Audio Technica AT-LPW40WN Fully Manual Belt-Drive Turntable (Walnut)

Product Information

Whether turntables like this will destroy your records or not, though, is hotly contested, but the moving parts can be of a fairly basic quality. For example, the stylus on our Cruiser review unit was a chunky plastic/ceramic combo instead of the aluminum/diamond you'd see on almost any other turntable. The stylus itself was also quite large, which could lead to greater wear, and when plugged into a separate hi-fi the player sounded like an AM radio. Newport Test Labs measured the voltage at the line output of the AT-LPW50PB as 157mV for a 1kHz test signal at a recorded velocity of 3.54cm per second, which is about that specified by Audio-Technica but appears lower simply because Audio-Technica uses a higher recorded velocity than Newport Test Labs (Audio-Technica’s specification is 200mV at 1 kHz at 5cm per second) when testing. It’s a good result. The connection to your amplifier (or external phono stage) is made with detachable flying leads complete with earth spade. If using the built-in phono stage to deliver a line-level output, then you can leave the earth cable unconnected. The dust cover is very tightly hinged and which is a cause of a complaint. The hinges are difficult to attach because of extreme tension on the dust cover side. It’s not a major problem, it’s more like an irritant. But I had to think there must be an easier way.

The AT-LPW40WN is a solid entry to midlevel turntable. It inhabits the same price point as the popular AT-LP120X. While the AT-LP120X draws inspiration from DJ turntables like the Technics 1200, the AT-LPW40WN is inspired by higher priced audiophile designs with its MDF body, carbon fiber toneram, and minimalist design." - TTL 🔎KEY FEATURES But the differences were small variations on what proved an excellent turntable sound at the price — wide open, free of congestion and, depending on the quality of your vinyl, quiet. The song is a little bright through its own phono stage, as you might expect from Audio Technica, but this is easily fixed running it through a warmer in-built phono stage on your amp, or a suitable separate one such as the Project Phonobox, feel free to ask your local Richer Sounds store for more advice tailoring the sound. This was connected directly to a set of Ruark MR1’s, so no traditional amp was involved. Great for those looking to maximise space, or simply use as few boxes as possible. Among the seven new turntables Audio Technica is announcing at CES is the four-strong, entry-level LP60X series, which is where multiple ‘modern-day’ features come in. It has little shortcomings. High end cymbal clashes are delivered with energy, while bass sound is a nice and warm. The bass had a slight tendency to include a slight to rumble. There are a plenty of energy.

If you’re looking for a stylish turntable that doesn’t scrimp on sound quality, and is still near enough ready to go out of the box, make sure your loved ones know this is on your Christmas list. But finally, the sound. This is one area you can’t get past. So, I put on a Neil Young album, “After the Goldrush”. I like to start my evaluation of a new component with this album due to the acoustic guitar sounds. It plays like a live album, but it’s a studio recording. Well, the 40WN did a masterful job on side one, easily producing the nice, soundstage and separation I am used to hearing using my previous TT. It’s fully manual — you move the arm yourself, and you’ll be required to lift it off again when it reaches the end groove of your LP. Using its expertise and building on its rich heritage, Audio Technica is introducing a new wood-based, belt-drive turntable, the AT-LPW40TN, both with Audio-Technica ’s natural, balanced and refined sonics signature and, according to Audio Technica, delivering high-fidelity audio performance far beyond its price level.

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.”Flutter was measured separately for both speeds, again using both CCIR and DIN measurement techniques. At 33.33 rpm Newport Test Labs measured flutter at 0.05% (CCIR) and 0.045% (DIN). At 45 rpm, flutter was measured at 0.055% (CCIR) and 0.05% (DIN).

For the most part it was a very easy set up. The legs were composed if a rubber compound that seems to promote isolation. And they are designed to turn to easily balance the table. These two gold-plated RCA outputs have a diameter that is very slightly smaller than standard, so using standard RCA plugs results in a rather ‘loose’ fit and a tenuous electrical connection. You can fix this by squeezing in the outer (negative) ring of the plugs on the cable before you use them.Measured at 45 rpm, the AT-LPW50B’s platter speed was even more stable, so that the measured frequency varied only between 2998Hz and 3000Hz. Again, this is an excellent result. Newport Test Labs has plotted these variations in the speed histogram (Graph 1). The AT-LPW40WN is relatively compact, with overall dimensions of 16.5ʺW x 4.6ʺH x 13.4ʺD, and weighs 10.4 pounds without dustcover. A-T doesn’t specify the cover’s weight; I estimate two pounds. The AT-LPW40WN is a quality player at a great price. I recommend it to anyone who wants a turntable that won’t break the bank going in. It’s worth serious consideration. But hey, A-T: suppose you could come up with a model name that rolls more easily off the tongue? Although the timbre from the Audio-Technica AT-LPW40WN is, as befits a turntable, natural, and pastel, we do not focus here on the midrange, but on a soundstage.

There are plenty of retro turntables on the market, but few of them can match the pedigree of the Audio Technica AT-LPW40WN – let alone its sound quality. By combining a traditional, walnut finish with the highest quality engineering – including a carbon fibre tonearm – this turntable gives you vintage style without the compromised sound.

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Along with the AT-LPW40WN, a similar, slightly cheaper AT-LPW30TK is also available for sale. These are very “hi-fi” turntables, fully manual. I began with the Dual. Overall, the sound was very tight, each staccato note discrete. I marveled at Soloff’s precision and how fast he ripped off notes. The bass line in “Lucretia’s Reprise” is another example of talent and dexterity, worthy of the bass master James Jamerson, of Motown. The ersatz soundstage was well defined and stable. I was again very pleased with the Dual’s sound. Getting it running out of the gate with The Strokes – Juicebox, we’re presented with plenty of detail you’d otherwise be missing from CD or Spotify. The pacing is excellent, with barely a foot out of place in the stamping beat that underlines Julian Casablancas’ smooth vocals.