Andover Audio Spinbase overview: An all-in-one speaker system to your turntable

The mantra with sound programs this present day appears to be that they needs to be heard, not viewed. Whenever you occur to’re a vinyl enthusiast, downsizing a turntable setup isn’t so straightforward. Minimalist turntable setups are in overall comprised of a pair of bookshelf speakers and an integrated amplifier. And, let’s not neglect the vibrational havoc speakers can pose to your precious and quiet setup. 

Editors’ Existing: We at the start reviewed the Spinbase in March and smartly-known some shortcomings with Bluetooth and headphone efficiency. Andover Audio addressed our criticisms and despatched us a weird overview unit with invent adjustments. We’ve amended our overview beneath to reflect the efficiency of the up to this level unit. Click on right here to read the normal overview, which we’ve preserved for the document.

Whenever you occur to’re hunting for a in actuality compact and shut to vibration-free experience to your document player, then look no extra than Andover Audio’s Spinbase. It’s an ingenious, all-in-one, hotfoot-n-play speaker system designed namely for turntables. It’s a shut to supreme solution for condo dwellers or rooms that can’t accommodate better programs. The Spinbase’s simplicity, efficiency, and sheer bang for the buck left me fear-struck. Read on to secret agent why I cherished the Spinbase so critical and the absolute top procedure Andover Audio has addressed the unit’s shortcomings since my normal overview.

This overview is phase of TechHive’s coverage of one of the top Bluetooth speakers, where you’ll fetch evaluations of competing products, plus a purchaser’s guide to the solutions you private to private in mind when shopping.

What is the Spinbase?

On the starting save stare, it’s possible you’ll perchance well confuse the Spinbase for something else. Its 18 x 3.25 x 13.5-streak dimensions (WxHxD) place it a supreme match for correct about any turntable. The casual passerby might maybe well well think that the Spinbase is a turntable platform or stoop-of-the-mill audio element.

Take a nearer look and likewise you’ll rapidly study that the Spinbase is four products in a single: A powered speaker system, phono preamp, headphone amp, and Bluetooth streamer in a single compact enclosure.

Theo Nicolakis / IDG

The Spinbase has a single volume knob on its minimalist entrance panel. Turn the amount knob clockwise to spark off the unit. The knob sits on top of a metal speaker grille that flanks the unit’s entrance and aspects. Other than having a Class D amplifier, the Spinbase is otherwise an analog throwback—there’s no far-off management. Adjusting the amount is guide endeavor.

That amplifier powers two woofers and two tweeters. Andover Audio says the Spinbase’s driver affiliation produces an critical 270-stage stereo image. I’m in overall skeptical of promoting claims, but making an attempt pulling out my protractor, I used to be merely fear-struck by the breadth of the Spinbase’s soundstage. Not like a conventional two-channel speaker setup that offers you a single candy assign, I might maybe well well stroll from one facet of the Spinbase and round to the quite so a lot of with nearly about no audible off-axis penalty. The speaker’s sound used to be relaxed and consistent from one facet to the quite so a lot of.

Theo Nicolakis / IDG

The Spinbase’s output will without insist private little, medium, and even better rooms—not easy or outperforming speakers at twice Andover’s $300 asking trace.

Designed for both ceramic and transferring magnet cartridges, the Spinbase is out-of-the-field admire minded with most turntables, and its rear panel is clearly labeled as where to connect ceramic or magnetic cartridges.

Whenever you occur to private a 2nd supply utility, equivalent to a CD player or a network audio streamer, it’s possible you’ll perchance well maybe theoretically connect that to the Spinbase by the RCA line-stage inputs on the unit’s rear panel (assuming you don’t private a turntable with a ceramic cartridge that will perchance well count on those jacks). The speaker has no enter selector, so if you occur to’re connecting a turntable with a magnetic cartridge—or any turntable that has a built-in pre-amp—you’ll private to purpose the Spinbase’s ceramic-cartridge switch to the “off” station. Andover’s printed snappily-initiate up sheet, by the design, wants a redo. 

No fret in headphone land

You’ll fetch a 3.5mm headphone jack on the assist of the speaker, but headphone output used to be an exact low level for me. First off, I wish Andover Audio had build the headphone jack on the entrance of the unit, admire correct about every quite so a lot of audio element in the sphere. I’m sure there used to be some engineering reason boring it, however the station on the assist of the unit is correct impractical. Secondly, the jack needs to be a identical outdated 1/4-streak headphone jack, versus the 3.5mm jack that’s there.

Theo Nicolakis / IDG

In my normal overview, I smartly-known that the Spinbase delivered a loud and immoral “pop!” after I grew to turned into it on and then off—ample to switch away my ears ringing. Thank goodness, Andover Audio has addressed this arena with the up to this level Spinbase. I attempted Bowers&Wilkins C5 IEMs, Sol Republic, and Focal Determined over-the-ear headphones to substantiate that this. You’ll quiet hear a limited pop if you occur to turn the unit on with the headphones linked but it’s completely tolerable and the identical as you’ll experience with some quite so a lot of audio gear.

Whenever you occur to’re an existing Spinbase customer impacted by this arena, Andover Audio has told me that they’ll provide you with the chance of receiving a replacement unit. Kudos to Andover Audio for addressing this arena and standing by its customers.

The Spinbase had no insist using my Focal Determined headphones. Essentially, the amount purchased in actuality, in actuality loud without even reaching the nine o’clock trace on the dial. I didn’t dare attempt the exercise of more straightforward-to-force in-ear-displays or earbuds. Plugging to your headphones and kicking assist to vinyl is a big chance. 

Bluetooth aid, too

You might maybe well well crawl your approved tunes to the Spinbase wirelessly, too, on story of its aid for Bluetooth 5.0. Even with the up to this level user guide, Andover Audio needs to enact the next job for non-technical and amateur customers, however; the Bluetooth half in the Spinbase’s snappily-setup guide is actually two sentences prolonged, and there’s nothing in the instructions to suppose you suggestions on how to sure previous pairings if you occur to take to private to change Bluetooth sources.

Theo Nicolakis / IDG

Bluetooth used to be one other arena where I dinged the Spinbase in my normal overview as a result of maddeningly high noise floor in the main overview unit. All over once more, Andover Audio addressed my observations in the up to this level overview unit. The high noise floor and digital noise are long gone. The Spinbase behaved correct admire all quite so a lot of Bluetooth supply and didn’t call any undue consideration to itself. To be on the obtain facet, I’ll call your consideration to the user guide’s show to make exercise of the shorting plugs on the magnetic phono RCA inputs, to diminish the chance of digital noise by the speaker. Andover Audio makes a short mention of this on the assist of its snappily-initiate up guide, but not in the Bluetooth half. I’m able to lastly express that the up to this level Spinbase can attend as both a solid turntable and Bluetooth speaker.

A massive efficiency

Unboxing and environment up the Spinbase used to be a share of cake. The simplest setup critical used to be to hotfoot the Spinbase into my turntable. Andover Audio involves a short pair of analog interconnects with an integrated grounding cable— touch.

The Spinbase’s vibration-free efficiency lived up to its billing. I didn’t watch any vibrations throughout my testing. Having the Spinbase staunch away beneath my turntable didn’t interfere with my vinyl playback in the least. Essentially, even striking my hand staunch away on the spinbase published simplest the slightest resonance coming by the cabinet—absolutely no more than you’d experience with a conventional bookshelf setup.

I’ve already mentioned the Spinbase’s stereo efficiency, but enable me to mutter once more: The massive-large sound stage is totally supreme.

Theo Nicolakis / IDG

With its quirks cleared, right here is a big system

Andover Audio’s Spinbase serves as an all-in-one, minimalist solution that will charm to many. The Spinbase’s large soundstage, solid sound, and shut to vibration-free efficiency will seduce many. It absolutely did me.

Andover Audio’s up to this level Spinbase addresses the headphone and Bluetooth streaming shortcomings I smartly-known in my normal overview and Andover Audio will stand by normal purchasers. With those two main shortcomings addressed, the Spinbase has rightfully earned assist the paunchy smartly-known particular person I dinged it in the normal overview. The underside line? Whenever you occur to’re an analog junkie hunting for a streamlined, all-in-one speaker solution to your turntable, you absolutely need to give the Spinbase a serious hear.

• The Spinbase is a big-sounding, compact, vibration-free solution to your turntable, but its Bluetooth streaming and headphone solutions private annoying quirks.

  Professionals

  • Tremendous sound from a compact kit
  • Ultra-large soundstage delivers large, room-filling sweetspot
  • Simply about vibration-free efficiency that will not interfere with your vinyl playback

  Cons

  • Bluetooth streaming requires the exercise of shorting caps on the inputs on the unit’s rear
  • No far-off management

Theo Nicolakis is a C-Level technologist and digital communications first payment. He’s also a passionate audiophile and dwelling theater aficionado.