Comparison iON Compact LP vs iON Vinyl Motion

Model of the pickup (cartridge) supplied with the player. The pickup is one of the most important parts of any vinyl player, the quality of the received sound largely depends on its quality. Knowing the name of the model, you can find detailed data on it and determine how satisfied you are with this particular cartridge.

The presence in the design of the player or a dust cover, or devices for its installation (the cover itself is not included in the kit).

Both vinyl records and the equipment for playing them require protection from dust: settling on the tracks, dust leads to extraneous noise and increased wear of the records and needle. Thus, for normal listening to music, it is highly recommended to have a turntable with a lid — otherwise you will have to regularly clean up. But for a DJ "turntable", the lid, on the contrary, is an excess.

An external power supply is called a power supply unit (PSU) placed outside the player's case; such a unit can be connected to the outlet with a wire or plugged directly into it using its own plug. The point of this arrangement is to minimize possible interference from the power supply electronics by removing it to the maximum distance from the circuits through which the signal passes. Therefore, an external power supply is considered the best option for audiophile class acoustics.

— Tempo adjustment. The presence in the player of an electronic module that allows you to change the tone of the sound being played, in other words, to make it higher or lower by a certain interval, in other words, change the playback speed. This feature is also known as a "pitch controller". It is relevant primarily for DJ "turntables", as it allows you to mix tracks recorded in different keys. Some home players also have a tempo control, but its capabilities are much more modest, and a real need for such a function rarely arises.

— Adjustable counterweight. The ability to adjust the position of the counterweight mounted on the opposite end of the tonearm from the cartridge. This allows you to change the balance of the tonearm by adjusting the downforce (see above); the presence of an adjustable counterweight is highly desirable if you plan to use "non-native" pickups with the player.

— Anti -skating. The presence of an anti-skating system in the design of the tonearm. The peculiarities of the work of the vinyl player are such that during playback there is an additional force that presses the needle against the inside of the groove. This results in an imbalance in the sound of the stereo channels and uneven groove wear. To compensate for this phenomenon, anti-skating is used — a system that “pulls” the tonearm in the opposite direction, towards the ou...ter edge of the record. Anti-skating may be based on counterweights, springs, magnets, or other devices, but anyway, this function is considered highly desirable for modern turntables. However, it is not available everywhere: for example, in low-cost models, anti-skating may not be provided to reduce the cost, and in top-end devices it may be present, but not indicated in the specifications.

— Reverse playback. The reverse function allows you to play the record in reverse, playing the sound backwards. This feature is unlikely to be needed by audiophiles, but it is very much appreciated by DJs, as it expands the arsenal of available sound effects. Usually, direct drive is required for reverse (see above), although there are exceptions.

— Hitchhiking. A system that automatically stops the disc and raises the arm when the record has finished playing. Due to this, additional wear of the needle due to movement along the plate "idle" is prevented. However, in some situations (for example, when playing several records in a row), hitchhiking is inconvenient, so it can be turned off.

— Autoplay. The presence in the player of automatic playback. In such models, the user does not need to manually move the tonearm. In fact, it is enough to install the record, press the button — and the disc will start to rotate, the tonearm will lower itself to the desired position, and after the end of playback, the record will stop, the tonearm will rise (due to hitchhiking, see above) and return to its original position. Such systems make the player as convenient as possible, but they significantly affect its cost, and also (like any additional electronics) are a potential source of interference.

— Built-in acoustics. The presence in the player of its own speaker system, consisting of speakers and a power amplifier. This equipment allows you to listen to records without the use of external equipment; in fact, models with acoustics are stand-alone music centers, except that they work not on cassettes / discs / flash drives, but on vinyl discs. At the same time, the characteristics of the built-in amplifiers and loudspeakers are generally noticeably more modest than those of external ones, and additional electronics in the player's case can distort the signal. Therefore, it makes sense to purchase models with built-in acoustics if purity and high sound quality are not critical — for example, for listening to old records.

— Speed 78 rpm. The ability to operate the player at a speed of 78 revolutions per minute. To date, such records are almost never produced, but they were very popular until the 60s of the XX century. Therefore, to listen to vintage audio recordings, you will need a turntable with support for this speed. Note that 78 rpm operation may require additional equipment (such as a belt pulley or a special pickup).

— Write to media. The ability to connect an external media to the player and record the reproduced sound on it in digital form. Usually, we are talking about USB-drives (such as flash drives); accordingly, a USB Type A port is provided for their connection. However, other types of media, such as memory cards, may be supported. Recording directly to media is faster than digitizing via a computer (see "USB port (type B)" above), but the sound is recorded "as is" in this case, without the possibility of quality enhancement and noise filtering.

— Installation of the second tonearm. Possibility of installing an additional tonearm on the player, which can differ markedly from the main one both in its own features and in the characteristics of the pickup. This possibility is justified if the player is planned to be used in different modes that cannot be covered by a single pickup. For example, you can install an inexpensive pickup on the second tonearm, which is not a pity to “kill” on old worn records, or a 78 rpm cartridge for vintage recordings. Note that in some models there may be more than one additional tonearms.

— Pendulum alignment. Automatic turntable leveling system based on a pendulum (suspension). This feature is found exclusively in premium class models, designed for the highest mechanical precision. In such models, the player itself is installed on a special stand on the floor, and a massive (several tens of kilograms) pendulum is suspended from its lower part. While the pendulum hangs strictly vertically, the player's disc is in a strictly horizontal position; and due to the large mass, the suspension practically does not deviate from the vertical with small vibrations of the floor (for example, from people walking nearby). This feature is designed primarily for sophisticated audiophiles who want to get the most accurate and reliable sound.

— USB B port. A connector designed to connect the player to a computer as a peripheral device. This connection is mainly used for converting vinyl records to a digital audio format such as MP3. At the same time, computer processing allows you to "clean" the recording from clicks and other extraneous interference; the necessary software for this may even be supplied in the kit.

— Bluetooth. The presence of a built-in Bluetooth module in the design of the player. This technology is designed for direct wireless communication with other devices at a distance of up to 10 m. The capabilities of such communication may vary, depending on the supported Bluetooth protocols. The most popular use of this feature in players is to broadcast audio to wireless headphones or speakers. Such a connection may be somewhat inferior to a wired one in terms of sound quality, but it does not require fiddling with cables and selecting compatible connectors; and the difference in quality is most often unprincipled, especially considering the characteristics of the sound from vinyl. Other options for using Bluetooth are technically possible — for example, remote control from a smartphone or tablet — but they are extremely rare.

— Audio input. The presence of an audio input in the design of the player; usually in this case it means a linear analogue audio input. In different model...s, it can use different types of connectors — for example, 3.5 mm mini-Jack or RCA "tulips". However, regardless of the type of connector, the purpose of such an input is the same everywhere — it is designed to connect an external sound source and process this sound with the player's built-in tools. For example, you can connect a portable player to the audio input and output sound through the built-in turntable amplifier.

— Digital audio output. The presence of a digital audio output in the design of the player. Usually, this output is made in the form of an S / P-DIF connector — optical or electronic; the first option is less susceptible to interference, the second does not require special delicacy when handling the cable. This connector can be useful for connecting external audio devices with digital inputs to the player. In some cases, a digital connection is preferable to an analogue one — for example, if there are no line inputs in an external device or they are all occupied. At the same time, the digital interface requires an analogue-to-digital converter in the "turntable", and these are additional electronic circuits and a potential source of interference. Therefore, such outputs are not used in audiophile-class equipment.

— Headphone output. The presence of a separate headphone output in the design of the player. Typically, this output uses a 3.5 mm mini-Jack or 6.35 mm Jack. The first variety is found in most modern headphones, the second is more reliable and typical for professional models; both interfaces are compatible through a simple adapter. Anyway, connecting headphones can come in handy in two situations: when it is desirable to keep silence and not disturb others with music, or vice versa, when it is noisy around and the sound from the speakers would be hard to hear. Theoretically, the second use case is popular among DJs — in the overall sound, it is important to hear what exactly the turntable is playing at the moment. However, in fact, DJs prefer to connect their "ears" not to the player itself, but to external equipment. Therefore, its own headphone output is typical mainly for consumer-class models.

The ability to operate the player from autonomous power — batteries or accumulators. The purpose of this function and its general advantages are obvious: it allows you to use the "turntable" without being connected to an outlet (and in general, regardless of whether there are outlets nearby). In turn, the main disadvantages of autonomous power supply are the limited operating time, as well as an increase in the size, weight and cost of the entire device.

Each type of autonomous power supply has its advantages and disadvantages — replaceable batteries and built-in batteries. So, the batteries are not included in the player's delivery package, they have to be purchased separately, and, usually, we are talking about fairly solid sets — for example, 6 D-size cells. On the other hand, dead batteries can be quickly replaced with new ones, and to continue work does not need an outlet nearby. In addition, replaceable cells are produced not only in the form of disposable batteries, but also in the form of accumulators; and there are a great many models of both on the market, which gives the user a choice. In turn, built-in batteries do not require additional costs, however, when the charge is exhausted, they will need an external source of energy for charging (and it takes quite a long time to charge).

The material from which the turntable's platter is made is a rotating rim on which the record is placed. The general requirements for such disks are, firstly, a minimal tendency to extraneous vibrations (to avoid interference), and secondly, massiveness (to ensure a constant speed even with minor flaws in the operation of the motor). Manufacturers select materials for support disks based on this. Specific options could be:

- Aluminum. Durable, massive and at the same time very solid-looking material, it is one of the most popular among modern “turntables” of all price categories.

- Plastic. Plastic in general is inferior to metal in terms of weight and vibration resistance, however, these disadvantages are not critical, and some varieties of this material are completely devoid of them. At the same time, the cost of plastic discs is relatively low. They are found in both inexpensive and quite advanced players.

— Acrylic. A somewhat more advanced material than plastic, due to which it is more common in mid- and high-class players.

- MDF. It is also known as fibreboard - fibreboard. MDF is somewhat lighter than metal, but is characterized by excellent resistance to extraneous vibrations, and in some models it is also used for aesthetic reasons - in conjunction with a body made of the same material...(see “Base material”).

- Glass. Glass discs are massive and resist unnecessary vibrations well; moreover, they can be completely transparent and give the “turntable” an original appearance. At the same time, they are fragile and expensive, despite the fact that glass does not have any special advantages over other popular materials. Therefore, this option was not particularly widespread.

— Ceramics. Another rather exotic material, used not so much for practical reasons, but for design and marketing purposes. The specific composition of the ceramics may vary, but all such discs are distinguished, on the one hand, by their massiveness and vibration resistance, and on the other, by their high cost and fragility.

It is worth considering that discs made of the same material can differ markedly in quality - in addition to composition, the properties of the disc are determined by its weight, see below. In general, manufacturers, as a rule, select an option that corresponds to the price category of the player.

We also note that, in addition to solid discs, “sandwiches” are produced, made up of layers of different materials. For such cases, the characteristics indicate the main material of the rim.