CHOICE
Thanks to brands such as Rega and Pro-ject, you can get a lot of turntable for £300, but with the PS-HX500 Sony has not only built a stylish deck with a bright, engaging sound, but included the ability to download and digitise your records in high-resolution quality.
You will need Sony’s free Hi-res Audio Recorder software, but once the turntable is plugged into your computer, you can rip from vinyl to your preferred digital format, whether that’s Sony’s own DSD (Direct Stream Digital) format or WAV files, both in a wide range of resolutions, from Cd-quality 44.1khz/16-bit, all the way up to 192khz/24-bit.
If you’ve got a vast record collection full of deleted and un-downloadable gems, it’s a tempting, albeit time consuming, proposition. Thankfully the software is idiot proof; just choose your desired format, hit ‘record’ when the vinyl starts playing, ‘stop’ when it’s finished and you’re done. I tested it using a brand new 24-bit remastered pressing of Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony conducted by Wilhelm Furtwängler (Warner Classics) and the recording quality was superb, underlying the energy of the turntable and vibrancy of the performance. It’s leagues ahead of the other available USB turntables, but please remember that every hiss and crackle will be recorded too.
If you take away the high-resolution recording function you’re left with a stylish turntable that feels overpriced compared to something like the superb value Rega Planar 1 (£250). However, the performance remains thoroughly enjoyable, and with the bonus of a built-in phono pre-amp, it can connect to virtually any system, even some Bluetooth speakers, which – combined with the hi-resolution recording – might be enough technology to tempt a few more people back to vinyl.