Swiss audio manufacturer Lenco has revealed three new turntables at IFA 2023, and while details are a little thin on the ground at this early stage of release, we’ve had first-hand experience of how these new record players look, feel and even sound.
First up are the LBT-335 and LBT-345, two new Bluetooth record players with two rather different designs. The sustainably sourced LBT-335 is mounted on an attractive bamboo plinth with a cork mat for reduced sound transmission and has a plastic cover that prevents your records from being exposed to excessive dust and debris.
The darker, sleeker LBT-345 model features a metal turntable platter, plastic dust cover and a handsome wooden finish for a more premium feel. Both models boast carbon fibre tonearms, both are belt drive models and both make use of an RCA connection. As the names suggest, both also feature Bluetooth streaming, meaning you can wirelessly transmit sound to external speakers or a pair of headphones should you wish.
They also feature speed options of 33 and 45 RPM, and come with a moving magnet cartridge and a removable headshell, as well as anti-skating technology and start/stop controls. While prices are currently pending, Lenco usually populates the budget end of the turntable market. What we can assume is that the build of the LBT-345 suggests it will set you back a little more than its bamboo counterpart.
Also making its IFA 2023 debut is the LS-470 record player-cum-speaker combo. Bulky, burly but hardly an unattractive unit, the chunky LS-470 comes equipped with four built-in speakers boasting 80 watts in total.
Like its fellow record players, the LS-470 system supports 33 and 45 RPM speeds, as well as Bluetooth streaming from a source player (e.g. a phone or tablet) to the unit itself. With a belt drive design, AT-3600 cartridge fitted, volume control and an aluminium platter, the heavyweight LS-470 system isn’t short on hardware.
It sounds decent, too, from what we can tell on a busy trade show floor. From the short demo to which we were treated, the hefty combo unit boasts a beefy, confident sound that just about manages to stand out amid the clamour of reversing forklifts, hammering nails and angry German workmen. The verdict, of course, is still out at this stage.
Sadly, this is all of the info we have on the three new Lenco models right now. We’ll update this story as soon as we have more details regarding pricing and availability of Lenco’s new turntable triumvirate. Stay tuned, and keep checking out What Hi-Fi? online and our IFA 2023 hub page for all the latest news and launches.
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