First off, the Angels Horn turntable came packaged nicely and it was in perfect condition out of the box. I went through their setup process in about 10 minutes and I was up and running. The “mahogany” finish is both beautiful and unique. As a side note, I also bought a cheap Stylus Force Scale to make sure it was setup properly.
For full disclosure, I received this for free (though, I pay taxes on it) in exchange for a review (for Amazon) and I may get paid if you click and buy from Amazon links.
After setting it up, I put on a record and it sounded okay using their internal preamp. However, in my case, I found that it sounded more lively if I changed it to “line out” and went into the phono input on my Denon X4200. It Is great that you get both options at this price point.
Secondly, I found the Bluetooth to be a bit unwieldy in its execution. It connected automatically to a Tivoo Max Bluetooth speaker I have in the room. Apparently, it just connects to whatever it is closest to (that will accept it). However, I got a lot more static in this setup than I have heard using an iPhone with this same speaker. I disconnected it and tried to connect to my Jabra wireless earbuds and it never connected. The Jabra earbuds kept telling me to choose the earbuds from the Bluetooth settings in my device, which isn’t possible with the turntable.
This could be an issue with just this particular pair of wireless earbuds, but I couldn’t figure out a way to get them connected. I did get it to connect to a Bluetooth speaker in the room by sitting that speaker on top of the turntable and putting it in discovery mode. It did not have any static and it sounded okay as I moved it across the room. In other words, this was all hit and miss for me. I would recommend having the speaker as close as possible to the turntable for the initial pairing, though.
Personally, I don’t plan to ever use this turntable with Bluetooth, so I moved onto the USB. For my room, the cable they provided is too short to reach my computer. Therefore, I used a USB extension cord with it. I connected it to my Mac and had a hard time figuring out where it was, but discovered it shows up as “USB Microphone”. I also tested it with a PC and it also showed up with the “USB Microphone” name. I downloaded a copy of Audicity and tested recording (on both computers). It actually sounded great on both. I don’t know how often I will use this, but I have some albums that are not in a digital format that would be great to be able to play when I am away from the turntable. I could see some people getting a lot of use from this handy feature.
All in all, this turntable looks amazing, sounds good, has a preamp (that can be bypassed), and has the USB recording feature that could come in handy. I found it to be very easy to setup, though it isn’t as plug and play as some cheaper “suitcase” record players. The Bluetooth feature is hit and miss, so I would not recommend it for this feature unless you have some flexibility in devices you can try it with. I also tested it with my Echo Spot and it worked, but had static (though, they are probably about 6 feet apart and the turntable seems to pair more reliably if you have the speaker very close to the turntable). I should also mention that I have a ton of electronics near it in this room...multiple computers, multiple displays, a receiver, etc.. that could be causing interference.
That being said, I really like having this in my office while I am working from home. I have used it more than streaming, lately. It is so enjoyable pulling out records I haven't heard since childhood. I guess it has the nostalgia factor and the current tech to make it useful and fun!
Additional info.... This company has come under scrutiny in one of the only Youtube videos with its name in the title. While many of the issues addressed in the video appear to be fixed by the company, or no longer apply, it still gives me some pause giving it an unconditional recommendation. Personally, I would buy the additional three year, third party insurance (when I last checked it was 21.99.. but that can always change) when buying from Amazon to make sure I was covered, but that is up to the individual to decide. In other words, I am only reviewing the turntable and not the company that sells it in my above review.
For full disclosure, I received this for free (though, I pay taxes on it) in exchange for a review (for Amazon) and I may get paid if you click and buy from Amazon links.
After setting it up, I put on a record and it sounded okay using their internal preamp. However, in my case, I found that it sounded more lively if I changed it to “line out” and went into the phono input on my Denon X4200. It Is great that you get both options at this price point.
Secondly, I found the Bluetooth to be a bit unwieldy in its execution. It connected automatically to a Tivoo Max Bluetooth speaker I have in the room. Apparently, it just connects to whatever it is closest to (that will accept it). However, I got a lot more static in this setup than I have heard using an iPhone with this same speaker. I disconnected it and tried to connect to my Jabra wireless earbuds and it never connected. The Jabra earbuds kept telling me to choose the earbuds from the Bluetooth settings in my device, which isn’t possible with the turntable.
This could be an issue with just this particular pair of wireless earbuds, but I couldn’t figure out a way to get them connected. I did get it to connect to a Bluetooth speaker in the room by sitting that speaker on top of the turntable and putting it in discovery mode. It did not have any static and it sounded okay as I moved it across the room. In other words, this was all hit and miss for me. I would recommend having the speaker as close as possible to the turntable for the initial pairing, though.
Personally, I don’t plan to ever use this turntable with Bluetooth, so I moved onto the USB. For my room, the cable they provided is too short to reach my computer. Therefore, I used a USB extension cord with it. I connected it to my Mac and had a hard time figuring out where it was, but discovered it shows up as “USB Microphone”. I also tested it with a PC and it also showed up with the “USB Microphone” name. I downloaded a copy of Audicity and tested recording (on both computers). It actually sounded great on both. I don’t know how often I will use this, but I have some albums that are not in a digital format that would be great to be able to play when I am away from the turntable. I could see some people getting a lot of use from this handy feature.
All in all, this turntable looks amazing, sounds good, has a preamp (that can be bypassed), and has the USB recording feature that could come in handy. I found it to be very easy to setup, though it isn’t as plug and play as some cheaper “suitcase” record players. The Bluetooth feature is hit and miss, so I would not recommend it for this feature unless you have some flexibility in devices you can try it with. I also tested it with my Echo Spot and it worked, but had static (though, they are probably about 6 feet apart and the turntable seems to pair more reliably if you have the speaker very close to the turntable). I should also mention that I have a ton of electronics near it in this room...multiple computers, multiple displays, a receiver, etc.. that could be causing interference.
That being said, I really like having this in my office while I am working from home. I have used it more than streaming, lately. It is so enjoyable pulling out records I haven't heard since childhood. I guess it has the nostalgia factor and the current tech to make it useful and fun!
Additional info.... This company has come under scrutiny in one of the only Youtube videos with its name in the title. While many of the issues addressed in the video appear to be fixed by the company, or no longer apply, it still gives me some pause giving it an unconditional recommendation. Personally, I would buy the additional three year, third party insurance (when I last checked it was 21.99.. but that can always change) when buying from Amazon to make sure I was covered, but that is up to the individual to decide. In other words, I am only reviewing the turntable and not the company that sells it in my above review.
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