1byone Vinyl Turntable Review

The 1byone Vinyl Turntable is a manual belt-drive record player aimed at buyers who want a more flexible starter deck than a suitcase-style player. It plays 33 1/3 and 45 RPM records, uses a moving-magnet Audio-Technica AT-3600L cartridge, and connects to external audio equipment rather than playing through built-in speakers.

Its appeal is the combination of traditional wired outputs, Bluetooth transmission and USB recording in one budget-oriented package. It should suit a beginner who is willing to spend a little time on setup and already has powered speakers, Bluetooth headphones, Bluetooth speakers or a separate amplifier system.

The model is identified in the manual as 1-AD07US01,H005, which is useful because 1byone has sold several record players under similar consumer-facing names. This review refers to that manual, belt-drive, separate-speaker model rather than an all-in-one player.

The 1byone follows a conventional turntable layout, with a separate platter and belt, a hinged dust cover, a tonearm lift and adjustable tonearm hardware. It looks and functions more like an entry-level hi-fi deck than a portable record player, although it remains firmly in the budget category.

Practical construction is centred on user adjustment. The supplied counterweight and anti-skating weight mean the arm needs proper balancing rather than simply being ready to play out of the box. That is a positive for record care and cartridge setup, but it also means careless assembly can lead to skipping, mistracking or tonearm drift.

The turntable uses RCA outputs with a ground connection, plus a PHONO/LINE switch for matching different systems. The manual lists dimensions of 415 x 340 x 148 mm and a weight of 6.2 kg, but available figures are not completely consistent, so buyers fitting it into a tight cabinet should check the current listing carefully.

A major feature is the built-in phono equaliser. With the switch set to LINE, the turntable can feed powered speakers, many receivers or other line-level inputs; with PHONO selected, it can be used with a suitable moving-magnet phono input and ground connection.

Bluetooth is included, but only as an output. It can send record playback to compatible Bluetooth speakers or headphones, but it cannot receive music from a phone or tablet for playback through the turntable. That distinction matters, as it is a common source of confusion with Bluetooth record players.

USB recording adds another practical use. The USB-PC port is intended for digitising records on a computer, and the manual describes recording with Audacity without requiring extra drivers. This makes it useful for buyers who want occasional archive copies, though it should not be mistaken for a professional transfer setup.

The supplied Audio-Technica AT-3600L moving-magnet cartridge is another worthwhile inclusion at this level. It has a replaceable stylus and a recommended factory tracking force of 3.5 g, with the manual giving a tolerance of ±0.5 g.

This is not the simplest plug-and-play option. Assembly involves fitting the platter and belt, installing the counterweight, setting tracking force and arranging the anti-skating weight correctly. The inclusion of a cartridge alignment protractor is helpful, but it also underlines that careful setup matters.

Once adjusted, daily use is straightforward for anyone comfortable with a manual turntable. Select the correct speed, choose PHONO or LINE for the system being used, cue the record carefully and return the arm manually when finished.

Bluetooth and USB add convenience, but they are not completely automatic experiences. Bluetooth may require pairing patience, and USB recording still needs computer software and some basic editing knowledge if clean digital files are the aim.

Day-to-day operation is manual. The listener cues the arm, starts playback and returns the arm at the end of a side; there is evidence of auto standby after around 20 minutes of inactivity, but not automatic arm return.

The specified speed variance is ±1.5%, with wow and flutter listed at no more than 0.15%. Those figures give a basic indication of expected performance, but no independent lab measurements of this exact model are available here, so they should be treated as manufacturer-stated specifications rather than independently verified results.

Connectivity is the turntable’s strongest practical area. RCA, PHONO/LINE switching, Bluetooth transmission and USB recording cover most beginner scenarios, provided the buyer understands that passive speakers still need an amplifier and that Bluetooth pairing may vary with different speakers or headphones.

Owner feedback suggests setup quality has a large influence on results. Reports of skipping, belt issues, speed drift or platter wobble appear to be unit- or setup-dependent rather than proven across all examples, but they are still worth bearing in mind when buying a budget deck.

The design gives the 1byone a better basis for vinyl playback than very basic players with fixed ceramic cartridges and built-in speakers. A moving-magnet cartridge, adjustable tracking force and anti-skate arrangement all help it behave more like a conventional entry-level hi-fi turntable.

That said, sound quality will depend heavily on the connected speakers, amplifier or headphones. The turntable has no built-in speakers, so a poor Bluetooth speaker or low-grade powered speaker will limit the result just as much as the deck itself.

The Audio-Technica AT-3600L is a practical starter cartridge with a replaceable stylus, not a high-end upgrade platform. Buyers should expect enjoyable, functional vinyl playback when correctly set up, but not the refinement or upgrade confidence of more established specialist hi-fi models.