With Record Store Day just a day away, you might be thinking about a new turntable to spin all your excellent new wax. But if you’re an on-the-go type, you might also be wondering if there’s a portable record player that you can tote around so you can show them off anywhere. Well, road-trippers, you’re in luck because Toshiba just announced the Aurex AX-RP10, a compact Bluetooth turntable that will help you do just that.
OK, so you’re not slipping it into your jeans pocket like an old Walkman — it measures 11 x 6 x 3 inches and 2.6 pounds — but Toshiba’s thrown in a shoulder bag so you can bring that sweet sound of analog to the park, picnic, or your next rooftop party.
Very similar to Audio-Technica’s famous Sound Burger, the Aurex AX-RP10 is a belt-driven turntable with a MM (Moving Magnet) style cartridge that spins both 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, and features a 2,000mAh battery that’ll keep things spinning for up to 10 hours. There are no built-in speakers, though, so you’ll need to plug in your headphones or connect to your sound system via the 3.5mm input. Or, as advertised, you can pair it with a Bluetooth speaker or Bluetooth headphones. Audiophiles, need not apply as the SBC codec support sadly means no hi-res playback — this will mainly just be for fun and portability, which is OK too.
You’ll obviously have to throw a handful of records into a tote or throw a milk crate or twin into your trunk if you want he party to go longer, but whatever it is you’re playing will get top billing with what I think it the funnest feature of the AX-RP10 — its “jacket holder” that props your record’s sleeve for all to see.
Toshiba’s playing coy with the pricing (the Sound Burger runs for $200), but the AX-RP10 is expected to be available sometime this month. Now make sure to head out for Record Store Day and support your local indie record stores.