REVIEW – I’ve been on a mission to simplify the home theater setup in our living room. There is a squirrel’s nest of wires behind all the cabinets and in each corner, and there are speakers everywhere. Much of the equipment is around 15 years old, and we really just don’t use it. So I recently ripped it all out and replaced it with a sound bar, but I struggled about what to do for a turntable, since I really do enjoy vinyl. I have a really nice turntable, but it sits across the room from the sound bar, and I really didn’t want to keep that wire after removing all the others. Enter the House of Marley Stir it Up Wireless turntable. It’s got Bluetooth! And so does the sound bar. Problem solved!
What is it?
It’s a turntable that can be connected in one of three ways; USB, traditional phono out, and Bluetooth!
What’s in the box?
- The turntable (some assembly required, but it’s easy)
- Power supply with a bunch of different plugs
- USB cable
- RCA Phono cable
- 45 RPM adapter
- Fabric dust cover
- manual
Hardware specs
- Materials: Solid Bamboo-crafted Plinth, Regrind recycled silicone
- Bluetooth: Bluetooth® v4.2 capability
- Cartridge: Audio-Technica AT3600L
- Digital out: USB to PC recording
- Auto start/stop
- Pre-Amp: Built in, selectable
- Connections: headphone 3.5mm Aux Out with volume controls, RCA (Phono/Line)
- Speeds 45 and 33 RPM, 45 RPM adapter included
Design and features
The design of this turntable is where the House of Marley Stir it Up Wireless turntable shines. It’s beautiful. The plinth of crafted of bamboo, one of the most sustainable materials known (it’s a grass!). The sides are covered with Rewind recycled fabric, and the dust cover is made of the same material. The plastic is recycled, as is the aluminum that make up the tone arm and platter.
One of the most subtle but coolest features is the quote from Bob Marley engraved on the tonearm. You can barely see it, but if you look carefully, it’s there “One good thing about music – when it hits you, you feel no pain.” -Bob Marley.
The controls are simple and straight forward. One knob for power and record speed.
There is a button for Bluetooth, and a small volume knob for the headphone jack on the front. On the tonearm, there is an adjustable counterweight, anti-skating control, and a lever for lifting the tonearm. The belt-driven motor shuts off when the tonearm reaches the end of a record. The turntable also includes a black fabric dust cover, which I hate (more on that later).
Performance
It sounds good and it looks awesome! The setup as described in the manual is not very straightforward, but the video on the web site and youtube from House of Marley fill the gaps. I did not have any problems with setup, but other reviewers mentioned struggles. The Bluetooth connectivity is quick and easy, as long as you turn off all other Bluetooth sources close to the turntable (it will connect to the strongest signal – you don’t get to pick). The signal is strong, and never seemed to have any hiccups. Wired connections also worked great. I even tried the headphone jack (yes, I still have some wired headphones lying around!), and it worked well too.
But, the dust cover. I honestly have NO IDEA why House of Marley built such a beautiful turntable, but included a black fabric dust cover which hides the awesome design. This is such a miss. In my living room, the turntable sits on a table top and is very prominent. It looks cool and I want to show it off, but I also don’t want it to get dusty (it would be a pain to dust). I really wish they had included a traditional plastic dust cover. It’s so unfortunate.
What I like
- Looks awesome
- Sustainable materials
- It’s got bluetooth, so it’s wireless!
What I’d change
- Get rid of the awful fabric dust cover and replace it with a traditional plastic one
Final thoughts
The House of Marley Stir it Up Wireless turntable is a great entry-level turntable with a fabulous design, nice features, and good sound. It’s a shame it has such a horrible dust cover.
Price: $199.99
Where to buy: House of Marley or Amazon
Source: The sample for this review was provided by House of Marley.
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Absolutely love ours and totally agree about the dust cover, that’s awful but better than nothing.
What about sound quality? Will it compete with a basic Project? Can it match a Denon. Is the sound good against a Thorens? Or is it just a nicely dressed gymic piece aimed at someone who just wants to spin vynal without any consideration for sound quality, just convenience but no real sound and dynamic capabilities?
I have both the House of Marley and a Pro-ject Primary E and would say the HoM is the better sounding, despite the PJ getting all the plaudits review wise. If you could put the lid of the PJ onto the HoM it would be perfect.
Hi Paul. Thanks for the comment. The sound quality is good and is on par with other entry level turntables. I’d say it’s maybe even a bit better. I have a Fluance RT81, and it’s definitely on par with that. House of Marley does have another turntable with a better cartridge which will likely sound better. But this one is really designed as a partner to their line of bluetooth speakers, so the sound will only ever be as good as the speaker, and bluetooth is not known for true lossless sound.
A little bit pretentious there, Weiner.
I have the Stir It Up Bluetooth turntable… It worked great for 8 months and then 33rpm was stuck on 45rpm…no matter what I did…stuck. I looked up endless vids and sites on this problem… Zero solutions.
So sad.
What’s the point of vinyl (analogue) if you are then going to convert to Bluetooth (digital)?
Hi There….
Looked at quite a few reviews and am absolutely & utterly Astounded why none of them, including yours, reveal anything What so ever about the HI-RES Audio section of this unit!?..
Can you explain why?
Cheers.
Chaz. Australia.