STACK March 2017 Issue 149

86 / 97

24 MARCH 2017
visit TECH REVIEW
It’s time to start giving your record collection the love it deserves.
First impressions count
– The turntable looks amazing; sleek, minimal
curve design. I got mine in black, but it is also
available in white – so no matter what aesthetic
you’re running at home, this will look epic.
The best, because you deserve it. It doesn’t
just look good, it’s built with the strongest
parts so it will be around long after the cheaper
models have been put out for hard rubbish
collection.
Easy Peasy – Never set up a turntable
before? Some of them are trickier than others.
Messing around with dust covers, belts and
plates (oh my) – this turntable is pretty simple
to set up. There are sticky tabs marked for you
to easily lay the belt, then all you need to do is
plug it into the wall, some speakers, and you’ll
be dancing on your coffee table before you
know it.
Versatile – A built in phono preamp means
you can plug it into most speaker systems. The
preamp is switchable to accommodate either
moving magnet or moving coil cartridges –
most other turntables don’t have this.
Get you a turntable that can do both –
AT-LP3 is fully automatic, meaning the tonearm
will lift itself at the end of the record and return
to the armrest. You can also do it manually – if
you’re into that stuff.
Music to your ears - The 4mm anti-vibration
elastomer-damping mat reduces any bumps or
low frequency feedback.
Tonearm evolution – The tonearm balance is
adjustable, allowing you to fine-tune your sound
and the headshell has a long-life diamond
stylus, meaning less of those pesky needle
changes.
If you’re anything like me, your record
collection is a variable timeline of a lifetime of
music tastes – inherited or discovered yourself.
The best thing about the AT-LP3 is that it
doesn’t miss a single, miniscule detail from
your favourite records. Whether it’s the slinky,
hip grinding riffs of Arctic Monkeys AM, George
Petit’s piercing opening squall on Alexisonfire’s
Crisis, the delicate keys sound tracking Lana
Del Rey’s husky vocal on Born to Die, or the
crackle of an original pressing of Bowie’s
Diamond Dogs during the iconic riff on Rebel
Rebel. It’s about time we all start giving our
adored record collections the love and attention
they deserve.
New year. New Me. I decided it was time I upgraded my 10-year-old turntable. The old boy had served me well, but
not even a new needle or belt could save it from the grasps of time. RIP.
Now, how was I ever going to choose between all of the turntables on the market? I wanted something with a built
in preamp to plug into my SONOS system, I wanted something high-end but didn’t want to pay a high-end price, and
I wanted something from a reputable brand. Luckily JB Hi-Fi had exactly what I needed.
The AT-LP3 is available in black and white
exclusively at JB Hi-Fi, priced at $469 RRP.
Audio Technica AT-LP3
Review:
Words Tim Lambert
Here is what
you need to know
about the
Audio Technica
AT-LP3