Sony PS-LX310BT Review

Today I bring to your attention the Sony PS-LX310BT review. It is a mid-priced player that takes into account all the needs for easy installation and use. Moreover, Sony has long been a mark of quality in modern technology production, which means you are supposed to hope for a really good product. Let’s see if this is true.

Design

Weighing approximately 7.7 pounds, the record player is a rather elegant device made of black plastic. An understated style, suitable for any room. All the buttons and controls are also located on the cabinet, so you don’t have to look all over the enclosure for the needed controls. Everything is simple: start, stop, gear shift, as well as switching the size of the used records (7″ and 12″) and the tonearm control button. I don’t see the difficulty in controlling the tonearm manually, but full automation means you don’t do anything by hand (except set the record).

To the touch and appearance, the deck doesn’t look cheap, though it rather gives the impression of having been produced somewhere in the 90s of the last century. It’s even nice. An 11.65-inch cast aluminum disc and a dust cover complete the design.

Features

The Sony turntable is simple not only in exterior design but also in setup. All you have to do after taking it out of the box is install the belt, motor pulley, and platter. All settings are already in order, including anti-skating and downforce of the already built-in cartridge as well. The Moving Magnet cartridge is easy to replace or install – it’s removable. Records can be played at 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm. I should point out that the materials for this model are inexpensive and fragile, so handle them gently.

The PS-LX310BT comes with a built-in phono stage. Of course, for this price, you shouldn’t expect something fantastic from it, but the manufacturer tried to make a fully automatic “plug and play” vinyl player. So the phono preamp is more of a plus. The more so is that you can always connect an external one with the RCA cable, which is included in the package, through the phono output on the deck’s rear panel.

I consider the USB Type-B output jack and the Bluetooth feature to be a nice bonus. Although I’m not a fan of digitized sound, it’s still a plus for those who prefer to listen to music on headphones but don’t want to be tethered to the source by a wire.

Sound

As for the sound, as you have guessed, you should not expect anything supernatural or highly professional. The parts on which the sound depends are inexpensive and not of the highest quality. But if you know about sound and want to improve its detail, it is worth spending a little money on upgrading, and the system will sound in a new way. For example, a good external phono preamp and a more advanced cartridge will change the situation beyond recognition.

On the other hand, if you are not a professional, you will be satisfied with the sound in the standard package. In fact, the PS-LX310BT produces a tight, rich, clear performance. I did not hear any noticeable perceptible crackling or buzzing. The sound is stable, with a wide range of musical colors. As a musician, I missed the detail, but I think the turntable is up to the task for its segment.