1 BY ONE High Fidelity Belt Drive Record Player Review

The 1 BY ONE High Fidelity Belt Drive Record Player is an all-in-one vinyl system with the turntable, amplification and speakers built into a single walnut-style unit. It is aimed at beginners and casual listeners who want a tidier, more credible alternative to a suitcase player without immediately buying separate speakers.

This review refers specifically to the H009 / 1-AD07US02 version with built-in speakers, not 1byone’s similarly named separate belt-drive turntables or newer all-in-one variants. That distinction matters because Bluetooth direction, cartridge details and speaker arrangements differ across the brand’s range.

Its strongest appeal is convenience: it can play records on its own, stream audio from a phone via Bluetooth input, and later connect to external speakers through RCA outputs. It is less suited to buyers expecting a fully automatic hi-fi deck or wireless vinyl playback to Bluetooth headphones.

The H009 has a compact, furniture-friendly look with a wooden-look walnut finish and a removable dust cover. It is designed to sit in a bedroom, office or small living space without the extra boxes and cables of a traditional turntable system.

Construction is more substantial than many ultra-cheap suitcase-style players. The deck uses a 30 cm die-cast aluminium platter, a belt-drive layout and a static-balance straight tonearm with an adjustable counterweight.

The built-in four-speaker system, amplifier and phono stage are integrated into the plinth. That makes the unit neat and easy to place, but it also means the speakers and turntable share the same enclosure, which is always a compromise compared with separating the deck from the speakers.

Controls and connections are practical rather than elaborate. The unit supports 33⅓ and 45 rpm playback, includes RCA output with phono/line switching, provides a 3.5 mm aux input, and uses Bluetooth for streaming external devices into the built-in speakers.

The most important feature is the all-in-one format. Buyers can play records without owning powered speakers, a receiver or a separate phono preamp, while still having the option to use external equipment later.

The supplied Audio-Technica moving-magnet cartridge is a useful step up from the basic ceramic cartridges often fitted to low-cost portable players. Combined with the adjustable counterweight, it gives the user proper tracking-force setup rather than relying on a fixed, spring-loaded arm.

Bluetooth is included, but it is input only. That means a phone, tablet or computer can play through the 1byone’s internal speakers; it does not send vinyl wirelessly to Bluetooth speakers or headphones.

The switchable RCA output is the main upgrade route. LINE mode can feed powered speakers or a normal auxiliary input, while PHONO mode is intended for an amplifier or phono stage with a dedicated phono input.

Setup is beginner-friendly but not instant. The platter and belt need fitting, the belt should be looped around the motor pulley without twisting, and the tonearm must be balanced before setting the tracking force to suit the supplied cartridge.

Daily vinyl use is simple once that initial setup is complete. Choose 33⅓ or 45 rpm, place the record, start the platter, use the cueing lever to lower the arm, and lift and return the arm when the side is finished.

Users should keep the stylus clean, replace it when worn and treat the belt as a service part. For power supplies, the safest approach is to use the supplied adaptor and check the unit’s own rating label if a replacement is ever needed.

Day-to-day operation is manual. The user places the record, selects the speed, starts the platter, cues the tonearm and returns it after playback, although the auto-stop behaviour can stop platter rotation at the end rather than leaving the record spinning indefinitely.

Setup accuracy matters because the belt and counterweight are user-adjusted. When the belt is seated correctly and the arm is balanced to the recommended tracking force for the supplied cartridge, the design has a better foundation than many very cheap all-in-one record players.

Official specifications list 33⅓ and 45 rpm only, so this is not a suitable choice for 78 rpm shellac records. Some owner feedback mentions slow or unstable playback, and the manual links such symptoms to belt seating, stretching or related setup issues.

Connectivity is flexible for a compact unit. The built-in speakers make it self-contained, the aux and Bluetooth inputs let it act as a small speaker system, and the RCA outputs allow a more conventional wired speaker setup.

No claim of first-hand listening is needed to set realistic expectations here. The combination of an Audio-Technica moving-magnet cartridge, adjustable tracking force and belt-drive mechanism should offer cleaner record handling than the lowest-cost ceramic-cartridge players when it is set up correctly.

The built-in speakers are best viewed as convenient rather than transformative. They are physically small, integrated into the same cabinet as the turntable, and cannot be expected to match separate stereo speakers for bass depth, imaging or room-filling scale.

For small rooms, near-field use and casual listening, the H009’s internal speaker system is likely to be the main reason to buy it. If sound quality becomes the priority, the RCA output is the more sensible route, especially into powered bookshelf speakers or a proper amplifier and speakers.

The turntable is therefore more about accessible, pleasant everyday playback than serious hi-fi performance. It offers a stronger starting point than many suitcase players, but it should not be mistaken for a fully upgradeable separates deck.