Customer Ratings & Reviews

Something I’ve always liked about the Sony brand, besides the quality and customer service is that their products are well-thought-out and tailored to the customer's needs. Its audio and video products like soundbars, TV’s, BT Speakers, Amps, typically feature a generous number of ports and options that allow you to customize the device to your liking—whether in terms of connectivity or software configuration. And this turntable is no exception: right out of the box, I was able to start enjoying my favorite vinyl records by connecting to my BT Speaker, in less than a minute. The PS-LX5BT turntable was very well packaged—the platter, tone arm, and dust cover were all very well protected, which says a lot about how careful Sony is with its products. It took me around 10 minutes to unpack it and assemble it. If you are familiarized with turntables, the setup is very easy, however there is an operating instructions manual that you can follow as well. With a minimalist design, sober look, matte black color, good looking and discrete style, it looks great in my living room. You can see and feel the quality of its components like the tonearm and platter, which are key components on every turntable to ensure fidelity sound even if the whole unit is not too heavy. The setup is very straightforward, the way this turntable is designed and pre-setup makes it easy for beginners . Stylus Cartridge was premounted, there is not Vertical Tracking force and antiskating force mode knobs to adjust, those are already set, just install the aluminum platter, attach the belt through the holes on the platter, to place the belt to the pulley using your fingers, then place the rubber mat on the platter, attach the dust cover, connect to the power and pair it with a BT speaker and is ready to play records, just that simple. As I mentioned before, this turntable includes different options for connectivity. You can setup either for wireless or wired option. If you are old school or a strict audiophile the unit has a preamp phono for audio output or you can have phono output for a preamp as well. At the back you will find the Left & Right output RCA gold plate audio jacks and includes high quality detachable audio cables. The same ports can be used either for phono or audio output, there is switch where you can select the choice of your preference. This will allow you to connect to any amplifier either phono or audio input signal. The phono cartridge is moving magnet. With Bluetooth, you can get high resolution wireless audio up to 96Khz over 24 Bit with codec aptx, aptx adaptive and Hi-Res wireless audio, to ensure steady and crystal sound. I tried the 3 different connections. For phono output I used a separate tube preamp, with an Harman Kardon amplifier and Polk Speakers. Played some classical music and AC/DC vinyl’s. Very happy with the results, I couldn’t perceived so much difference between the phono or audio output using the Harman Kardon’s phono preamp. However I did perceived some differences while using the BT connectivity and obviously is because of the BT wireless audio compression. I was able to connect it by BT with my Sony Soundbar and Sony Headphones. It has 3 levels for gain audio output, Low-Mid-High, the selector is located at the back and you can control the gain in BT or audio output but not for phono output. There is a USB-B port at the back where you can connect to the computer and with a SW you can rip your analog music and convert it in digital. There is another micro USB port below the plate close to the pulley, that port will be used for firmware updates. There is no app or SW for this turntable so if you want to perform firmware updates the only way is through this port and a computer by downloading the Firmware package SW from Sony Website. Sound is great in all audio connectivity modes. No skipping tracks, or the annoying hissing noise. I think part of the success is the Stylus, with a light stylus pressure of 2 grams which offers a good frequency response and accurate tracking, belt driven system, and the design and make of the aluminum die cast alloy platter and Tone Arm. There are many different details in the design of a turntable that will definitely affect the performance and sound quality of the turntable while is playing records, and I think this Sony turntable has sorted them all out. The Bluetooth connectivity is strong, stable, with long range with no gaps. I was able to move my BT speaker while playing records all over my home with no disconnections. To stablish the BT pairing is very easy, just place the speaker close to the turntable, put the BT Speaker in pairing mode, then on the turntable press and hold for 2 sec the BT button located on the left, when the indicator light stops flashing the pairing is complete. This turntable is fully automatic. Unlock the tone arm lock, place the vinyl on the platter and press the start button and the arm will move and start playing the vinyl. To stop playback just press the stop button. When playback is finished the tone arm will return automatically to the tone arm rest and then the platter swill stop rotating. There is also the up/down button to manually move the tone arm. You can play 12in (LP) or 7in (EP) with the size switch rotary know or the speed 33rpm or 45rpm with the speed switch rotary knob. The Power adapter is the standar USB-c port which is a clever choice. The included Items are: Stereo Turntable Platter with belt attached Mat for the platter Dust Cover 2 hinges 45rpm adapter Ac adapter Audio Cable Operating Instructions Manual Overall this is a turntable for either beginners or experienced users, good looking, easy to operate, with different audio setup that delivers what is the main feature here, playing my vinyls with pleasant high fidelity sound.

So far I’m loving this record player! Super easy to unpack. Super easy to setup. Slight confusion on getting the Bluetooth feature to connect to a speaker. The minute it worked, we were rolling. I love that this record player is very easy to use. The hardest part was getting this to sync via Bluetooth to my Bose speaker. It’s very easy and straightforward. Place the record on the turntable. Press start. Press up. Press down. You got music. I love that this can do it for you and there’s no fear of scratching my vinyls. I’m starting to train my kids with turntables and vinyls. I’m really happy this player has an up/down button. It’s a great entry level turntable and well built. It was super easy to get a record on the turn table, press start and get music playing. The music needed to be turned down and adjusted a little at my speaker, but that’s expected. I think that’s my only ding for this player. I can’t make the adjustments on it, I have to do it on the Bluetooth speaker. To reference I connected this to my small portable Bose with built in sub speaker. It’s crisp after some adjustments. At times the bass still hits a little harsh, but I know I’ll correct that as time goes. Pros: Smaller footprint Up/down feature Lightweight Compact On/off button to help raise and lower the needle Loud volume Cons: No speaker built in Overall: Ok. So I know some will criticize me for saying this, but I really think there could be a small speaker on here. It’s great to have a Bluetooth feature, but it’d be nice to have even a small tiny speaker. Overall though, it’s a fantastic turntable if you’re looking for something lightweight and compact.

I missed the vinyl renaissance of the early 2000s. Why? Because I had left vinyl behind back in the 80s. The introduction and wide spread availability of cassette tapes and CDs pretty much ended vinyl for my generation. Modern day streaming pushed me even further away from vinyl. I currently own a very nice two channel system. And have been reluctant to head back down the vinyl path. In my mind, vinyl is the hobbyist hobby. Presently, I do not want to worry about cartridges, tone arm balance, tonearm material or shape, isolation and vibration control, or the never-ending benefits of the infinite type of drive systems, phono-preamps, cables, and anti-vibration systems. I want an appliance that plays records at a reasonable quality without all the hoopla of micro-adjustments that promise to squeeze every last detail from my records. The Sony PS-LX5BT is that vinyl-as-an-appliance machine. The table comes with built in anti-vibration control, the tonearm is pre-calibrated, the moving magnet cartridge is calibrated and non-upgradable, and the inclusion of Bluetooth allows me a hybrid wired/wireless listening experience. This may be my gateway to the wider world of vinyl and turntables. But, for now, this is a no-fuss integrated solution that meets my don’t-bother-me-with-the-details approach that I am currently comfortable with. And it does a pretty good job at that. System Setup: Sony made the setup of the Sony PS-LX5BT easy and straightforward. Sony packed the parts smartly and well protected. The assembly instructions are just as simple to follow. It took me about 30 minutes to unpack, assembly, and get my first record playing. Vinyl is all about precision. Be sure to take your time. The plinth of the Sony PS-LX5BT is plastic and thin metal construction. The motor, gears, and electronics are all stored in the plinth. The platter is cast aluminum and comes with a rubber mat for your records. The tonearm is j-shaped, made from an aluminum alloy, a proprietary cartridge statically mounted on the end, and pre-balanced for 2.0±0.5 g of tracking force. The anti-vibration feet are soft rubber cylinders that tapper to appoint where the feet meet the plinth. Everything else is plastic. The luxury of the Sony PS-LX5BT is its aesthetics and operational simplicity. I used the included RCA style cables to connect the Sony PS-LX5BT to my Marantz Model 50 two-channel amplifier which in turn connects to my Bowers and Wilkins 702 S2 tower speakers and SVS PC-4000 subwoofer. And let’s be honest, this is a lot of system for the Sony PS-LX5BT. I’ll cover what I set up for wireless playback in the wireless section below. Sound and performance Highlights: I started with a 1976 pressing of Boston’s self-titled album, “Boston.” Why? Because it is one of the best albums I own. I cleaned the record, placed the album on the rubber mat covered platter, unlocked the tonearm, and pressed play. The Sony PS-LX5BT took care of the rest. “More than a Feeling”, the first track, welled up from the slight background hiss and gradually filled my room with the metal symphony that Boston is best known for. There was some expected surface noise between tracks. The music was full, the sound stage width and depth were fantastic, vocal centering was believable, and the overall experience was like rediscovering an album that has served as one of the soundtracks for my life. I found the experience very satisfying. Next, I turned to Sabrina Carpenter’s “Short and Sweet”. Which was warped! The tonearm road the waves, so to speak, without any issues. But the surface noise was omnipresent. Thankfully, I also had the deluxe edition of the album. And this version was not warped. Like Boston, the Deluxe album showed signs of surface noise during the quiet between-track parts which quickly vanished once the music started. Finally, my wife insisted that I play her 1964 release of Mary Poppins from Buena Vista Records. We’ll just say the surface condition of the record was well loved. The Sony PS-LX5BT presented the album with hiss and pop throughout. My wife found it satisfying because that is exactly the sound she grew up with. And honestly, listening to Julie Andrews sing on her worst day is still a great day in my book. A few songs were rougher than others. Thankfully July Andrew’s, “Spoon full of Sugar,” was one of the best tracks with the best presentation of the entire album. Overall, I think the Sony PS-LX5BT did a great job. One thing to keep in mind is that the Sony PS-LX5BT is completely dependent on the quality of the vinyl. The Sony PS-LX5BT has zero configuration attributes to help squeeze that last 10% performance from anything. It is a simple, elegant solution for those who want to play vinyl without all the fuss and effort one would find with an audiophile grade player. Wireless Setup: For wireless I used my Sonos Play portable speaker, Sonos Era 100 smart speaker, Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones, and my Bowers and Wilkins PX8 S2 headphones. The Sony PS-LX5BT supports Bluetooth transmission via SBC, aptX, aptX Adaptive. Strangely, it does not support Sony’s LDAC codec. Which I found disappointing since the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones do. I was really looking forward to finally experiencing LDAC. Connecting devices to the Sony PS-LX5BT was easy. First, set the players output from Phono to Line on the back of the player, press the Bluetooth button on the player, press the Bluetooth button on the receiving device, and they sync. Done. Which brings me to my first real issue with the Sony PS-LX5BT. If it is a requirement that the Line/Phono switch be in Line mode for Bluetooth then why is this switch hidden around the back of the player. Second, if I forget to set this switch back to Phono then I run the risk of causing real damage to my gear when I return to two-channel stereo from wireless playback. The switch should be on the top of the player and not hidden around back. If, like me, you are running the Sony PS-LX5BT with a hybrid setup, that you always always always check the switch before playback. Wireless Audio Quality: First the Sonos. The Sonos Era 100 picked the Sony PS-LX5BT right up. And it sounded pretty good without the need to apply any EQ. I was also able to press and hold the play button on the Sonos Play to sync it with the Sonos Era 100’s playback. Essentially, I could have the Sony PS-LX5BT playing throughout my home, wirelessly, if I had enough Sonos devices to fill every room. This is mostly the benefit of buying into the Sonos ecosystem that the Sony PS-LX5BT can tap into. And the effort is near zero. Next, I connected the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones. Syncing was as easy as the Sonos. Sound quality, however, was a bit underwhelming. I had to apply a very aggressive EQ to the XM6’s in the Sony app to get the best presentation. However, my Bowers and Wilkins PX8 s2 headphones required no such attention. They connected simply and played beautifully without any EQ. Unlike the XM6’s, applying EQ to the PX8 s2’s enhanced the experience instead of correcting it. Then again, the PX8 s2’s costs more than the Sony PS-LX5BT where the XM6’s are cost-equivalent to the Sony PS-LX5BT. Overall, wireless setup, transmission, and sound quality were well received. Regarding Boston, the Sony PS-LX5BT, and the PX8 s2’s? Perfection! I loved the combination. Final thoughts: The Sony PS-LX5BT is an all-in-one, automatic, pre-calibrated solution for someone like me who does not want to, or is not yet ready, to leap into the Audiophile customize my way to ultimate musical nirvana complexity. I do not need to worry about the tonearm shape or material, weight, stylus angle, pressure on the record, cartridge quality or calibration, or anything else for that matter. The Sony PS-LX5BT simply plays my vinyl via wired or wireless. Which provides me with a huge level of flexibility. Will the Sony PS-LX5BT provide the best musical performance? No. It is not built for that. It is built for simplicity and flexibility. It has a plain presentation with sharp lines and muted color pallet. Which will allow it to blend into any system or environment you have. It looks right-smart on my stereo cabinet. And it does an adequate job of satisfying my vinyl listening needs while not forcing me into yet another audio hobby. Overall, I think the Sony PS-LX5BT suits best an audience that shares my sensibilities for simplicity, aesthetics, and flexibility. Thank you for reading my review.

Sony re-ignited my love for vinyls with this amazing PS-LX5BT turntable. Whats cool about this is that even someone with limited knowledge on how to work, let alone set up one for the 1st time makes it so easy and smooth to get you to listen to your records. Another amazing feature is not only can you use is wired to your Phono input on a receiver, you can also pair to a sound system via Bluetooth! In the box is a some-assemble-required type turntable but not intimidating at all. You are greeted with the clear top cover, the turntable itself, hinges to connect both to each other, USB C power delivery (which I absolutely love Sony going in this direction), RCA cable for wired connection and paperwork to get you started and set up. Assembly was easy following the included instructions and how to get the needle ready to play your collection. Just remember before putting your platter on to connect the pulley together. Connections are straight forward on the back. Wired via Phono/Line outputs, Gain Select (Low, Mid, High), USB to connect to your PC, the USB C power port and On/Off button. Performance for my tastes were perfect. I have a collection of mostly video game/anime vinyls that I finally got to listen to when I collected and a small mix of classic rock. Absolutely no static sounds, hissing or scratching at all. All my records are 12" but you can also play smaller 7" and change the RPM from 45 to 33 if you have them. There is just something about actually handling physical media and listening to it vs just streaming on random device that makes me enjoy the music that much more. If you have Vinyls sitting around and need a turntable, I would recommend this PS-LX5BT in a heartbeat to new and old collectors alike.

Imagine having a record collection and nothing to play it on or better being tied to a single spot. First off this is a full featured turntable that accommodates 33 and 45 RPM records. Sorry if you're still spinning those 78's. Simple operation lets you set the speed, hit start and you are off to the races. For those who have never listened to an album, they tend to be surprised of the clarity especially with this unit. I am no audiophile but appreciate an album over the digital version. It has the hookups for your stereo but also has USB and the real bonus is the ability to connect via Bluetooth. I have mostly used it connected to a stereo however I did connect via Bluetooth to see if there was any difference in sound or function. It played just as well through Bluetooth as it did connected directly to the stereo receiver. Overall this has great sound, easy connections and simple operations. I would recommend investing in a good album cleaner especially if you are pulling out those disco albums from a time gone by!

I'm new to records and the Sony PS-LX5BT couldn't have come at a better time. Owning the PS-LX5BT has sparked a small passion that has plunged me headfirst into the vinyl hobby. It has allowed me to learn a decent amount in a very short period of time. Initially, setting up a belt drive turntable sounded like an intimidating task. However, Sony makes the setup as easy as possible with the PS-LX5BT. Once you get it unboxed, you simply need to place the platter onto the spindle and then hook the drive belt around the motor pulley. Sony thoughtfully supplies two little red strips of tape that are already pre-attached to the platter on one end, and the belt drive on the other. All you need to do is peel off and hold one of the red ribbon ends, which then tugs on the belt, and then simply pull on it to hook it around the pulley. That's it! The hardest part is over. At this point, all that was left was throwing the included rubber slipmat onto the platter, rotating the platter a few times to initialize the operating mechanism, and then finally putting on the dust cover. There is one thing in the instructions that I wish Sony would have mentioned at the very beginning though. Save yourself a headache and setup the turntable in what will be it's final resting place. Sony does a great job of going through it's easy to follow instructions, but then at very end of the setup instructions adds the following: "Before moving your turntable after assembly, ensure the following: -Attach the stylus protective cover. -Remove the platter. -Secure the tone arm with the tone arm lock." Remove the platter? That would entail having to remove the belt from the motor pulley which you just had me install, Sony! You can imagine the look on my face after I had just finished setting up the turntable in a temporary location before moving it to it's designated furniture stand. I understand that this is a precaution to protect the internal components but I wish Sony would have added this note at the BEGINNING of the instructions. After the initial setup, you're able to simply connect it to your bluetooth speakers of choice and begin listening to your favorite records. I love that because the PS-LX5BT is a fully automatic turntable, all I have to do is press the "Start" button and the tonearm and needle will automatically position itself onto the record grooves to start the first track. The bluetooth playback was surprisingly very good. A big part of the reason why I think it sounded so good is because both the PS-LX5BT and my BT speaker support the aptX adaptive bluetooth codec. I also never experienced any type of disconnects or any noise while transmitting over bluetooth. If you want even better sound quality, I would highly recommend connecting them to some active or passive speakers via RCA cables. Because the PS-LX5BT has an integrated phono preamp, all you need to do is simply connect your active/powered speakers via the included RCA cables, move the "OUTPUT SELECT" switch to "LINE OUT", and you're done. For my main system, I'm currently running a Rega Brio MK7 integrated amplifier with a pair of Dynaudio Contour s1.4 passive bookshelf speakers. Once I connected the PS-LX5BT to my system and listened to a record for the first time - WOW! Pairing the PS-LX5BT with the Rega amp produced a beautifully warm, rich, cozy, and musical sound signature that was very midrange focused. If you'll be connecting this turntable to a pre-amp/amp or integrated amplifier, I highly recommend keeping your RCA cables around 5-6 feet (or shorter) as you'll be bypassing the preamp on the PS-LX5BT (make sure to set "output select" to "phono"). Since the cartridge signal is extremely weak before it gets amplified, longer cable runs tend to be more susceptible to noise and interference. This was a hugely useful tip that was provided to me by my local Hi-Fi audio store. It has helped keep my audio quality sounding as pure as possible with the PS-LX5BT. I'm a huge fan of the operation on this turntable. Sony includes an adapter for any 7 inch records you may have. I really like the bold design of the two prominent knobs that allow you to select your record size (i.e. 7" and 12") and speed (i.e. 33 1/2 and 45 rpm). The "Up/Down" button makes it easy to pause, and the "start" and "stop" buttons allow for automatic tonearm operation to begin or stop your record playback. Throughout my almost two weeks of constantly using the PS-LX5BT, the operation has been flawless. I only have two main gripes with this turntable, and one of them is a bit of a big deal to me. The first is the build quality. While I absolutely love the all matte and textured black finish, along with the simplistic design of the turntable, the overall build quality leaves a bit to be desired. The entire plinth feels like it's constructed of a hollow and light plastic. This is also the case with the rest of the components that you interact with; such as the knobs and buttons. I do like that the tonearm and platter are aluminum but the platter is not something that your hands directly interact with. Button presses and turning the knobs feel a bit cheap. While I understand that untreated metal plinths can introduce some ringing caused by vibrations, for this price range, I wish they would have at least used MDF. I also wish they would have included a few higher quality metal accents; or at the very least, higher quality tactile feedback for the knobs and buttons. My last gripe, and the most significant one, is the limited cartridge upgradeability/flexibility. Unfortunately, the included cartridge can ONLY be swapped out for an identical model by Sony. This means that you can't experiment with the different sound signatures from different cartridges made by other companies. This confirms to me that this turntable is not exactly geared for serious enthusiasts, but more so for people just wanting to enjoy good quality sound from a "no fuss" turntable. The good news is that based on all of the research I did, it seems like Sony might be using some type of variant of the AT-3600 cartridge, which is a very good budget cartridge. Overall, I am very pleased with the user friendliness and the sound quality of this turntable. And to be quite frank, those are going to be two of the most important factors for a lot of people. If you want something simple to get you going, that offers bluetooth connectivity and also sounds great, the Sony PS-LX5BT is an easy recommendation. For me, it has proven to be a great turntable to start my journey.

The Sony PS-LX5BT attempts to marry retro vinyl with modern automation, but it ultimately prioritizes logic over physics. The "cool factor" is undeniable. One-touch start and auto-return provide a sleek, effortless experience that makes vinyl as approachable as a CD player. This convenience is anchored by a stellar Bluetooth implementation. With high-res aptX Adaptive support and a dedicated gain-level switch, it bridges the gap between analog warmth and digital flexibility, allowing you to beam high-quality audio to headphones or speakers across the room without the tether of traditional cables. It is a feature-rich hub for the wireless era, further bolstered by USB digitizing for the modern archivist. However, the build quality does not match the premium price. The hollow plastic chassis and lightweight aluminum tonearm create a fundamental stability failure. In a real-world setting with wooden floors, the unit is hyper-sensitive to footfall. Simply walking nearby causes the needle to skip. A reference test with the Victrola Hi-Res Carbon, a more affordable manual deck, showed zero skipping in the exact same spot. This proves that Sony’s low-mass design lacks the necessary dampening to handle standard household movement. The interface also misses the mark for a high-end device. The buttons feel loud and clacky, and the manual cueing logic is frustratingly segmented, requiring separate buttons for the arm lift and the motor. While the wireless freedom and automation make it a great lifestyle piece for a concrete-floored apartment or a dedicated isolation shelf, its inability to stay in the groove on traditional flooring is a deal-breaker. Sony has built a fantastic gadget, but it remains a fragile instrument.

As someone who likes vinyl, but has only owned cheap record players, I didn't know what to expect from something of this caliber. I'm used to tinny speakers and constant skipping, not a genuinely fantastic listening experience. This turntable is rather spendy, for sure, but after using it for a while, I can understand why. I'll start with the setup experience. It's a belt-driven turntable, and you have to put the belt on yourself. The instructions outline how to do it very simply, and also include directions for replacing it when the time comes. In general, there's quite a bit of putting together that needs to be done, compared to something cheaper. That said, it's still simple, and explained well by the instructions. Connecting to a Bluetooth soundbar was very simple, too. I was worried, since neither the turntable nor the speaker have a screen or anything , but all I had to do was put them both into pairing mode in close proximity. They didn't pair on the first attempt, but that's because I had put the soundbar into pairing mode much earlier than the turntable. After that, using this is as simple as pressing a button. Literally. You just press a button, and the arm will lift itself, move over to the record, and lower onto it. You can press another button to basically pause the music - it just lifts the arm up while keeping the record spinning - and a different one will stop the spinning and return the arm to its initial position. As far as the audio quality goes, it's unmatched. I never fully understood why people love vinyl so much until using it. The music I've heard a million times suddenly had a much clearer, warmer sound; I heard aspects of the instruments I could never hear before, like the pluck of strings or the depth of the bass. I want to sit and listen to every song on every record I own, because this makes it so much more of an experience than I thought possible. I didn't test how this sounds with a wired speaker setup, as I don't have one. But if it sounds this good over Bluetooth, I can only imagine it being better. Would highly recommend to anyone who is willing to drop some cash on listening to their records.

Great sound Easy set up. Highly recommend it for both home and party

Great turntable, very user friendly. Easy setup and auto play is a nice fearture.

I got back into vinyl a few years ago and have been slowly upgrading my setup. When I saw the Sony PS-LX5BT, the Bluetooth feature caught my attention right away. My old turntable was wired, which meant it had to live in one specific spot in the room and stay connected to one specific output. That gets old. So I picked this one up hoping it would give me a little more flexibility, and it delivered on that. Setup was genuinely easy. I had it out of the box and playing a record in maybe fifteen minutes. No fussing with counterweights, no reading through a confusing manual three times. Sony designed this as a full-auto turntable, so the tonearm does its thing automatically. You press a button, it drops, it plays, it lifts when the record is done. For someone who just wants to enjoy music without turning it into a hobby within a hobby, that simplicity is worth a lot. The design looks great too. It has a clean, modern look that fits well in a living room without screaming "audiophile cave." My wife actually commented that it looked nice, which is not something that happens often with my gear purchases. The build feels solid and the dust cover is a nice touch. Nothing about it feels cheap for the price. The Bluetooth is the real selling point for me personally. Being able to wirelessly send audio to my soundbar on one side of the room, then switch over to headphones when the rest of the family goes to bed, is genuinely convenient. I also appreciate that I am not locked into a specific placement in the room just because of a cable run. That kind of flexibility matters more than I expected it to. Now for the honest part. Bluetooth compresses audio. That is just how the technology works. You are taking an analog signal, converting it, compressing it, and sending it wirelessly. If you are an audiophile who cares deeply about the full warmth and detail of an analog recording, this setup will bother you. The difference is real and it is not subtle to a trained ear. I am not that person. I enjoy vinyl, I can hear that it sounds good, but I am not sitting there analyzing the soundstage. For casual listening, it sounds great. For serious critical listening, you probably want a wired setup with a dedicated phono preamp. Overall I would recommend the PS-LX5BT to someone like me. A person who loves records, wants a reliable and attractive turntable, and values the convenience of wireless audio over absolute sonic perfection. It is a well-made, easy-to-use turntable with a genuinely useful feature set. Just go in knowing what Bluetooth is and is not, and you will be happy with it.

Lots of features give you a high-quality vinyl sound. The solid aluminum platter is thick and has a bit of heft to it which ensures that your albums will spin smoothly. The drive belt was cleverly held in place ready to install with red tape. I must admit my first try had the belt twisted but it was easy to correct. Setup instructions were clear and easy to follow. The rubber mat is also thick so that along with the rubber spring loaded feet will ensure very little outside vibration gets to needle and record. The easily removable dust cover looks nice, opens and closes smoothly and stays firmly in the up position. Controls are easy to use and well laid out. I wish the power button would have been put on the top or front rather than hidden in the back. I guess the intent is to mostly leave on and let the unit go into its low power standby mode. The up/down button is mechanical, so it takes a little firmer press than start & stop. I was able to pair my Shure headphones easily to the turntable. The Bluetooth indicator lights up blue when a paired device is connected and amber when not connected, otherwise there are no other lights or indications of power on the turntable. Audio output via the phono or line output jack continues when a device is Bluetooth connected. Probably a good thing to be aware of if a connected receiver is still turned on and you have headphones on. I sometimes also rip vinyl to my computer, and the built-in USB connection makes it so easy to do so. In the past I had to split the audio output to a separate USB converter device to accomplish. You do have to provide your own USB type B cable as one is not included

I used to enjoy my records on a vintage almost antique Grundig stereo console, but sadly it had to go a couple years ago. I've missed my records since then. I didn't want the hassle of a newer system with all the components so I kinda forgot about it. Then I saw this Sony record player with Bluetooth and - now they're back! I love the design of this Sony. Very sleek and simple. The black subtle texture was a great choice. It feels well built and sturdy. Setup was super easy. Plug in the power, which is usb-c. That was a nice touch! If I want I can make this mobile with a battery bank, to take to gatherings or out camping! Cool. Then press the Bluetooth pairing button for a couple of seconds til it flashes fast blue. Do the same on your speaker or headphones of choice and your all set! Of course it does have normal rca connections on the back for adding to a system as well as a built in pre amp that can be switched on or off. The 3 gain settings are also convinient depending on your needs. It's simple to operate and automatic. (although I will always miss my old ability to play five records at a time) Options to choose 45 or 33 rpm and 7 or 12 inch records are on the right side. It sounds soo very good! The warmth and charm you can only get from records. It's such a nice way to slow down and unwind.

To give some context: I am not really a vinyl enthusiast. But I am someone who grew up with ready access to them, mostly through my dad, which I imagine describes quite a lot of people. Ever since the last turntable he bought back in the eighties gave up the ghost finding some way to regain access to his extensive collection of classic albums has always been somewhere on the to-do list, so I was more than happy to check this unit out and provide my impressions as a first-time turntable owner who admittedly doesn't really know what he's doing. And I have to say - I'm pretty impressed. Having never unpacked a brand new turntable myself I did get a little lost at first seeing how much assembly was actually required, but managed to muddle through it pretty quickly. The biggest issue was honestly just figuring out which of the included paperwork was actually the assembly instructions and then finding the specific bit that was in my language, once you do that everything else is very self explanatory and I was ready to start playing Gordon Lightfoot in less than fifteen minutes. Operating the turntable is a bit interesting. In most ways it's as analog as you'd expect but there is a bit of tech hiding beneath the chunky buttons and minimal interface that feels very much like the turntable I remember from my childhood. Power is provided by USB-C, for one, so it seems like you probably have some options if you ever lose track of the provided power source. More interesting though was the fact that it has an integrated amp and Bluetooth support, allowing you to bypass the usual home audio setup most turntables required. In my case I did have a more traditional amp hooked up to a set of bookshelf speakers to use, so I decided to try both and see what the experience was like. What I found was definitely quite different from what I expected. Going through the dedicated amp produced sound that felt very true to the medium. My dad got quite a lot of use out of his records back in the day, and I'll admit that after they were relegated to keepsake status they were perhaps not taken care of quite as well as they should have been. Many are slightly warped, there are a few scratches, and it has definitely been a few years since they were properly dusted off. The player handled all this as well as I could have expected. The audio was good, with no skipping or distortion, but you could also hear all the tiny little pops and cracks that come with the format. Going through Bluetooth was surprisingly different. I pulled out the best quality portable speaker I have for the job, which admittedly has its own tools for adjusting sound so I can't say for sure how much of the difference I was hearing came from the turntable and how much came from the speaker, but it actually sounded cleaner that way. You still got the typical vinyl range, but a lot of the small imperfections were either being dialed down or just squelched entirely. Part of this may have been down to volume - the portable speaker is big, but the bookshelf speakers are bigger and definitely do a better job just fully immersing you in sound. But after listening to multiple songs back to back with each I think I actually liked what I got from the Bluetooth connection a little better. It definitely doesn't have quite the same nostalgic effect, as those pops are something I associate with the experience of listening to these records as a kid, but if your only goal is to hear the music I think there is a case to just putting on a good set of wireless headphones and letting whatever's working on the sound do its thing. All in all, it's an easy recommendation for anyone looking to add to their home audio setup.

I suspect that several of you have dedicated soundbar systems with limited connectivity options but would still like to be able to listen to your vinyl collection. I was that guy! I missed the whole ritual of selecting albums, reading the liner notes, and actually having to get up to flip the record over! The unit was packaged in recycled materials (no styrofoam!) and was still very well protected. SONY includes a hinged, transparent dust cover that can be closed while operating. But I was shocked by how lightweight the unit is! In fact I was a little suspicious about whether it was going to be a quality purchase or not. A preliminary touch of the controls wasn't reassuring - everything feels a bit delicate but so far, so good. Also, I discovered that the platter and tonearm are both constructed of aluminum which explains the lack of weight. Still I was concerned about rotational accuracy (wow and flutter) but SONY has managed to keep these issues under control. I don't hear any sort of audio anomalies. Platter isolation seems to be very good too. The platter is belt driven. Make sure you follow the directions - don't automatically start peeling all of tape from the platter before you mount it to the frame! You need to leave it in place to help you get the belt connected to the motor shaft. My use case is almost totally Blue Tooth connectivity. However there is a comprehensive set of physical connections. Connectivity is robust - phono cables are included(!), there is a switchable phono EQ with gain adjustment, and even a USB port for connecting to your computer (no ripping app is included however there are free options available). My experience is that the initial Blue Tooth pairing can be finicky and there is no useful feedback from the turntable itself to troubleshoot connectivity issues. However, once paired I have had no issues with dropouts or random disconnects. I tested with both a Bose soundbar and my SONY Bravia Theatre Quad. Once connected sound quality was flawless. I was unable to conect to another soundbar/sub woofer system but I won't mention the brand name as the problem could have been something I was doing wrong. In summary, this turntable exceeded my expectations. I have rediscovered my vinyl collection. There's just something about vinyl - it's so easy to fall down the rabbit hole! It makes streaming feel soul-less to me! I strongly recommend that you seriously consider the SONY PS-LX5BT turntable to sweeten up your dedicated soundbar system!

I really did not expect much from the Sony PS-LX5BT. I know this is the more expensive version of the others that has been viewed very positively. The box is like many of the Sony hi-fi stuff I have. It is very minimal, PS-LX5BT. There is a quick start guide, which I believe should be included for these types of products. Its like an Ikea package when you first get it. And put it together like legos. The only real parts you need to be extra careful with is the belt and the needle. This turntable has some cool features like the 45 insert that has a dedicated storage spot at the left side under the unit. The included AV cords are a welcome edition, in case you want to connect to some old school speakers. When putting everything together, you can tell the lux feel and high quality of the parts used. I can even tell the rubber matt is pretty high quality compared to the others I have seen. The arm and needle is auto which is super cool and reminisant of my days of old. The great thing for me is that this unit can pair to literally any bluetooth speaker device. I have paired it to my portable bluetooth speaker and then to my surround sound speaker system, which shines like the sun. The audio is super crisp and I can enjoy every part of the experience, even the flaw in records. It was great to hear again. When pairing there is a cool LED that is next to the button. However, to power it on, there is a switch on the back of the player. Which isn't horrible, but there is no LED to let you know it is powered on or off, which really should have been added somewere. I dont know, maybe add a small volume toggle with a LED embedded in the knob to show it's on? Just a thought. Other than that, this unit is a totally a recommend from me. It makes me want to play every record I own.

Over the years I have had many turntables and had amassed a large record collection. When CDs became the more prevalent format, I stopped playing albums and sold my turntable. Now with the resurgent’s of vinal and a stagnate record collection just sitting around, I picked up the Sony LX5 BT turntable to jump start my vinal journey. Right out of the box the LX5 invokes the memories of listening to records and looking at the album covers. This is a belt driven turntable and the set up is extremely easy. Put the platter on the turntable and put the belt that is around the platter on to the drive spindle. Next choose the connection method that you want to use to your amplifier, receiver or Bluetooth device and you are off. The unique thing about this turntable is that you have three connection types, traditional RCA cables, USB cable or Bluetooth. All of the connection types work surprisingly well and the sound quality is much better than I was anticipating. Add the dust cover and the setup is complete. Unlike turntables from the past there are no controls for anti-skating, tracking, or adjustable weight for tone arm balancing. All of these options are set at the factory for you. Included is a moving magnet stylist that is controlled by the LX5’s internal circuits for the correct line level output. For example, if you are using the RCA cords to a Phono input on your Receiver/Amplifier there is a switch on the back of the turntable for phono or line. There is also a Gain switch for low, mid, or high gain. The controls are very straight forward, with the Start, Stop and up/down, on the right front edge of the turntable. Towards the back to the right of the tone arm are the speed selector and the record size selector. One odd control placement is the power button is on the back panel of the turn table. Overall, the sound quality was something that I had not expected. The sound was clear, full and had an exceptionally good sound stage. This turned out to be much better than I had anticipated and think this is a good turntable for those who want to enter the world of vinal music.