Vinyl isn't just back; it’s basically the only physical media people care about anymore. But if you’ve looked at the price of high-end audio gear lately, you’ve probably felt a bit of a sting. Finding a 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable feels like a weirdly specific victory in a market that either wants you to spend $50 on a plastic suitcase that ruins your records or $2,000 on a slab of marble that requires a PhD to calibrate.
Honestly, most people just want their records to sound good without taking out a second mortgage.
The 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable sits in this sweet spot that frustrates purists but delights everyone else. It’s a solid, heavy piece of gear. It doesn't feel like a toy. When you first pull it out of the box, the weight of the solid wood plinth—usually finished in a walnut veneer—gives you that immediate sense of "okay, this is real."
Why the belt drive actually matters for your ears
You’ll hear a lot of arguing about belt drive versus direct drive. If you're a DJ, you need direct drive because you're starting and stopping records instantly. But for listening in your living room? Belt drive is king.
The motor in the 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable is isolated. It’s tucked away, connected to the platter by a rubber belt. This design choice is intentional. Motors vibrate. It’s just what they do. By using a belt, those tiny micro-vibrations are absorbed by the rubber before they ever reach your stylus. If those vibrations hit the needle, you hear them as a low-end hum or "muddy" sound.
The 1byone uses a DC motor that’s surprisingly quiet. It’s not silent—nothing in this price bracket is—but it’s a far cry from the noisy gear you find at big-box retailers.
The Audio-Technica AT3600L factor
One of the smartest things 1byone did was stop trying to reinvent the wheel. They slapped an Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge on the tonearm.
This is a legendary entry-level cartridge. Is it an Ortofon Blue? No. But it’s reliable, the replacement needles are cheap and easy to find, and it tracks beautifully. It handles the grooves with a level of forgiveness that makes older, slightly scratched-up thrift store finds sound surprisingly decent. The tracking force is adjustable, too. This is huge. Cheap players have "fixed" tonearms that press down way too hard, basically carving out the plastic of your records over time. With this 1byone model, you get a real counterweight. You can set it to the recommended 3.5 grams and breathe easy knowing your limited edition vinyl isn't being destroyed.
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Setup isn't as scary as the manual makes it look
People get intimidated by anti-skate and counterweights. Don't be.
Basically, you’re just balancing a see-saw. You slide the weight on until the arm floats level, set the dial to zero, then turn the whole thing to the desired weight. The 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable makes this process fairly intuitive because the parts are machined well enough that they don't feel "gritty" when you turn them.
The anti-skating control is a small dial next to the tonearm base. Its job is to keep the needle centered in the groove. Without it, physics wants to pull the arm toward the center of the record, which wears down one side of the groove faster than the other. Seeing this feature on a "budget" turntable is a massive green flag. It shows the designers actually cared about longevity, not just aesthetics.
Bluetooth and Pre-amps: The "Digital" Compromise
Some purists will tell you that putting Bluetooth in a turntable is sacrilege. They’re kind of being dramatic.
The 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable includes a built-in phono pre-amp. Normally, a turntable's signal is so weak you can't just plug it into a regular speaker. You need a middleman. Having one built-in means you can plug this directly into powered bookshelf speakers or even a soundbar.
And yeah, it has Bluetooth.
If you have a pair of high-end Sony or Bose headphones and you want to listen to your records while doing dishes in the other room, you can. Does it "crush" the analog signal into a digital one? Yes. Does it still sound better than a low-bitrate Spotify stream? Often, yeah, because the mastering on vinyl is frequently more dynamic. You have the choice. You can flip a switch on the back to "Phono" to bypass the internal electronics entirely if you ever decide to buy a high-end external tube pre-amp later. That’s called an upgrade path, and it’s why people stick with this hobby.
Construction and the "Platter" Problem
Let’s talk about the platter. In the world of vinyl, mass is your friend. A heavy platter has more inertia, which means it spins at a more consistent speed. This reduces "wow and flutter"—that warbly sound you hear when a motor isn't perfectly consistent.
The 1byone features an aluminum die-cast platter. It’s not as heavy as a pro-grade Technics, but it’s significantly better than the plastic discs found on cheaper units. It comes with a felt mat, though honestly, you might want to swap that out for a rubber or cork one later to help with static.
The wood plinth isn't just for looks, either. Solid MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) is great at dampening external vibrations. If you walk across the room and the floorboards creak, a hollow plastic turntable will skip. The 1byone's mass helps it stay planted. It sits on four shock-absorbing feet that do a respectable job of isolating the needle from the "thump" of your footsteps.
Real-world performance: What to expect
If you’re expecting this to sound like a $5,000 Linn Sondek, you’re going to be disappointed. But if you’re comparing it to the built-in speakers on a portable player, the difference is night and day.
The soundstage is surprisingly wide. When listening to something like Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours, you can actually hear the separation between the instruments. The bass is punchy but doesn't overwhelm the mids. Highs are clear, though the AT3600L cartridge can occasionally struggle with "inner groove distortion" on the very last track of a long record—that's just a limitation of conical needles, not the turntable itself.
One weird quirk? The dust cover. It’s a standard acrylic lid, but it can be a static magnet. If you live in a dry climate, you’ll find yourself wiping dust off it constantly. It’s a minor gripe, but worth noting.
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Where 1byone sits in the market hierarchy
You’ve got the heavy hitters like Pro-Ject and Rega at the $400-$600 range. Then you’ve got the Audio-Technica LP60X at the $150 range.
The 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable usually lives right in the middle, around $200-$250.
It competes directly with the Fluance RT81. Both have that classic wood-grain look. Both use the AT3600L. The 1byone often wins on the feature set for the price, especially if you catch it on sale. It feels like a piece of furniture, whereas the entry-level Audio-Technicas can feel a bit "techy" and plastic.
Common Misconceptions
People think "High Fidelity" is just a marketing buzzword. While it’s definitely used to sell units, in the context of the 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable, it refers to the signal-to-noise ratio and the frequency response. This unit hits the 20Hz - 20kHz range comfortably.
Another myth is that you can't upgrade these. You absolutely can.
- The Stylus: You can swap the needle for an LP Gear CFN3600LE (elliptical) and instantly get more detail.
- The Mat: Swap felt for cork.
- The Cables: The RCA cables in the box are... fine. But a shielded pair of cables can reduce interference if you live in an apartment with lots of Wi-Fi signals.
Why this is a "Sustainable" Hobby Choice
Cheap turntables are landfill fodder. They break, they can't be repaired, and they ruin records. The 1byone is built with standardized parts. The belt can be replaced if it stretches out in five years. The cartridge can be swapped. The hinges on the dust cover are sturdy.
It represents a "buy once, cry once" mentality for the beginner. You aren't going to feel the need to "upgrade" from this in six months because it already does the important things right. It keeps time. It protects your vinyl. It looks great on a sideboard.
Actionable Steps for New Owners
If you've just picked up a 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable, or you're about to hit "buy," here is how you actually get the most out of it without becoming an obsessive audiophile.
First, level your surface. This is the most skipped step. If your shelf is tilted, your record will sound weird and wear unevenly. Use a simple bubble level app on your phone. If it’s not level, shim the feet of the turntable with a bit of cardstock or a coin.
Second, don't put your speakers on the same surface as the turntable. This creates a feedback loop. The speakers vibrate the shelf, which vibrates the needle, which goes out the speakers... you get the idea. Move the speakers to separate stands or at least a different piece of furniture.
Third, clean your records. Even new ones. They come from the factory with "mold release" chemicals on them. A simple carbon fiber brush costs ten bucks and will save your stylus from gunking up.
Finally, check your tracking force every few months. Gravity and vibration can cause the counterweight to drift slightly. Taking sixty seconds to re-balance ensures you’re always getting the best sound possible.
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The 1byone high fidelity belt drive turntable isn't trying to be the best record player in the world. It’s trying to be the best record player for your world—one where you want quality, style, and ease of use without the elitist price tag. It succeeds because it focuses on the mechanical basics while giving a nod to modern convenience. Just plug it in, drop the needle, and actually enjoy your music.