Audio-Technica AT-LP5X Fully Manual Direct Drive Turntable

Product Information

The Audio Technica AT-LP5X sounds very reminiscent of the AT-LP5 – and that’s almost an entirely positive thing. As mentioned in the introduction to this review, the Audio-Technica AT-LPW50PB has a phono pre-amplifier built in, the output of which is at the rear of the turntable.

This Debut Pro turntable is terrific at digging deep into the production and revealing layers of instrumental textures that most at this level ignore. It sounds incredibly precise and crisp. Its presentation is a little on the lean side, but the upside of such a balance is agility.It produces a stable and controlled sound too, one that retains its composure even when the music becomes dense and demanding. Stereo imaging and a spacious soundstage prove admirable and we are impressed with the sonic authority on offer. Audio-Technica’s original AT-LP5turntable was a winner. Launched in 2016, its combination of solid engineering, useful features and fine sound was enough to make it one of our go-to recommendations for anyone wanting a sensibly priced, fuss-free record player with the added bonus of a USB output. Now for the electronics which have been lightened over the old model. Notably absent are the linear transformer and associated power supply electronics, and the motor board has been slimmed down if not in size then certainly in component terms. Audio Technica AT-LP5 Turntable was already a bliss. But as if that wasn’t enough, Audio Technica is at it again with Audio Technica AT-LP5x Record Player. Besides Audio Technica AT LP5x being an impressive turntable and rich in features, it is affordable despite having significant improvement from its previous version – AT-LP5. Keep reading and find out the finessing you get if you decide to invest in this gem. Gone is the 140’s DJ furniture, missing is the 140’s strobe around the edge of the platter, while the relatively complex trio of power switch, speed switch and RPM selector on the 140 has been reduced to a single control on the AT-LP5x.Plinth damping mostly comes in the form of a rubber sheet mounted in the area of the top plinth between the tonearm and main bearing. Rubber washers also cover the plastic screw lugs. Audio-Technica’s claims of “high-mass chassis inserts” includes the steel plate in the base, but also a heavy steel plate to which the motor is mounted. There’s a commitment to good materials, smart additional features and flexibility for adding other audio components of your choice that makes for a turntable that will grow along with your love of vinyl. Those looking to make the next step on their vinyl adventure should definitely stop off here. The red trace on Graph 4 shows channel separation vs. frequency and you can see that channel separation reaches a best result of 27dB at 1kHz (7dB better than specification), and maintains this level of performance out to around 6kHz before diminishing to around 20dB at 10kHz and down to 10dB at 20kHz.

It’s because, as well as equipping you with the extra technology that for many people will prove extremely useful, Audio-Technica has what matters spot on - this is a turntable that is both a pleasure to use and to listen to. Part of the reason is that the 140 includes a large power supply, built into the chassis whereas the LP5x expels its power supply as a wall wart. This also means that the meaty IEC mains cable of the 140 is replaced by a weedy LP5x wall wart-type wire. This is not necessarily an issue – just ask Italy’s Gold Note which relies on a similar system. Then again, Gold Note spends serious cash on adapting the wall wart system for audiophile benefit. There’s no build budget for that sort of shenanigans here. On this album van Veen stretches the concept of slowness to the extreme. One critic wrote of it that: “he creates an hallucinatory effect, a kind of minimal music avant la lettre.” The motor is mounted to this plate via M3 screws, separated from it by rubber washers. The plate is also mounted to the plinth with damping washers. Once installed the structure is virtually free from ringing, only a dull metallic ‘clink’ audible when you tap the plate. It’s certainly no feat of turntable engineering, but it’s very well executed nonetheless especially at the asking price. You could certainly do a lot worse.Yet it is the AT-LP5’s overall character we enjoy so much, something that is unchanging whether using its built-in phono stage or running through a more expensive one, so while the upgrade is an improvement, it is far from a necessity to enjoy such a talented player. The What Hi-Fi?team has more than 100 years of collective experience in reviewing, testing and writing about consumer electronics – and that includes plenty of record players. We have state-of-the-art testing facilities in London, Reading and Bath, where our team of expert reviewers do all our in-house testing. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency across all products.We always ensure we spend plenty of time with each turntable, setting them up correctly, and trying them with different electronics, in different positions and with different music.And with USB turntables, we rip vinyl music onto our laptops to test the process and quality of this feature. We’re impressed with the level of detail too. The DG-1 S is a precise and highly resolving product, one that’s able to dig up plenty of information and organise it into a cohesive and musical whole. It is a hugely entertaining sound, one that’s rhythmically surefooted and has a spring in its step when it comes to rendering dynamic nuances. Building on Audio-Technica’s analogue heritage and over 50 years of Japanese audio design, the AT-LP5x features upgraded technology while keeping the contemporary style and acclaimed performance of its predecessor, the AT-LP5.

Perhaps this is a fluke, or perhaps given that this was a wide-spread issue on Audio-Technica’s AT-LP120 among others, they have finally found a resolution. AT do offer a replacement spring assembly for the AT-LP120 which is said to correct this problem, so it would seem that the issue has finally been nipped in the bud. The USB ripping feature remains, so you can digitise your vinyl collection is CD quality WAV files up to 16-bit/44.1kHz and 48kHz. If you're after a well-executed design that's well-built, easy to set up and sounds great for the money, the AT-LP5x is worthy of a spot on your shortlist.

A plug and play turntable that's an absolute pleasure to listen to...

Does anyone really “design” a turntable these days? Models have pretty much looked the same for the past 60 to 70 years, and anyone who tries to meddle with that formula (which is utterly dictated by function) inevitably ends up with a turntable that just looks weird – and not in a good way. SWITCHABLE MM/MC PRE-AMP: Switchable MM/MC built-in pre-amplifier and line enables connection to components with or without a dedicated phono input.

The source of your hi-fi system, be it a streamer, CD player or record player is a crucial component; as the saying goes, 'rubbish in, rubbish out'. The USB ripping feature remains, so you can digitise your vinyl collection to CD-quality WAV files up to 16-bit/44.1kHz and 48kHz. If you're after a well-executed design that's well-built, easy to set up and sounds great for the money, the AT-LP5x is worthy of a spot on your shortlist. Switchable MM/MC built-in pre-amplifier and line enables connection to components with or without a dedicated phono input Playing Tull, I noted that the 140 offered tighter and deeper bass. Percussion and bass guitar provided more heft and mass. This has got a lot to do with the large power supply, the density of the 140’s plinth and the platter damping. Bass was also focused and precise.

The Arm

The Audio-Technica AT-VM95E delivered all the songs on ‘Harvest’ smoothly, fluidly and very musically, and you can’t really ask for much more than that.