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Ion TTUSB10 USB Turntable

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See all products in the ION TTUSB series
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The good: The Ion TTUSB10 is a Mac/PC-compatible USB turntable that looks great and works well. The TTUSB10 includes a selectable phono/line RCA output, bundled recording software, and an auxiliary input for recording audio sources beyond the turntable.

The bad: If you're serious about capturing the highest quality digital recording from your vinyl, the Ion TTUSB10's mostly lightweight plastic construction and lack of pitch adjustment just won't cut it. The included software covers basic and advanced recording but leaves out users who fall somewhere in the middle.

The bottom line: If you're looking for an attractive, affordable way to digitize your collection of vinyl recordings, the Ion TTUSB10 is the best-looking budget USB turntable we've seen. Serious audio archivists should invest in a turntable with a beefier construction and more features, however.

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CNET editors' review

  • Reviewed on: 12/05/2007
  • Released on: 04/27/2007

For those of you with vinyl music collections, making the transition to digital music can be frustrating and expensive. You could purchase digital versions of your albums from online music retailers such as iTunes, eMusic, or Amazon--but who likes paying for music they already own? Another option would be to transfer your analog recordings to your computer using a turntable, phono preamp, audio card, and editing software. The gear required for digitizing your own records can be expensive and cumbersome, however, making all-in-one USB turntable solutions such as the Ion TTUSB10 ($199) seem very attractive.

As a company, Ion (a division of Numark) makes several all-in-one USB turntables, including the entry-level TTUSB05, and their original, the TTUSB. Generally, Ion's turntables are aimed at an audience concerned more with price than performance. That said, Ion's products offer a great value and borrow heavily from Numark's reliable, high-end designs.

Design
The Ion TTUSB10 is a full-size turntable with a hinged, clear-plastic lid and four shock-resistant rubber feet. With the lid closed, the entire turntable measures 6 inches tall, 17 inches wide, and 15 inches deep. Aside from the TTUSB10's metal tone-arm mechanism, the majority of the turntable is constructed from a lightweight metallic plastic (including the platter).

The top of Ion TTUSB10 features a power switch, an oversize start/stop control, a 3.5mm auxiliary input jack, and two buttons for switching between 33rpm and 45rpm modes. If you do find yourself recording 45s, Ion includes a black-plastic 45 record adapter with the turntable. Noticeably absent from the top of the TTUSB10 is a fine pitch adjustment control, common on professional DJ turntables.

On the back of the Ion TTUSB10, you'll find the attached RCA and power cables, as well as a USB jack, a line/phono switch, and a knob for gain control. We wish that the TTUSB10's power and audio cables were swappable instead of attached, but we understand that the audience for this turntable will probably appreciate ease of use over ease of repair. On the upside, all of the tone-arm components (cartridge, needle, headshell, and counterbalance) are seemingly standard and easily replaceable.

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Ion TTUSB10 USB Turntable: $89.00 - $249.99
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Ion TTUSB10 USB Turntable