Victrola Hi-Res Onyx review: vinyl destination

Introduction

Victrola is probably best known in Europe for its all-in-one suitcase turntables, but in the US it specialises in more stationary Hi-Fi setups. The Victrola Hi-Res Onyx is the firm’s latest effort. Built-in AptX Adaptive Bluetooth means this belt-driven slice of musical minimalism is aimed at anyone wanting to get on the vinyl bandwagon, whether they have an existing stereo system or not.

Priced at $399 (around £330), the Hi-Res Onyx will set you back more than entry-level Bluetooth efforts from the likes of Sony and Audio-Technica. The dent on your wallet will, however, be lighter than many rivals that pride themselves on styling as well as sound. Victrola’s US focus means getting hold of one could be tricky if you live in other territories – although that was true of the Sonos-friendly Victrola Stream Carbon, and now that’s widely available on both sides of the pond.

That model impressed us with its ease of use, but was a hard sell unless you’d already invested in a Sonos ecosystem. Does opening things up to any Bluetooth-enabled speaker make the Hi-Res Onyx more of a sonic slam dunk?

Design & build: subtly stylish

Who says turntables have to look like relics from Hi-Fi’s golden age? The Victrola Hi-Res Onyx is a thoroughly modern-looking unit, dressed in black and with subtle rounded corners that help it slot in just about anywhere – not only on top of a stack of stereo separates. The single solitary button at the front toggles between wired and wireless playback. I like the softly illuminated LED ring around it, which wasn’t distracting and helps you find the button easily in the dark. I think the bright green of the bundled cartridge takes away from the otherwise monotone colour scheme, but it’s a minor quibble.

The base is made from MDF, like a lot of affordable turntables, but Victrola has made sure to include some more premium-feeling materials too. The platter is die-cast aluminium, as is the tonearm. Its counterweight and the 45rpm spindle are also made from metal, while the speed adjustment dial has a satisfyingly firm click. The vibration-absorbing rubber feet can’t be individually levelled like a properly high-end turntable, but they get the job done.

None of the touch points feel at all cheap, apart from maybe the plastic dust cover. I think the open design looks pretty slick, and definitely beats a basic perspex box cover, but still wish it offered a little more protection. I needed to give the tonearm and platter the occasional brush off before use.

Maybe you like your tech to have a bit more colour? You should check out the pricier Hi-Res Carbon, which adds a two-tone silver and black scheme, as well as a carbonfibre tonearm and Ortofon 2M Red moving magnetic cartridge.

Setup and features: pair and play

If you’ll be listening over Bluetooth, setting up the Hi-Res Onyx is the work of a few moments. Slip the belt (held conveniently by a short ribbon) in place, pop on the platter and silicone slip mat, and jam the removable headshell onto the tonearm – it comes with an Audio Technica AT-VM95E cartridge pre-installed. The fiddliest bit is lining up the counterweight with the indicator notch. It’s not exactly precise, and could make balancing tricky if you swap to a different headshell or cartridge. There’s anti-skating adjustment around here too, but I didn’t need to use it at any point during testing.

Plug in the power cord around the back and you’re pretty much good to go. The turntable defaults to wired mode when you press the front button, with the platter spinning up as soon as the tonearm is moved into position. It’ll auto-stop when it reaches the end of the record, too.

The power button then doubles up for Bluetooth pairing: press it a second time and the Onyx will start searching for speakers or headphones. Put your device in pairing mode as well and they’ll find each other almost instantly. Naturally things will sound best if your speaker supports the aptX Adaptive codec – it can manage 24-bit playback with dynamic bitrate adjustment – but it’ll fall back to either aptX HD, aptX or SBC if not.

There’s no remote control or smartphone companion app to mess about with; pressing the front button again sends the turntable back into wired mode, assuming you’ve plugged something into the Phono outputs at the rear. There’s a built-in preamp, so you can directly hook up a set of wired speakers and don’t have to worry about external amplification. At least not if your speakers cost roughly the same as the turntable itself – anything more audiophile-grade will definitely benefit from something more powerful than the Victrola’s 35dB gain.

Performance: easy listening

Whether you’re listening wired or wireless, the Victrola Hi-res Onyx delivers excellent sound reproduction for the money. Burial’s 2006 self-titled LP sounded suitably haunting, with plenty of finer details preserved along with the analogue crackle of needle on wax.

The Hi-Res Onyx isn’t aimed at music lovers who obsess over dynamics, frequency response or neutrality – it’s much more entry-level than that – but I was still happy with overall performance across a range of devices. I experimented with a bunch of different aptX adaptive headphones, including the fantastic Bowers & Wilkins PX8 on-ears and the planar magnetic Edifier Stax Spirit S3. All put in a great showing, with plenty of energy and no shortage of detail. Just keep in mind there’s no volume adjustment on the turntable, so your earphones will need their own for a comfortable listen.

The Orange Amps Orange Box speaker I used for testing has more basic aptX, so gives up a little bandwidth, but still delivered punchy and clear audio. That said, wired listening is a definite step up if you lack any aptX Adaptive kit. The frequency range is well represented, with the right amount of low-end presence and a respectable amount of treble. Unless you have regular experience of much higher-end kit, you’ll be largely happy with the results here.

Victrola Hi-Res Onyx verdict

For a relatively affordable turntable, I think the Victrola Hi-Res Onyx puts in a commendable performance. It looks like a much pricier unit, and supports one of the better quality Bluetooth codecs out there, so you don’t have as big a sound quality penalty for choosing wireless over a wired connection.

Actually getting hold of one could prove tricky if you’re not in the US, and rivals have an easier upgrade path thanks to more comprehensive tonearm adjustment. But if you put ease of use above all else when it comes to rediscovering a neglected vinyl collection, there’s plenty to like here.

Victrola Hi-Res Onyx technical specifications

Speed	33-1/3, 45rpm
Signal to noise	45dB
Connectivity	Phono/RCA (w/ built-in preamp) output, Bluetooth
Bluetooth codecs	AptX Adaptive, SBC
Effective arm length	225mm
Overhang	18.5mm
Dimensions	16.93×14.25×4.53in / 430x361x115mm
Weight	12.48lbs / 5.66kg (with cover)