Swifties around the world have been waiting for months for the release of Taylor Swift’s new album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD, if you’re proficient in the lingo). In addition to the teasing, Taylor has released several exclusive vinyl records, each of them. with its own bonus track. For many enthusiasts (myself included), this was enough to nonetheless spark a return to physical media.
Yes, after years of pestering my kids because they were collecting records, I relented and started my own collection.
Since the virtual music streaming revolution took off, I’ve moved on from records, cassettes, and CDs. After all, my generation is the one that discovered the pleasure of going straight to your favorite song from an album, so why would I?behind?
It wasn’t until recently that I began to realize that by letting go of the physical, I was wasting a connection to my music. I’m a kid from the 80’s who grew up with tape recorders and my parents’ stereo. the ritual of listening to an entire album. This has been lost when you can access any album like a sonic sniper, consume your favorites, and leave immediately.
But holding my TTPD ghost vinyl, exclusive to Target, in my hand, I only had the first part in my hand. I needed a genuine formula to play with (that’s another thing I largely lost: the stereo). But he didn’t need agarrarme. de an old snippet of Goodwill. If I had to start with Taylor, I’d do well.
That’s why I was thrilled to see Sonos offer a surely amazing set of turntables. It’s probably simple, the only thing you want to pay attention to records is, after all, a turntable and a speaker. But what a record player and what a speaker.
The Pro-Ject T1 Phonos SB turntable is a beautiful minimalist turntable. To prevent unwanted vibrations, the base is made of CNC-machined wood, manufactured in such a way that no hollow parts remain. It is available in black, walnut or white. So whether you’re in your Reputation, Evermore, or TTPD era, you’re covered.
The forged structure extends to the glass top. Better than plastic or lightweight metal, the resonance-free platter is heavy and won’t warp or bend, ensuring elegant reproduction. The arm is a single piece made of aluminum, with a suitable counterweight. I also like the arm lever that allows you to release the needle gracefully. Speaking of which, the T1 Phonos SB comes with an Ortofon OM 5E moving magnet cartridge that delivers phenomenal high-fidelity sound.
You also get playback options, with a 33/45 speed electronic transfer and an included felt mat. To the built-in preamp you can connect the included RCA cable (which also comes with an adapter for the Sonos Five speaker). The sub-chainring is belt-driven, with a metal bearing that promises an even more reliable sound.
It’s available in black, walnut, or white, so whether you’re in your Reputation, Evermore, or TTPD era, we’ve given you a canopy. The included dust canopy is also a touch I appreciate (although I can already see it). fingerprints on the clear smoked plastic).
The Sonos Five is a rugged speaker. It’s the most powerful in the Sonos lineup, with six amps, three tweeters, and three midranges. It provides clear stereo separation with crystal clear vocal detail (ideal for us Swifties). It can also function as a stereo pair, switching to mono. as soon as you set it to portrait orientation.
The Sonos Five connects to the turntable via an AC input adapter. Since the Five is also a fully functional Bluetooth speaker, you need to make sure to autoplay in the Sonos app settings so that it turns on every time you play a recording.
Other than that, the setup is very straightforward. You can replace the EQ (which I know I should, but I never do, the factory EQ settings are very good) and set the Trueplay sound which will tailor the output to the architecture of the real thing the speaker is in.
In a word? I’ve never figured out why streaming virtual music through my Apple Homepod Mini at full volume was worse than a record. After all, it’s just a matter of turning the music into a poster and betting on it, right?
But I was wrong. I started with an album I know very well: the soundtrack to TRON: Legacy via Daft Punk (seriously, I must have listened to it two hundred times) and was blown away by the richness of the tone and the sophisticated separation of the other parts of the composition. . . Instead of the bass taking over (as happens when you’re betting on a song) or the brass choking the strings, it all combined to shape the layered masterpiece that it is.
Which made me even more excited to pay attention to TTPD. Suffice it to say, Taylor Swift’s voice shone through some of my favorite songs like “Florida!!(I also love Florence the Machine) and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” (Eras tour participants, IFYKYK). Even after a full weekend of paying attention to the album in my car and while traveling, I found that I found sophisticated tonal shifts that just didn’t happen when I streamed through the car’s speakers (as fun as that is). I was also inspired by the fact that even though I turned up the volume (as some tracks just want attention to be paid at full volume), the sound separation remained.
And yes, intentionally sitting down and listening to the entire album, without having the ability to smoothly transfer between tracks, was an incredible delight. Truly the way to delight in the music of the maestro.
Now, hurry up and release TTPD: The Anthology on vinyl now, okay?
You can get the Sonos turntable set at Sonos for $948 (a bundle that shaves $50 off the total price). If that’s a bit pricey, you can pair the Pro-Ject T1 with an Era hundred speaker for $682.
Believe me, it’s worth it.