![]() While Sonos speakers are nice, and we have plenty we like, they’re not the only wireless speaker system on the planet. It’s also completely irrelevant to anyone without a Sonos-compatible speaker. You can always buy something to put over the dust cover, but that's annoying. It’s better than nothing, but I’d have preferred something more robust. Most record players with covers have a case that seals the platter in, but the Onyx has a small plastic cap that leaves a lot of space between itself and the player for dust to slip in the sides. My primary annoyance is that the dust cover is rather insubstantial. ![]() I wish I could say I unequivocally love the Stream Onyx, but I’m afraid I must equivocate a little bit. When I listen to one song on vinyl, no algorithm is going to try to guess what I’d like to hear next, only to bafflingly follow Van Halen with a song from Bo Burnham: Inside, just because I’ve listened to both recently. It’s an experience that streaming just can’t touch. It’s hard to overstate how liberating this is, how much more intimately I feel the music when I listen like this. And I’ve got a giant sleeve with album art, photos, and extras to peruse while I do. Just listening to an album the way the artist intended. Once I put on a vinyl of Queen’s greatest hits, I’m committed. One might ask, “If you’re going to stream digitally, why even bother using a record player at all?” My top answer is that you can’t pause a record. The interface for listening to music is also very different on a record. Visiting a record store, putting hands on a full album, the tactile experience of interacting with a single work is unparalleled in a streaming world. I’m not a huge record collector, but I had the same experience as reviews editor Julian Chokkatu when he first got into vinyl. It’s also worth keeping in mind how much of the experience of listening to records isn’t just about audio quality. Maybe you prefer listening to records in your hi-fi den, but there’s nothing stopping you from continuing playback on a speaker in the kitchen. The analog RCA output means that you can connect the player to a robust analog system, but still stream music to other rooms that might be less convenient to connect. However, since Sonos isn’t the only option, there’s still flexibility to get the best of both worlds. ![]() The clicks, pops, and texture of playing a record came through just as clearly as they would from analog speakers (to my ears, anyway). While it might not satisfy audio purists, I found the sound quality coming from my Onyx-paired with a Sonos Era 300-to be excellent. This isn’t the only record player that can connect wirelessly to speakers, but many alternatives use Bluetooth, which doesn’t capture quite as much detail and richness as Sonos audio, and has more limitations in terms of streaming distance. Then you can stream audio from the player to any Sonos-compatible speaker in the house. But it’s only necessary to connect the power cable. It has an analog stereo RCA output, so you can use it like a traditional record player, and it has an Ethernet port for connecting to your network. The Stream Onyx is a remarkably simple device. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |