Promising to pair “the intimacy of vinyl with modern day convenience,” the Love intelligent turntable designed by Swiss designer Yves Béhar allows music fans to play vinyl directly from their smartphone.
Unlike traditional record players, Love is capable of skipping tracks. This is because its single arm is equipped with a sensor that scans the record and determines its size and number of tracks before playing it back. So, if you’d like to start listening to track three, you can press the device’s exterior case three times, or alternatively, select it from the app.
“While the classic record spins on the turntable, we added a modern twist by creating a linear needle that spins on top of the record; this not only adds visual interest, but it also allows the machine to learn album tracks, and skip songs, through a corresponding app,” said Béhar. “When the arm drops on the record, the magic instantly begins when it floats on the record, spinning in place while reading the grooves of the album.”
Vinyl can be played with the push of a button on the device, or it can be controlled via a smartphone using the complementary app. The app can play, skip tracks, repeat tracks, select different RPM speeds, turn the volume up and down, and display the album artwork.
“It is an exciting provocation, and an enormous challenge, to reinvent something as timeless as the turntable,” said Béhar. “While technology has greatly improved since the era of vinyl, the experience you get when playing a record is something people still crave. The physical, tactile act of pulling a record out of the case, dropping the needle, and listening to the warm and rich sound is not something that can be replaced.”
Love can connect to any bluetooth audio device, and Wi-Fi systems; this includes speakers, headphones, and stereo systems. For traditional speaker systems that are not bluetooth enabled, Love also comes with a 3.5 mm or RCA bluetooth adapter. With all the affordable great-sounding wireless audio devices available today that flood the market, a pair of good old speakers might even be more appropriate. Luckily, you can easily find those on https://musiccritic.com/equipment/speakers/best-speakers-for-vinyl if you want a more authentic vinyl sound.
Love is powered by lithium battery and recharged via USB cable; different record size playback is chosen with a switch on the bottom of the player, alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.
The Love Intelligent Turntable will be available for $299 USD for the first 500 backers, including a “Free for Life” Love app account with unlimited access to a wide range of premium features.
