection with BT (even the "good Hi-Fi" version of Aptx BT) makes about as much sense to me as going out to find the finest fillet steak only to come back and mince it up to make something that tadtes like economy burgers.
Yes, I also understand that for you maybe BT is what you know. But isn't that why you came here to ask the question whether this is the right thing to do? Wasn't that the purpose of starting your thread?
I stand by what I wrote. If you can't tell between good and bad line level connections on your Yamaha then is it worth going to the expensive ARCAM and a good TT at <£500?
My view is that the ARCAM will throw a spotlight on any BT connection from a source as good as a decent TT. Either connect with cable at line level or save some cash and buy a much cheaper TT.
Both Rega & Project, & I believe Cambridge do BT TT’s.
I’d suggest that you try and find a dealer who can let you audition them and you can test the difference between BT & line level connections.
I’m a strong believer in the best hifi is the one you use regularly & that these manufacturers wouldn’t sell these products if there wasn’t a market for them.
100% guarantee that your LP’s will sound better on a BT TT than just sat on a shelf gathering dust.
Edit:
I should have added that this is obviously imho & other opinions are equally as valid
One of the great things about the BT TT’s is that should the BT use rekindle a love affair with vinyl then you can use the line level output, it might not be as good as a £xxx TT without BT but it’s a hedge bet.
I’d suggest that you try and find a dealer who can let you audition them and you can test the difference between BT & line level connections.
I’m a strong believer in the best hifi is the one you use regularly & that these manufacturers wouldn’t sell these products if there wasn’t a market for them.
100% guarantee that your LP’s will sound better on a BT TT than just sat on a shelf gathering dust.
Edit:
I should have added that this is obviously imho & other opinions are equally as valid
One of the great things about the BT TT’s is that should the BT use rekindle a love affair with vinyl then you can use the line level output, it might not be as good as a £xxx TT without BT but it’s a hedge bet.
Edited by Captain_Morgan on Sunday 3rd July 10:12
Thanks.
Also thanks for the steak/burger analogy, it kind of makes sense, and I've probably just been listening to burgers for the last few years as I've hardly even bothered with anything other than BT (getting into the abbreviations now
) through my tablet/Yamaha amp. Even playing CDs has been rare. So yeah, can see where you're coming from.
I think a little trip to a decent hi-fi shop is in order. Bartletts in Holloway Road is only a short trip away...
Also thanks for the steak/burger analogy, it kind of makes sense, and I've probably just been listening to burgers for the last few years as I've hardly even bothered with anything other than BT (getting into the abbreviations now
) through my tablet/Yamaha amp. Even playing CDs has been rare. So yeah, can see where you're coming from. I think a little trip to a decent hi-fi shop is in order. Bartletts in Holloway Road is only a short trip away...
Bluetooth is really for when the turntable is on the opposite side of the room, if you can cable it then I'd definitely recommend that you do.
I use a TEAC TN-400BT: https://www.kbaudio.co.uk/products/teac-tn-400bt-a... (disclaimer, my website!)
It's most commonly plugged into an Onkyo AV Receiver running on two channel, but it's easier and more usable connected via Bluetooth to my desktop speakers - mostly because I never really get to sit down and enjoy music like I should!
The way I see it is if you're spending thousands on an amplifier then spend loads on a turntable, if you just want decent quality and easy to use then no need to go crazy, just stick with a good brand and don't worry too much about whether it's cabled or Bluetooth, just do what'll get the most use and enjoyment.
I use a TEAC TN-400BT: https://www.kbaudio.co.uk/products/teac-tn-400bt-a... (disclaimer, my website!)
It's most commonly plugged into an Onkyo AV Receiver running on two channel, but it's easier and more usable connected via Bluetooth to my desktop speakers - mostly because I never really get to sit down and enjoy music like I should!
The way I see it is if you're spending thousands on an amplifier then spend loads on a turntable, if you just want decent quality and easy to use then no need to go crazy, just stick with a good brand and don't worry too much about whether it's cabled or Bluetooth, just do what'll get the most use and enjoyment.
MrSparks said:
The way I see it is if you're spending thousands on an amplifier then spend loads on a turntable, if you just want decent quality and easy to use then no need to go crazy, just stick with a good brand and don't worry too much about whether it's cabled or Bluetooth, just do what'll get the most use and enjoyment.
Cheers, that covers my confusion entirely. 
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