Victrola has been on a roll recently, releasing feature-packed wireless turntables such as the Stream Sapphire (£1299 / $1300), which is compatible with Sonos and UPnP streaming. But now it's the turn of a more affordable but still feature-heavy turntable to take the stage.
The Victrola Automatic turntable was first announced at CES 2024 earlier this year, but the model is now confirmed and available from UK and US retailers. It's fully automatic in operation, meaning the tonearm will cue itself to the start of a record and automatically lift, stop and return at the end of a side. It's a convenient feature and also means less damage to the stylus over time if you've forgotten to lift the tonearm at the end of a record, as can happen with manual models. There's also a clever repeat function – much like the fully automatic five-star Rekkord F110 turntable does.
Aside from this user-friendly automatic operation, the Victrola deck also supports Bluetooth streaming to compatible wireless headphones and Bluetooth speakers, with Bluetooth 5.0 and the standard SBC codec supported.
It also includes a switchable phono preamp built-in and RCA line level outputs. This means you can opt to either use the integrated phono stage for a compact vinyl system or use an external one or the one included in your amplifier or active speakers, should you wish.
The Automatic is an all-black, minimally designed belt-drive deck, with an Audio Technica AT-3600L moving magnet cartridge fitted on a fixed headshell. Along with playback buttons placed flush to the plinth, you get electronic speed control for 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records and buttons for selecting 7" or 12" records. The deck also features an illuminated power indicator at the front of the plinth.
The Victrola Automatic turntable costs £219 / $199, making it a budget-friendly proposition. At this price, it has competition from the long-running Sony PS-LX310BT (£249 / $248) record player, which also a fully automatic, phono stage-integrated Bluetooth turntable.
The Automatic is available now in the US and will be available in the UK from 1st October across major retailers including Amazon (UK and US), Target, Walmart, Argos and more.
MORE:
Read our Rekkord F110 review
And our Sony PS-LX310BT review
Here are the best Bluetooth turntables we recommend
