Taiwanese audio equipment maker, HYM Audio, gives vinyl turntable a new twist with DUO. DUO is an ingenious take of turntable and it is so called because it has duo functionality. It is a minimal turntable and it is also a portable Bluetooth speaker. The most obvious boon about DUO is, it negates the need for costly stereo setup. You can get on with spinning a vinyl right out of the box. No fuss no muss. However, if you prefer a stereo setup, another DUO Bluetooth speaker can be hooked up to achieve the effect. It is also a Bluetooth speaker which, in case you missed it, can be removed from the setup and bring it along with you when you hit the road.
This being a Bluetooth speaker, it will do what a Bluetooth speaker should and this means, wireless audio streaming from any compatible Bluetooth device and in DUO’s case, in quality, lossless sound via aptX transmission. It has built-in Alexa voice assistant support too. As a turntable, it has a quarter size turntable measuring 3.2-inch (80 mm) diameter and it features a deceleration belt design and unique rotational stabilization which HYM Audio said helps to minimize vibrations on the record. Motor speed is rated at 1,100 rpm and it plays well with all common record sizes at a choice of 33 1/3 rpm and 45 rpm.
Interestingly, the turntable’s tonearm does away with the traditional counterweight; in place is a spring that automatically balance the tracing force at 2.5g and on the opposite end is an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge that is able to create an accurate signal reproduction with less than 0.9 percent distortion rate. Audio output is through the Bluetooth speaker and via, well, Bluetooth, obviously. Since it is Bluetooth, you can choose to spin the vinyl and take the Bluetooth speaker with you anywhere in the room as long as it is within 10-15 meters (33-50 feet) range.
Back to the Bluetooth speaker… it is loaded with a pair of full-range drivers, backed by two low-frequency passive radiators. Portable vinyl turntable isn’t new, but the DUO Turntable Bluetooth Speaker System might be the first truly compact system that leverages on Bluetooth technology. I am not going to lie. I am totally sold even I am not a big fan of vinyl. If you are too, you may want to consider pre-order the DUO Turntable Bluetooth Speaker System on Kickstarter where you can secure a unit at a discount price of $229-259.
Considering how much an average turntable of reputable brand will cost, this seems like an attractive proposition because, after all, you are actually getting two devices for the price of one. Anywho, the campaign has quickly breached its $20K funding goal and so, your pledge for a product is a pre-order which, if all goes as planned, will be fulfill as soon as December 2018.
A huge shout out to HYM Audio for sending the product images our way.
Source: New Atlas.
