Steve, thanks for what you do. You are, without question, the best audiophile reviewer on TH-cam. Straightforward, honest and plenty of personality, without trying real hard. I love and look forward to your content, and again, thank you.
I love that you still speak to the consumer and don’t try to be the voice of the “product of the month” like Darko and Robinson. I like those guys but they always seem to review the same products at the same time. With you I feel like I’m back at The Stereo Exchange speaking to the guy who gets me. Thanks for sticking to your own style - shirts and all!
It's nice that regular people can get good-quality gear. I bought all my stuff used and it took me years to put it together. When theirs a will theirs a way.
I bought my system (receiver, turntable, and floor standing speakers) used, but it was to replace an entire system of the same components (except a 45w Yamaha instead of the original 100w) that I lost. So I bought all my gear new and used. Even now I've bought some bookshelf speakers and chifi stuff, and some was new and some was open box discount, so still used and new.
Bought an Orbit in 2015, it was my gateway back into vinyl after about 30 years away from vinyl. It sounded great! Since then, I’ve moved up to a Rega P8. But I still have the Orbit and it still sounds fantastic. I’m thinking about getting a loaded Gen 2 Orbit or a Theory for my second system. I have had exceptional customer service from the Uturn folks. It’s a great company.
Another informative vid. Thx. I bought the Theory a while back partly because of your review. Btw, I really enjoy your music selections. A real bonus to your viewers.
Another great show, Steve! Love the way you talk about the feel of a turntable- one of the few things left in audio that is not a fingerprint control! I too have that Junior Wells record and agree completely. My near 40 year old Linn Axis turntable (with modern upgrades) is a joy. Long live vinyl. Thank you for sharing!
Budget buster indeed. I was researching a small 2nd turntable and was going to go for something basic... well, you convinced me. It busted my budget a bit, but I think it's going to be perfect for the room I am setting up. So customizable!
There have only been 2 shows Ive watched on the regular; Cheers and Audiophilliac. I miss Coach, but I get Steve! Thank you for the hours of enjoyment!
Great review: the Rega Planar 1 is very similar to this basic U-Turn sounds and looks like a close competitor. I’ve heard the Rega and I love the sound it produces. These entry level turntables are amazing. Would love to hear this one!
I have a U-Turn Orbit Custom purchased around 5 years ago with their Gen 1 tonearm for a budget system. Mine had a bearings issue where it skipped about 3 minutes into play. I sent it back and not only did they replace the tonearm, but their 2nd generation arm had just been released so I received that one instead. My table was shipped back, repaired, and returned to me in under a week, great customer service. The table now resides in my den, and I recently replaced the original Ortofon 5e cartridge (with OM 20 Stylus upgrade) with an SAE 1000 E high output moving coil cartridge. Wow! It was like having a brand new turntable. As basic as the Oribit is, it's quite capable of handling a higher end cartridge and letting it shine (as Michael Fremer thought in his review years ago). As a final upgrade I may just buy those aluminum and sorthobane leveling feet they now offer or those that a third party makes that are a bit less expensive (and come in silver). Mine has the original built in Pluto phono stage which is OK, but I never really used it having much better externals to play with. I currently have this Orbit Plus going out to the superb Park Audio Puffin DSP. I've also used it with the Lounge Audio LCR Gold.
Dear Steve! Like your videos! I grew up with a lot of american hifi gear. However, today the most valuable turntables are made in austria, switzerland,Japan or germanyi
Well simply because it is a great sounding and propably one or maybe most musical cartridges for the price ....and it tracks like a king , even better than many more expensive cartridges....@@Ian-wh8ut Way better than the Ortophon at the same price ....It reminds me of the Shure M55E ....a spin off of the V15 at that time....
Steve, you're not allowed to mention, upgrading cables, you'll have the snake oil police after you, you know they have cloth ear's 😃, great video as usual!!!
It is possible to put together a very good system of components made in the U.S. for what I consider a very reasonable price, and U-Turn is a part of that.
if i didn't have a 2004 Pro-ject debut 3 with numerous tweaks and was in the market for a TT i think the U-Turn would be one to consider for sure. i recently put an Ortofon 2M blue on my TT and i would make that a must!
I regularly buy used records for under $10 - yea every once in a while I gotta spend a little more. I got a couple of Ric Ocasek records in NM condition the other day for $10@...can't beat that.
I'm torn between this new orbit or a fluance rt82. The fluance offers a lot more in terms of price/value, but, the u-turn looks to be a solid build and made in the US, that and from what ive heard the customer service is great.
I've got the previous gen U-Turn Orbit Custom and love it. Still waiting to upgrade to the Ortofon Blue stylus (which fits the Red body). Love that they have the new $80 isolation leveling feet that fits mine. That will be a no brainer upgrade for me soon. In retrospect, I think I would have opted NOT to get the Pluto 2 and just got a better phono amp to begin with. Pluto 2 is fine to get started (a little "forward" sounding) but can easily be bettered for under $300. Worlds Best Cables have good Amphenol RCA interconnects for about $30.
I have the exact same turntable as you, it's fantastic. I added a Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp (noticeably better than the Pluto 2) and a Sumiko Moonstone cartridge which is a huge upgrade from the Ortofon 2M Red.
@@moonytheloony6516ah, yes, that might be my next purchase - a Schiit Mani 2 - if I don't "go crazy" and spend more to get a Moon 110LP v2. I have mine "level" but think buying the $80 isolation/leveling feet would be a good investment. The reason I'm thinking of the Ortofon Blue is that I have the Red on it from the factory. I can just replace the stylus and wouldn't have to futz with alignment and all that like I would if I got a new cartridge. But I have heard good things about the Sumiko Moonstone. Enjoy! That's the name of the game.
There is a lot of joy to be found listening to a turntable on headphones. Or IEMs in my case (my chain is a Shure cartridge with LP Gear stylus through a 90s Yamaha receiver to Moondrop Kato IEMs. Haha yeah the Yammie has no problem driving IEMs).
Thanks for the review. I am familiar with with tables, having spun old school radio for many years. I have been using a vintage Thorens, but after 50 years, its speed issues are not something I am prepared to fully diagnose. So it is going to a new home, and I have a fully decked out Orbit Custom on order. Going with a walnut plinth. You only mentioned oak. My emails to company have been great. Looking forward to to testing vinyl into my Nakamichi receiver and JBL speakers soon ;)
Steve, I was just letting you know the records are available in NJ just over the GW bridge at reasonable prices from the oldest record store since 1934. I have looked at other places but they are far and few between. Didn't mean to violate any rules.
I've found in the past couple of months at least ten Keith Jarrett records in great shape for under ten dollars each. I've been on a Keith Jarrett kick for the past several months. There are deals out there, you gotta look.
I really wanted to get my nephew an orbit for his first turntable but it was just out of his budget range, so we ended up getting a Sony. But the build quality and materials on the orbits at the budget can’t be beat imho
I have a first-generation U-Turn and while I do think the table is a bargain, the dust cover doesn't lock in the open position and doesn't really go past 90 degrees open. So, it' easy for the lid to shut by itself if you happen to bump it. I wonder if the new generation 2 has a better hinge on the cover? I will say my table had a grounding issue and the company worked beyond what I expected to help solve the problem including sending a new motor and a special grounding wire. But the issue has yet to be solved. (I haven't tried the new motor yet!)
Several years ago had issues with my dust cover falling down all the time and had U-turn send me a new pair of hinges. The dust cover has stayed up as it should, but this is the one detail I find real fault with U-Turn on. I can't imagine using real metal hinges would add that much to the Orbit's price. I know I would pay a few dollars more to not ever worry about my dust cover falling down at the wrong time.
@@popofthebop Yes, really unfortunate. Seems like a simple thing they could have put a bit more effort into. Thanks for the comment. Now I don't feel so bad being critical about this. I am in the market for a new turntable and will replace mine soon.
I own both of them though my Orbit is the Gen 1. I can't tell a difference regarding the sound quality. I used a Ortofon 2M Blue and a Sumiko Moonstone cartridge on both units conne ted to a Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp. They are running even but.....the Fluance has one advantage that's hard to miss and that's the detachable headshell on the Fluance.
@moonytheloony6516 I have the mani 2 , yamaha a-s701 into a pair of wharfedale 12.2 bookshelf, I'm torn between the orbit and a rt82. I will be using a orotofon 2m blue for the turntable but I also have 4 other cartridges I like to swap between
You can't compare NYC with other parts of the U.S. The reason being is because the birth of Hip Hop, the invention of DJ'ing, the massive population there is. More volume equals more competition for record sales.
The other part I forgot to mention and I don't have much empirical data on this, is that there were at least 5 to 7 record pressing plants from the 70's through the late 80's in NYC. That also helped to bring down cost.
Discogs is great! I am leery about purchasing vinyl on this website. It's bad enough that the CDs are not always represented in the condition that they arrive in so why would I want to take a chance on purchasing a vinyl record through this venue?
You’re right, but not all of them are worn out. I have several LP’s from 70’s and 80’s I played only to copy to cassette. Now I just stream that music mainly because I haven’t had a turntable in years.
On the price of records, now I am 44 I never had records, as a young child and young teenager, cassets where durable cheap and worked in my Walkman, then as a older teenager records where dead and didn't work in a car anyway. But I do remember cassettes being about $10 and CDs being around $15. I don't think $20 is that much of an increase over the last 25-30 years, but for a younger generation that had been able to consume all the music from any artist/bad that they could want for $10 a month, I can see that as expensive.
normally old records seems better in fabrication the sound is also very good, some records i bought new none over 30€ ,they have some funny things that were perfect in older editions till mid 90´s, only bought more records since 2018 and maybe some 15 at the most
The main issue with vinyl as far as I’m concerned is the new stuff just isn’t mastered as well as the old stuff. I mainly listen to new music, even if I spend a huge amount of cash on a turntable it would be pointless because the latest records sound rubbish.
I have noticed that a lot of the newer vinyl is rather thin and flimsy. I have also been receiving new albums that have a spot or two on them that distort the sound when the needle makes contact. They won't clean off, so I have to return the albums.
@@st200ol I had to return a copy of Back To Black Amy Winehouse, it was the worst pressing I’ve ever heard. The half speed Abbey Road version is excellent tho 🎶
Thanks for your great reviews and album suggestions. My old Realistic Lab 500 has seen it's best days and the motor is dying. I've been considering a Fluance RT85 or an Audio Technica AT-LP140XP to replace it but now I am leaning towards the U-turn Theory with the Ortofon 2M blue cartridge. Which would you choose? Have you, or do you have plans to review the U-turn Theory? Your opinion is appreciated. Thanks.
I don't think records are too high cost at all! If you do the "inflation calculator" , you'll see it's right where it's supposed to be! No need to be so cheap, people are really cheap! You get what you pay for! If you see what goes into making them , they wouldn't bitch about it so much!
Hi Steve love your channel and your honesty. I currently and have for a very long time use a Pioneer PL-50 turntable with a Pioneer Sx-328 receiver. Every time I entertain the thought of getting a different turntable I get anxiety. I get nervous about things like is this actually a digital turntable ? I see where some have USB ports and I immediately think its computerized. i am not at all a digital guy. I'm 64 and I might own 30 cd's. Is there anything at all that is digital in anyway shape or form with the U-TURN Orbit Custom gen 2? I was thinking of putting the Ortofon blue cartridge on it. Thanks Steve
Hi Steve , like yiy go to charity shop we have secondhand record cd shop , I even bought my rega planner 3 with new elyis 2 cartridge for £500 only 4 months old , that’s an interesting great deck there. , I like the idea with the speed control and the option with inbuilt phono stage . I wish project follows this company with the groove in the platter that’s a great idea. Regards mark
An expensive upgrade may be the neo. I have a p3 elys 2 as well. Recently got a p6 exact 2 and the sound is better in part cause the p3 runs wayyyy fast like 10 secs a side.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk hi John, thanks for reply , when the elyis 2 wares out will be looking for another quality cartridge, I am looking at neo but second hand one or a new mk1 version . May I ask when you play a record and when it gets near the end do you get a slight mums hum pick up. Apparently his does happen, I spoke with phill at Cheshire audio he’s confirmed it does happen on p3 . Regards mark
@@6643bear yes the p3 with elys 2 is hummy at the center. Cleaning up my wiring and moving away from speakers helped some. The p6 with exact 2 and neo does not have that problem. It has some noise but not noticeably more in the center. I should try the p3 with the neo but kind of lazy. Also that little rega mini dac with a/d is a decent unit soundwise and synergy with the rega. May help your hum a little. Cool to make files on computer too.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk hi John, I have rerun the phone cable I have good quality one , I had p3 motor housing earthed no joy , I even spoke with Phil at Cheshire audio and he’s says it happens , never had issue with rp2 Yeats ago and just hoping when I pic up a neo psu may get rid of it , Phil also says that there is not much shielding on the elyis 2 cartridge that’s the reason why. Regards mark
MAybe LP's are affordable in Big cities, but not so in smaller cities. I have traveled all over the country for 30 years and economical records are only available in multi million population cities.
Yes Steve, from $200-$500 you’re going from a record player that’s barely reasonable. almost not worth buying, to $500 where you’re finally starting to get into a relatively safe record player with some sonic pleasantry. It’s an important price range. Any decent record player with a decent number of features is typically over $1000 before you even include the Cartridge, stylus and phono preamp. With the price of good vinyl, and the ease to which it could be ruined, it makes sense to get into 4-digit territory for the whole megillah.
I highly disagree, with this. I mean I think currently owning Rega p6 but having also owned a P1, the sonic difference between the two is not as huge a gulf as you think. To simply make the statement that you have to spend $1,000 to get good vinyl playback it's just ridiculous and I personally think it completely usurps the point of the video that Steve is trying to make, which is the you don't need to spend that much. My favorite budget turntable has to be the sony pslx310. Currently you can buy it from any local Best buy for $250, and it produces a very enjoyable pleasant sound, and no it won't destroy your records and all these sorts of arguments. I mean where do you people get this stuff, do you notice your precious records being destroyed by a $500 turntable versus a $100,000 one? And personally I think this sort sort of attitude that you're displaying here really is a huge turnoff to the whole idea of people getting into it to begin with. You know the mindset that you see from 2012 that people had about the crosleys, and for some reason you haven't done any investigating since then to educate yourself that a lot of new under $500 turntables are actually fantastic. Why don't you go get some education about the quality of modern budget equipment and then come back when you have sufficient knowledge to really know what you're talking about
@@Audiorevue You have the right to believe what you want ..”obviously” somebody with a really expensive system is not going to buy a $200 turntable, and by the same logic, a person with a budget system is not going to buy a $2000 turntable. Whether you choose to believe it or not, there’s a reason why expensive equipment exists .. it’s not just all about “snobbery,” as some seem to believe. There may be people that want quality, and are told it’s a waste of money. That’s not fair either. Put all the “ideas” on the table, and let people decide for themselves! Edit: and if you feel so strongly about this, why did you even bother upgrading! “Sounds” hypocritical to me.
@@shipsahoy1793 no I've heard the u-turn, not the new one but the older one and my only complaint was it ran slow. I mean better equipment does exist for a reason obviously, however your original statement led me to believe that you think that budget equipment is worthless and furthermore the only way to get true high quality analog playback is to spend a ton of money, which I completely disagree with. You know I mentioned the Sony and that is a fantastic turntable at $250, actually when I heard it I couldn't hear much of a difference between it and a Rega P1, me personally as a audio enthusiast I believe keeping it simple is better than complication.
One does not need to spend $500 on a turntable to get some sonic pleasantry. Sonic pleasantry can be achieved at any level because the listening experience is always subjective. Price points are not a promise, it's at best an expectation and though high end systems can often deliver; they can also disappoint, and cause one to miss the their previous cheaper system. I've seen this happen. It's been talked about on this and other channels more than once for a good reason. If you feel that a certain price point influences your experience, that's your opinion of which you're entitled, however I do not agree.
@@moonytheloony6516 Actually, that depends on how “picky” you are, and it also depends on the rest of the system that you connect it to; aside from that, I don’t really disagree with anything else you said, but you do have the right to your opinion, for better or worse. I’m just here wondering what it is about current culture that people have to be so emphatically in disagreement when they read some thing on the internet that they don’t agree with.
Discogs - well: 1. Orders cancel by seller. 2. Seller minimum order price means you can’t buy just one record. 3. Inaccurate record/cover condition grading. 4. Wrong edition sent. 5. Cookie and advertising pop ups. 6. A struggle to find, purchase and receive records.
I plan on buying the Uturn theroy as soon as silver hits 50 dollars and it won't be long.😊 I plan to buy the Emotiva base X TA-2 to go with the Theory. Not sure what speakers I'm going to buy yet. Do I need to add anything else? This is my first time putting together a good stereo. My budget is about $3000. You are getting me excited to hear music again. Thanks. Jim
vast majority of all vinyl from the end of the 1970, mastered digitally, you are listening to someone elses DAC! All vinyl has gone through a digital process, from a simple digital delay from analog master during the mastering process, to old analog tapes are archived in digital files, and obviously everything past 20 years at least has been through a DAW. so Turn tables ARE NOT ANALOG, pure audio phoolery in 2023
@@BishopFrost-il9gl all new stuff is born inside a computer, all old analog tapes been digitized, else the recording deteriorates. You keep believing in your analog fallacies which are actually digital , While some of the old pressings end of 70s fromward might have still used an expensive Studer with 2 playback heads and a mechanical tape loop for delay during mastering, everything vinyl from 2000 and probably before, comes from a digital archive or production.....analog my foot.
Steve, thanks for what you do. You are, without question, the best audiophile reviewer on TH-cam. Straightforward, honest and plenty of personality, without trying real hard. I love and look forward to your content, and again, thank you.
Wow, thanks! Steve
I love that you still speak to the consumer and don’t try to be the voice of the “product of the month” like Darko and Robinson. I like those guys but they always seem to review the same products at the same time. With you I feel like I’m back at The Stereo Exchange speaking to the guy who gets me. Thanks for sticking to your own style - shirts and all!
Darko is rude in thr comments and Robinson is just plain creepy.
I just love when you talk about the music you listened to when reviewing the products. Its not just educational, its enlightening 😊
It's nice that regular people can get good-quality gear. I bought all my stuff used and it took me years to put it together. When theirs a will theirs a way.
I bought my system (receiver, turntable, and floor standing speakers) used, but it was to replace an entire system of the same components (except a 45w Yamaha instead of the original 100w) that I lost. So I bought all my gear new and used. Even now I've bought some bookshelf speakers and chifi stuff, and some was new and some was open box discount, so still used and new.
Bought an Orbit in 2015, it was my gateway back into vinyl after about 30 years away from vinyl. It sounded great!
Since then, I’ve moved up to a Rega P8. But I still have the Orbit and it still sounds fantastic.
I’m thinking about getting a loaded Gen 2 Orbit or a Theory for my second system.
I have had exceptional customer service from the Uturn folks. It’s a great company.
Those Regas are beautiful. I'd like to move up to something like a P3 if I bought a new TT right now. I'd have to save for a few months but worth it.
Steve's got the coolest wardrobe!
Another informative vid. Thx. I bought the Theory a while back partly because of your review. Btw, I really enjoy your music selections. A real bonus to your viewers.
That is one of the most classic "systems of the day" that I've seen on here. Kudos to the owner who put that together.
Very good! I agree!
Another great show, Steve! Love the way you talk about the feel of a turntable- one of the few things left in audio that is not a fingerprint control! I too have that Junior Wells record and agree completely. My near 40 year old Linn Axis turntable (with modern upgrades) is a joy. Long live vinyl. Thank you for sharing!
I’ve been very happy with my u-turn gen 1. Thanks for the video.
Same here.
I have a gen 1 I bought a couple years ago and I am very happy with it, for all the same reasons as the review describes - great product!
Sounds like just what I was waiting for. Great sound for less than it would take to replace the cartridge on my Beogram 3404.
Budget buster indeed. I was researching a small 2nd turntable and was going to go for something basic... well, you convinced me. It busted my budget a bit, but I think it's going to be perfect for the room I am setting up. So customizable!
There have only been 2 shows Ive watched on the regular; Cheers and Audiophilliac. I miss Coach, but I get Steve! Thank you for the hours of enjoyment!
Thank you so much!!
Great review: the Rega Planar 1 is very similar to this basic U-Turn sounds and looks like a close competitor. I’ve heard the Rega and I love the sound it produces. These entry level turntables are amazing. Would love to hear this one!
I have a U-Turn Orbit Custom purchased around 5 years ago with their Gen 1 tonearm for a budget system. Mine had a bearings issue where it skipped about 3 minutes into play. I sent it back and not only did they replace the tonearm, but their 2nd generation arm had just been released so I received that one instead. My table was shipped back, repaired, and returned to me in under a week, great customer service. The table now resides in my den, and I recently replaced the original Ortofon 5e cartridge (with OM 20 Stylus upgrade) with an SAE 1000 E high output moving coil cartridge. Wow! It was like having a brand new turntable. As basic as the Oribit is, it's quite capable of handling a higher end cartridge and letting it shine (as Michael Fremer thought in his review years ago).
As a final upgrade I may just buy those aluminum and sorthobane leveling feet they now offer or those that a third party makes that are a bit less expensive (and come in silver). Mine has the original built in Pluto phono stage which is OK, but I never really used it having much better externals to play with. I currently have this Orbit Plus going out to the superb Park Audio Puffin DSP. I've also used it with the Lounge Audio LCR Gold.
I love how you swap paintings and shirts, Steve
Dear Steve! Like your videos! I grew up with a lot of american hifi gear. However, today the most valuable turntables are made in austria, switzerland,Japan or germanyi
Great video as usual! A medical stethoscope placed in various places around the plinth is also a good way to identify motor/bearing noise, etc.
Your videos are amazing. Thank you for making them. Keep up the great work!
Nice review.........within the budget of many of us ........As cartridge choice I would prefer without hesitation the Nagaoka MP110 ........
just asking I know Nagaoka is well loved and im about to but my 1st TT in about 35 years.can you say what makes that your preference?
Well simply because it is a great sounding and propably one or maybe most musical cartridges for the price ....and it tracks like a king , even better than many more expensive cartridges....@@Ian-wh8ut Way better than the Ortophon at the same price ....It reminds me of the Shure M55E ....a spin off of the V15 at that time....
@@frankgeeraerts6243 Thanks so much Frank!you really gave me something to chew on.
A pronunciation hint from a local - the place where U-TURN is located is WOO-burn. Other than that - great job reviewing this turntable!
Steve, you're not allowed to mention, upgrading cables, you'll have the snake oil police after you, you know they have cloth ear's 😃, great video as usual!!!
Very good tweakerman! All hifi people should have a power cleaner and a farraday grid around their house!
Some hifi idiots are concerned about speaker and signal cables! They should try pure gold!
Well done, Sir!
It is possible to put together a very good system of components made in the U.S. for what I consider a very reasonable price, and U-Turn is a part of that.
Geir Røssaak from jessheim, Norway. I totally agree! American gear has allways been great!
if i didn't have a 2004 Pro-ject debut 3 with numerous tweaks and was in the market for a TT i think the U-Turn would be one to consider for sure. i recently put an Ortofon 2M blue on my TT and i would make that a must!
Thanks for introducing us to such great music/albums @SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac over and above the great reviews 🙂
I regularly buy used records for under $10 - yea every once in a while I gotta spend a little more. I got a couple of Ric Ocasek records in NM condition the other day for $10@...can't beat that.
I'm torn between this new orbit or a fluance rt82. The fluance offers a lot more in terms of price/value, but, the u-turn looks to be a solid build and made in the US, that and from what ive heard the customer service is great.
Thank you for the budget turn table review.
I've got the previous gen U-Turn Orbit Custom and love it. Still waiting to upgrade to the Ortofon Blue stylus (which fits the Red body). Love that they have the new $80 isolation leveling feet that fits mine. That will be a no brainer upgrade for me soon. In retrospect, I think I would have opted NOT to get the Pluto 2 and just got a better phono amp to begin with. Pluto 2 is fine to get started (a little "forward" sounding) but can easily be bettered for under $300. Worlds Best Cables have good Amphenol RCA interconnects for about $30.
I have the exact same turntable as you, it's fantastic.
I added a Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp (noticeably better than the Pluto 2) and a Sumiko Moonstone cartridge which is a huge upgrade from the Ortofon 2M Red.
@@moonytheloony6516ah, yes, that might be my next purchase - a Schiit Mani 2 - if I don't "go crazy" and spend more to get a Moon 110LP v2. I have mine "level" but think buying the $80 isolation/leveling feet would be a good investment.
The reason I'm thinking of the Ortofon Blue is that I have the Red on it from the factory. I can just replace the stylus and wouldn't have to futz with alignment and all that like I would if I got a new cartridge. But I have heard good things about the Sumiko Moonstone. Enjoy! That's the name of the game.
There is a lot of joy to be found listening to a turntable on headphones. Or IEMs in my case (my chain is a Shure cartridge with LP Gear stylus through a 90s Yamaha receiver to Moondrop Kato IEMs. Haha yeah the Yammie has no problem driving IEMs).
Thanks for the review. I am familiar with with tables, having spun old school radio for many years. I have been using a vintage Thorens, but after 50 years, its speed issues are not something I am prepared to fully diagnose. So it is going to a new home, and I have a fully decked out Orbit Custom on order. Going with a walnut plinth. You only mentioned oak. My emails to company have been great. Looking forward to to testing vinyl into my Nakamichi receiver and JBL speakers soon ;)
Fantastic, let us know what you think of the change to a new turntable. This music feel different or better?
Thanks for this review Steve ☺️ thinking 🤔 of getting a new turntable
Great review...Personally, at times I rather like to hear the record surface noise; reminds me of my youth
I often have friends ask me for a first-time table but they balk at the cost of a Planar or Pro-Ject, this will be an easy recommendation
Steve! ThanksMuch!
Steve, I was just letting you know the records are available in NJ just over the GW bridge at reasonable prices from the oldest record store since 1934. I have looked
at other places but they are far and few between. Didn't mean to violate any rules.
I've found in the past couple of months at least ten Keith Jarrett records in great shape for under ten dollars each. I've been on a Keith Jarrett kick for the past several months. There are deals out there, you gotta look.
Thanks Steve!
I really wanted to get my nephew an orbit for his first turntable but it was just out of his budget range, so we ended up getting a Sony. But the build quality and materials on the orbits at the budget can’t be beat imho
Shirt change @ 8.51
I have a first-generation U-Turn and while I do think the table is a bargain, the dust cover doesn't lock in the open position and doesn't really go past 90 degrees open. So, it' easy for the lid to shut by itself if you happen to bump it. I wonder if the new generation 2 has a better hinge on the cover? I will say my table had a grounding issue and the company worked beyond what I expected to help solve the problem including sending a new motor and a special grounding wire. But the issue has yet to be solved. (I haven't tried the new motor yet!)
Several years ago had issues with my dust cover falling down all the time and had U-turn send me a new pair of hinges. The dust cover has stayed up as it should, but this is the one detail I find real fault with U-Turn on. I can't imagine using real metal hinges would add that much to the Orbit's price. I know I would pay a few dollars more to not ever worry about my dust cover falling down at the wrong time.
@@popofthebop Yes, really unfortunate. Seems like a simple thing they could have put a bit more effort into. Thanks for the comment. Now I don't feel so bad being critical about this. I am in the market for a new turntable and will replace mine soon.
Keeping records And Stylii Clean is vinyl's inevitable process.
I would like to see a shoot out between this turntable and the Fluance RT85N. Thank you for reviewing equipment that I can afford!
I own both of them though my Orbit is the Gen 1. I can't tell a difference regarding the sound quality. I used a Ortofon 2M Blue and a Sumiko Moonstone cartridge on both units conne ted to a Schiit Mani 2 phono preamp. They are running even but.....the Fluance has one advantage that's hard to miss and that's the detachable headshell on the Fluance.
@moonytheloony6516 I have the mani 2 , yamaha a-s701 into a pair of wharfedale 12.2 bookshelf, I'm torn between the orbit and a rt82. I will be using a orotofon 2m blue for the turntable but I also have 4 other cartridges I like to swap between
Please re-visit the U-Turn Theory or compare it to the Orbit. Have you had the Theory for long enough?
You can't compare NYC with other parts of the U.S. The reason being is because the birth of Hip Hop, the invention of DJ'ing, the massive population there is. More volume equals more competition for record sales.
The other part I forgot to mention and I don't have much empirical data on this, is that there were at least 5 to 7 record pressing plants from the 70's through the late 80's in NYC. That also helped to bring down cost.
These with a changeable headshell would sell like hotcakes
Discogs is great! I am leery about purchasing vinyl on this website. It's bad enough that the CDs are not always represented in the condition that they arrive in so why would I want to take a chance on purchasing a vinyl record through this venue?
No VTA , no anti skate, no pitch control. Fuhgeddaboutit!
The anti-skate is built-in.
is this upgrade worth it if the original orbit plus is on sale now? I'm upgrading from an old audo-technica to something better with a separate preamp
You’re right, but not all of them are worn out. I have several LP’s from 70’s and 80’s I played only to copy to cassette. Now I just stream that music mainly because I haven’t had a turntable in years.
i still have records from the 60s that have the price tags on them. Monos 3.95 and stereo 4.95. Todays new records are still a great deal.
$4.95 is high $40s in today's (2023) dollars by the official inflation statistics that are probably too low.
My UHQR vinyl costs $150 and is worth every penny.
On the price of records, now I am 44 I never had records, as a young child and young teenager, cassets where durable cheap and worked in my Walkman, then as a older teenager records where dead and didn't work in a car anyway. But I do remember cassettes being about $10 and CDs being around $15. I don't think $20 is that much of an increase over the last 25-30 years, but for a younger generation that had been able to consume all the music from any artist/bad that they could want for $10 a month, I can see that as expensive.
User's system.. THAT man knows how to HiFi! VCR baby! Poor man's Reel to Reel!
Wow, Big surprise there is a lot of used vinyl in NYC. lol
I'll keep riding with my Technics SL-QD3(bought it new in 1978) and my 522. If it ain't broke...don't buy a new TT!
I can't believe some people prefer no tonearm lifter/lower handle
I totally agree!
This sounds like a tremendous value...does the base price include the least expensive cartridge shown in the video?
normally old records seems better in fabrication the sound is also very good, some records i bought new none over 30€ ,they have some funny things that were perfect in older editions till mid 90´s, only bought more records since 2018 and maybe some 15 at the most
The main issue with vinyl as far as I’m concerned is the new stuff just isn’t mastered as well as the old stuff. I mainly listen to new music, even if I spend a huge amount of cash on a turntable it would be pointless because the latest records sound rubbish.
I’ve bought vinyl for nearly 50 yrs and many modern albums are made to better standards than the old stuff
I have noticed that a lot of the newer vinyl is rather thin and flimsy. I have also been receiving new albums that have a spot or two on them that distort the sound when the needle makes contact. They won't clean off, so I have to return the albums.
Some aren't great, but that was always the case. Plenty of poorly mastered 1960s and 1970s LPs. That Dorothy Ashy LP, remastered in 2021 is excellent.
@@TheDjcarlos67 I’ve bought a few and like digital they are over compressed and the DR is very poor. 🤷♂️
@@st200ol I had to return a copy of Back To Black Amy Winehouse, it was the worst pressing I’ve ever heard. The half speed Abbey Road version is excellent tho 🎶
A lot of LPs are cut at "double 45" , so you will be switching a bit!
Is he wearing his pajamas?
Try harder not to be a dick head
the problem is, youtube premium aka youtube music plus no ads in the the audiophilliac show is 13 doullers a month🤭
Thanks for your great reviews and album suggestions. My old Realistic Lab 500 has seen it's best days and the motor is dying. I've been considering a Fluance RT85 or an Audio Technica AT-LP140XP to replace it but now I am leaning towards the U-turn Theory with the Ortofon 2M blue cartridge. Which would you choose? Have you, or do you have plans to review the U-turn Theory? Your opinion is appreciated. Thanks.
I reviewed the theory last year!
Thank you sir. I watched your review and hit the like button as well. Now I want one even more.@@SteveGuttenbergAudiophiliac
I don't think records are too high cost at all! If you do the "inflation calculator" , you'll see it's right where it's supposed to be! No need to be so cheap, people are really cheap! You get what you pay for! If you see what goes into making them , they wouldn't bitch about it so much!
Hi Steve love your channel and your honesty. I currently and have for a very long time use a Pioneer PL-50 turntable with a Pioneer Sx-328 receiver. Every time I entertain the thought of getting a different turntable I get anxiety. I get nervous about things like is this actually a digital turntable ? I see where some have USB ports and I immediately think its computerized. i am not at all a digital guy. I'm 64 and I might own 30 cd's. Is there anything at all that is digital in anyway shape or form with the U-TURN Orbit Custom gen 2? I was thinking of putting the Ortofon blue cartridge on it. Thanks Steve
No digital there as far as I know
"Digital turntable" (a small one) = Compact Disc player.
Have the Kickstarter version. That original tonearm was designed for very light carts so upgrade path was small. Sidelined it for a Rega p6.
Well I too have a p6 mine with exact 2 and its great. The neo really helped, a p3 without it ran very fast. Anyway cheers.
Def beats the mono price
...but how does it compare to your Technics SL-1200G?
I wish we could buy these in the UK!
Is the arm on that U-Turn comparable to a Rega 2? How about a Fluance arm? OK, is it up there with Shohei Otani's arm? 🧐
Records were never cheap. They cost a lot in the 60s
$40s to high $40s in 2023 dollars.
How does it perform compared to a Rega, say a P3?
lol...........
It's not "Whoa-burn", It's "Woo-bin", Taxachusetts.
Hey Steve, you never told us about the sound stage and the imaging of the turntable or maybe I missed it ?
You're correct, the soundstage on that Dorothy Ashby LP, was clear, big and spacious!
Ok, thanks.
I miss the Dust Bug.
Hi Steve , like yiy go to charity shop we have secondhand record cd shop , I even bought my rega planner 3 with new elyis 2 cartridge for £500 only 4 months old , that’s an interesting great deck there. , I like the idea with the speed control and the option with inbuilt phono stage . I wish project follows this company with the groove in the platter that’s a great idea. Regards mark
An expensive upgrade may be the neo. I have a p3 elys 2 as well. Recently got a p6 exact 2 and the sound is better in part cause the p3 runs wayyyy fast like 10 secs a side.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk hi John, thanks for reply , when the elyis 2 wares out will be looking for another quality cartridge, I am looking at neo but second hand one or a new mk1 version . May I ask when you play a record and when it gets near the end do you get a slight mums hum pick up. Apparently his does happen, I spoke with phill at Cheshire audio he’s confirmed it does happen on p3 . Regards mark
@@6643bear yes the p3 with elys 2 is hummy at the center. Cleaning up my wiring and moving away from speakers helped some. The p6 with exact 2 and neo does not have that problem. It has some noise but not noticeably more in the center. I should try the p3 with the neo but kind of lazy. Also that little rega mini dac with a/d is a decent unit soundwise and synergy with the rega. May help your hum a little. Cool to make files on computer too.
@@JohnDoe-np3zk hi John, I have rerun the phone cable I have good quality one , I had p3 motor housing earthed no joy , I even spoke with Phil at Cheshire audio and he’s says it happens , never had issue with rp2 Yeats ago and just hoping when I pic up a neo psu may get rid of it , Phil also says that there is not much shielding on the elyis 2 cartridge that’s the reason why. Regards mark
I use ifi zen v2 dac using iPhone on Apple Music and Amazon music
So what will I do with my old Orbit when I buy the new one....audio dilemma
MAybe LP's are affordable in Big cities, but not so in smaller cities. I have traveled all over the country for 30 years and economical records are only available in multi million population cities.
Discogs
I feel vinyl (new) is expensive for the quality of what is manufactured today IMHO.
❤👍
records are only expensive if people make them expensive same as buying a turntable
I can't believe I got a LP60x instead of this! 😖😢
Shirt change mid review 🎉
Yes Steve, from $200-$500 you’re going from a record player that’s barely reasonable. almost not worth buying, to $500 where you’re finally starting to get into a relatively safe record player with some sonic pleasantry. It’s an important price range. Any decent record player with a decent number
of features is typically over $1000 before you even include the Cartridge, stylus and phono preamp. With the price of good vinyl, and the ease to which it could be ruined, it makes sense to get into 4-digit territory for the whole megillah.
I highly disagree, with this. I mean I think currently owning Rega p6 but having also owned a P1, the sonic difference between the two is not as huge a gulf as you think.
To simply make the statement that you have to spend $1,000 to get good vinyl playback it's just ridiculous and I personally think it completely usurps the point of the video that Steve is trying to make, which is the you don't need to spend that much.
My favorite budget turntable has to be the sony pslx310. Currently you can buy it from any local Best buy for $250, and it produces a very enjoyable pleasant sound, and no it won't destroy your records and all these sorts of arguments. I mean where do you people get this stuff, do you notice your precious records being destroyed by a $500 turntable versus a $100,000 one?
And personally I think this sort sort of attitude that you're displaying here really is a huge turnoff to the whole idea of people getting into it to begin with. You know the mindset that you see from 2012 that people had about the crosleys, and for some reason you haven't done any investigating since then to educate yourself that a lot of new under $500 turntables are actually fantastic.
Why don't you go get some education about the quality of modern budget equipment and then come back when you have sufficient knowledge to really know what you're talking about
@@Audiorevue You have the right to believe what you want ..”obviously” somebody with a really expensive system is not going to buy a $200 turntable, and by the same logic, a person with a budget system is not going to buy a $2000 turntable. Whether you choose to believe it or not, there’s a reason why expensive equipment exists .. it’s not just all about “snobbery,” as some seem to believe. There may be people that want quality, and are told it’s a waste of money. That’s not fair either. Put all the “ideas” on the table, and let people decide for themselves!
Edit: and if you feel so strongly about this, why did you even bother upgrading! “Sounds” hypocritical to me.
@@shipsahoy1793 no I've heard the u-turn, not the new one but the older one and my only complaint was it ran slow. I mean better equipment does exist for a reason obviously, however your original statement led me to believe that you think that budget equipment is worthless and furthermore the only way to get true high quality analog playback is to spend a ton of money, which I completely disagree with.
You know I mentioned the Sony and that is a fantastic turntable at $250, actually when I heard it I couldn't hear much of a difference between it and a Rega P1, me personally as a audio enthusiast I believe keeping it simple is better than complication.
One does not need to spend $500 on a turntable to get some sonic pleasantry. Sonic pleasantry can be achieved at any level because the listening experience is always subjective.
Price points are not a promise, it's at best an expectation and though high end systems can often deliver; they can also disappoint, and cause one to miss the their previous cheaper system. I've seen this happen. It's been talked about on this and other channels more than once for a good reason.
If you feel that a certain price point influences your experience, that's your opinion of which you're entitled, however I do not agree.
@@moonytheloony6516 Actually, that depends on how “picky” you are, and it also depends on the rest of the system that you connect it to; aside from that, I don’t really disagree with anything else you said, but you do have the right to your opinion, for better or worse. I’m just here wondering what it is about current culture that people have to be so emphatically in disagreement when they read some thing on the internet that they don’t agree with.
Discogs are not honest about they're grading
merowwww
Discogs - well:
1. Orders cancel by seller.
2. Seller minimum order price means you can’t buy just one record.
3. Inaccurate record/cover condition grading.
4. Wrong edition sent.
5. Cookie and advertising pop ups.
6. A struggle to find, purchase and receive records.
I've bought around 100 LPs, I was unhappy with 3 or 4.
Not fan of that long belt going all around the platter. Entry level Project TTs have the same design and bunch of breaking belts issues 👎🏻
I have two tables with that belt design and I haven't had any belt issues.
"thin hard sounding cable" i bet $100 nobody can hear the difference in a double blind hearing test
I plan on buying the Uturn theroy as soon as silver hits 50 dollars and it won't be long.😊 I plan to buy the Emotiva base X TA-2 to go with the Theory. Not sure what speakers I'm going to buy yet. Do I need to add anything else? This is my first time putting together a good stereo. My budget is about $3000. You are getting me excited to hear music again. Thanks. Jim
I never liked U-Turn. I'm cautious
vast majority of all vinyl from the end of the 1970, mastered digitally, you are listening to someone elses DAC!
All vinyl has gone through a digital process, from a simple digital delay from analog master during the mastering process, to old analog tapes are archived in digital files, and obviously everything past 20 years at least has been through a DAW. so Turn tables ARE NOT ANALOG, pure audio phoolery in 2023
Utter rubbish
@@BishopFrost-il9gl all new stuff is born inside a computer, all old analog tapes been digitized, else the recording deteriorates.
You keep believing in your analog fallacies which are actually digital ,
While some of the old pressings end of 70s fromward might have still used an expensive Studer with 2 playback heads and a mechanical tape loop for delay during mastering,
everything vinyl from 2000 and probably before, comes from a digital archive or production.....analog my foot.
am i able to play this without speakers?
no