Ion Audio TTUSB10 USB Turntable review

Features
The Ion TTUSB10 is a relatively basic turntable. When compared to a seriously tricked-out modern turntable such as the Numark TTX1, the TTUSB10 seems rather bland. The good news is that the TTUSB10's lack of fancy frills offers technophobes and klutzes fewer things to screw up. In today's age of push-button simplicity, the intricacies of a turntable can be intimidating. For these users, the straightforward features of the Ion TTUSB10 will be seen as a value--not a detraction. Demanding users, however, will find the TTUSB10's features limiting. At around $200, the TTUSB10 is not the cheapest option on the market, and we would like to have seen Ion include a pitch adjustment, a headphone output, a 78rpm mode, and an RCA input. Without these extra features, there's little reason to choose the TTUSB10 over the less-expensive TTUSB05, except for the turntable's better looking, beefier design and minijack recording input.

The included EZ Vinyl Converter software is useful but basic. We recommend spending a little more for a program such as Cakewalk Pyro.

Performance
The TTUSB10 is not the best turntable we've ever used, but it's still a solid value for the price. Our major complaint is Ion's use of an all-plastic turntable platter. As a material, plastic is inherently prone to warping over time, making it a less-than-ideal playing surface for a music medium that depends on flatness. The TTUSB10's platter also lacks the traditional strobe pattern used to verify a record's actual speed on many professional-grade turntables. If the TTUSB10 were simply a budget consumer turntable, then the lack of fine pitch adjustment or a strobe pattern wouldn't be troubling. Considering that the TTUSB10 is meant to be used as a means to accurately archive your music collection, however, the lack of pitch calibration is a drawback.

We found the sound and recording quality of the TTUSB10 to be more than adequate for the average user. We were frustrated by the bundled software, however, finding the included basic software (EZ Vinyl Converter) a little too basic, while the advanced software (Audacity) was too complex. Spending some extra money for a full-featured vinyl recording program such as Cakewalk Pyro is a worthwhile expense.

Final thoughts
While we recommend the TTUSB10 as an attractive, inexpensive way for people to digitize their old records, users who are less concerned with style should consider the less-expensive Ion TTUSB05. If you're really looking to invest in a high-quality vinyl-ripping solution with all the trimmings, consider buying components separately or spending more for the Stanton T.90.