In the many rooms of CES 2025, Victrola continued its reputation for designing classy-looking turntables with smart new features. This year saw the company show off its upcoming line of turntables that are premium devices in look and feel, but spread across various budget levels.
Starting with the Journey Glow (shown above), this vinyl player is a fantastic entry-level device catering to younger buyers and RGB lighting-loving gamers. The $79.99 suitcase turntable’s biggest feature is its updated ’80s design with an integrated light bar featuring 18 illumination mode presets.
When it comes to playback, the Journey Glow has playback speeds of 33, 45 and 78 RPM. The sound can be played on its built-in speakers, streamed via Bluetooth for the best wireless speakers, or there’s wired connectivity including RCA and 3.5mm outputs. If there’s a turntable that’ll make your high-school-aged teenager look cool in front of their friends during a listen to Days Before Rodeo or The Tortured Poets Department, this could be it. As a PC Gamer with an audio set up near my rig, this spoke to me.
Anyone looking for a more classy Victrola look can look toward the Harmony (VTS-1300) or Automatic (VPT-800), which reflects a modern, minimal design language; both at $199. The Harmony is a stylish shelf system that combines a full-size turntable, matching stereo speakers, and Bluetooth streaming for a seamless blend of vintage charm and modern functionality. Equipped with an Audio-Technica ATN3600L moving magnet cartridge for high-quality sound, it comes in black, natural wood, and walnut finishes to suit various interior styles like bookshelves alongside personal office spaces with flair.
On the other side, the Automatic is something that’ll please serious music lovers and anyone looking for a feature-rich turntable. Available in black, blue, green and white, the turntable also uses ATN3600L moving magnet cartridge. It also supports playback speeds of 33 and 45 RPM and includes a dust cover, felt slipmat, and 45 RPM adapter.
But the turntable that impressed me the most out of Victrola’s new line-up was the Wave (VPT-1520). Between the minimalist yet contemporary design and the feature set, this $399 player is full of fantastic tech. The Wave uses an Audio-Technica AT-VM95E moving magnet cartridge for great audio quality. As an added measure, Victrola reps used The Fugees’ classic 1996 album The Score during a demo, which only made me feel warmer to the whole experience, but I loved the way it sounded.
The big deal about the Wave is the plethora of wireless connectivity options, including Bluetooth 5.4, which means having Auracast broadcast audio, so you can send its sound to basically any number of compatible speakers without pairing. It also supports aptX Adaptive and aptX HD for high-quality streaming to an individual speakers, so audiophiles looking for their next mid-ranged turntable are in good hands. We gave this one of our Best of CES 2025 Awards.
I also saw Victrola’s Zen outdoor rock speakers, which use Auracast, and fit well into the new slate of devices – an easy way to play your turntable indoors or out? I’m into that.
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