It’s one thing to create a contemporary record player with new-age features and appeal, but quite another to succeed in making it perform well enough to recommend.
That’s what Audio-Technica has achieved with its Sound Burger portable Bluetooth record player, which our expert reviews team has very recently called “not just a novelty” but a “genuinely well-executed idea and concept that offers something completely different from the variety of record players available today”.
Indeed its stripped-back design – small enough to fit into a tote bag – alongside its built-in battery and Bluetooth output make it a rather unique proposition in the crowded turntable market.
But now we have a contender: the all-new Toshiba Aurex AX-RP10. As you can see, it looks rather similar with its compact (16cm wide and 30m deep), austere and rectangular design, which handily comes with a material carry case for easy transportation to your beach picnic or weekend campsite.
An extra design bonus, its chassis also features a rear notch that can hold a vinyl sleeve upright, making for a neat album cover display while you listen.
The AX-RP10 is, like the iconic Sound Burger, fully portable thanks to a built-in battery, which offers up to 10 hours of spin time from a 3.5-hour charge via USB-C.
It too can play records through your speaker, headphones or audio system over a wired (3.5mm) or Bluetooth connection.
The AX-RP10 also has a couple of neat usability tricks: a foolproof arm lifter for easily raising and lowering the needle, and an auto-stop function that stops the turntable spinning when vinyl playback ends, preventing unnecessary battery consumption and needle wear.
Toshiba is hoping to nail only the concept but also the sonic execution here, and to that end promises “high sound quality” with a signal-to-noise ratio of 60dB and, thanks to the AX-RP10’s heavy-duty die-cast aluminum alloy platter, a wow and flutter (unwanted pitch variation) measurement of less than 0.2 per cent.
What we don’t know is what side of the Audio-Technica Sound Burger’s £199 / $199 / AU$429 price tag the Toshiba Aurex AX-RP10 falls on, with pricing yet to be announced despite its apparent ‘early April’ availability.
To get customers to opt for its modest white design as opposed to its rival’s eye-catching yellow one, the Toshiba will likely need to undercut it. Good luck to it!
MORE:
Read our new Audio-Technica Sound Burger review
See our news, features and reviews for What Hi-Fi?'s Vinyl Week 2025
Our expert pick of the best turntables you can buy, from budget to premium
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