REVIEW – Record players are magic music boxes to me. The whole concept of putting tiny grooves in a plastic disk and then having the pattern transfer back into sound is incredible. My daughter got a record player earlier this year and has started collecting records and I’m fascinated. I grew up in the tape cassette / compact disc era of the 80s and 90s and thought that vinyl was a long dead format because I just never was around it. The QlearSoul ONE-Q Vinyl Record Player is a very sleek and cool-looking record player that came up for review and I was very interested in seeing how it stacked up in performance and quality.
What is it?
The QlearSoul ONE-Q Vinyl Record Player has a classic record player design with the addition of being a Bluetooth receiver.
What’s included?
- Record Player
- Turn Table Platter
- Slip mat
- 45 RPM adapter
- Power Supply
- Adjustable counterweight
- User Manual
Tech specs
- Item Dimensions L x W x H: 17.5″L x 13.5″W x 7.5″H
- Item Weight: 5.9 Kilograms
- Power Consumption: 35 Watts
- Signal Format: Analog
- Power Source: Corded Electric
- Voltage: 12 Volts (DC)
- Special Features: Built In Speaker, Adjustable Speed, Built In Preamp, Built-In Bluetooth Receiver
- Motor Type: DC Motor
- Connectivity Technology: Bluetooth, Aux-in
- Maximum Rotational Speed: 45 RPM
Design and features
This record player reminds me a bit of the old Marantz deck my dad used to have. The wood tone and the buttons and dials just have that old look and feel to them. You can play 33s or 45 on this in addition to Bluetooth. Aux in is probably something I’ll never use, but nice to have if needed, just like the headphone jack.
Output options are pretty simple. Not much to mess up here. I do wish the power supply was built in.
Assembly, Installation, Setup
Putting this record player together was fairly straightforward. Attaching the clear top was easy and the two sides slid together neatly at the hinge point. As you can see below, you can also see that the lid has to be open while playing a record or the arm gets pressure on it.
The platter is belt driven and attaching the belt was surprisingly easy. It was well designed with a notch and ribbon to facilitate the setup.
I have to admit that the counterweight on the arm baffled me for a bit, but after reading the instructions I was able to figure it out. Basically, you want just enough pressure to make contact with the record without putting a lot of downward force.
Performance
I really enjoy how this record player sounds. It has a great tone and the speakers are very loud. The dial goes up to 10, but I never needed to go past 3. I played several different records and they all sounded great. West Side Story (the original) was a great listen and the quality came through great.
Parts all seem great and replaceable when the time comes.
What I like about the QlearSoul One-Q Vinyl Record Player
- Aesthetic is great
- Sound quality is good
- Dials and moving pieces are solid
What needs to be improved?
- Can’t close the cover while a record is spinning
Final thoughts
I like this record player. My only issue is that it would be nice to fully close the lid while the player is running. Aside from that, the parts seem to be of good quality and accessible if you need to replace anything in the future. Bluetooth capability is a nice side-feature, but given the potential lifespan of a record player, I don’t consider that to be a major selling point. The main functionality of this record player is solid and I see this lasting for years to come. I highly recommend it.
Price: $199.98
Where to buy: QlearSoul and Amazon (Save 20% off with code: 20GADGETEER expires 12-10-2024)
Source: The sample of this product was provided for free by QlearSoul. Qlearsoul did not have a final say on the review and did not preview the review before it was published.
