In March, I reviewed the Como Blu, a brilliant Bluetooth streaming audio system from Boston’s Como Audio. What made the Blu brilliant? For $399 — the cost of a decent, upper-range portable Bluetooth speaker — you get true two-channel stereo sound. The Blu system is pair of bookshelf speakers with walnut-clad MDF enclosures, 30W per channel of power, and retro styling with aluminum control knobs. You can even go portable by adding the optional battery pack to one of the Blu speakers. What really made the Como Blu system during testing was when I plugged in the matching Como Turntable Analog.
This review is focused on the Turntable Analog, a $399 belt-drive model. I should note that this isn’t Como Audio’s first effort at a turntable. The company actually released its first several years ago (I reviewed it here). The new Turntable Analog shares many of the features and looks very similar visually, but this one is the latest and greatest. That first model lives on as the $499 Como Bluetooth Turntable.
Defined by Como Audio, Manufactured by Pro-Ject
If you’re familiar with turntables, a quick glance at the Turntable Analog will tell you that Pro-Ject was involved. That’s a good thing. Pro-Ject is renowned for making premium, audiophile-quality turntables. It has a vast catalog of components available, and manufacturing takes place in the company’s European factories. The results are high-performance turntables with reliable quality.
As with its first turntable, Como Audio partnered with Pro-Ject for the Turntable Analog. That doesn’t mean a white label version of a Pro-Ject turntable, it means one that has been designed based on specifications from Como Audio. The resulting turntable uses various Pro-Ject components and is built to high standards in Pro-Ject’s factories, but it is uniquely a Como Audio offering.
Extreme Ease of Setup
I don’t mind the process of setting up a turntable, but I do that pretty frequently. For someone moving from a record player or an entry-level turntable, the prospect of mounting a cartridge and balancing the tonearm can be intimidating. But these steps are absolutely critical to getting the best sound out of your turntable and protecting your records.
That’s one of the great advantages of the Turntable Analog. You are free to upgrade it with a higher end end stylus or cartridge. But it’s equipped with a solid choice in the Ortofon OM10 out of the box. Even better, with its “plug and play” design, both the cartridge and counterweight are pre-installed at the factory. All you have to do is slip the drive belt on, set the platter in place, then put the acrylic dust cover on (the hinges are pre-mounted).
Como includes the tools to adjust the cartridge and counterweight should you decide to make changes, but there’s no need to do so — everything is precisely aligned and balanced.
From there, you simply set the integrated pre-amplifier based on what you’re connecting to. That’s Phono if you’re plugging into an amp or receiver with a dedicated Phono input, or AUX if you’re connecting to an audio system that lacks a Phono input. This offers the flexibility to connect to virtually anything. In addition, Como Audio includes high quality 3.5-foot twisted pair RCA audio cables, plus 3.5mm adapters.
Turntable Analog Key Specifications:
- 2 speed, belt-drive turntable
- DC motor with TPE damping
- 8.6-inch aluminum tonearm
- Pre-mounted Ortofon OM10 MM cartridge with elliptical diamond-tipped stylus
- Pre-mounted, adjustable counterweight
- Switchable phono pre-amplifier
- Combination power/speed switch
- Vibration isolating feet
- Plug and play design
- MDF plinth
- Weighs 11.68 pounds
- Walnut vinyl or piano gloss black vinyl finish
- Includes black felt mat, acrylic dust cover, premium audio cable, 3.5mm adapter, alignment protractor and Allen key
- MSRP $399
Hands-On With the Turntable Analog
Setup of the Turntable Analog is a breeze, but how does it perform?
Vibration is the enemy of any turntable, and this one is designed from the ground up to minimize the chances that vibration is going to intrude on the sound of your vinyl.
The plinth is a solid chunk of MDF, and the platter is a heavy steel one. Together, they are a big part of this turntable’s hefty weigh of nearly 12 pounds. This is in stark contrast to entry-level turntables which typically use hollow plastic construction. That weight helps to keep vibration at bay. Add the vibration isolating feet, and your turntable is well-protected. The heavy platter also assists in speed consistency.
Modern entry-level turntables usually include an integrated pre-amplifier. This makes sense since many people are connecting them to a mini system or portable speaker with an AUX input. However, in a cheap turntable, the pre-amp is also going to be cheap. It will get the job done, but the output is not going to anything spectacular. The Turntable Analog is going to sound best using its Phono output, but the integrated pre-amp is better than many. As a result, connecting to an AUX input is much less of a compromise.
When plugged into the Como Blu system, the audio quality is impressive — that system’s stereo speakers and driver arrangement make for a surprisingly robust listening experience from a compact audio system. It also looks the part of a well-matched mini stereo system, with the walnut finish (furniture-grade veneer on the Como Blu and vinyl on the Turntable Analog) adding an upscale, vintage look to the setup.
Como went with the Ortofon OM10 cartridge for the Turntable Analog. This is a common choice in this class of turntable and with good reason. It delivers decent soundstage, a neutral sound, and wide frequency response. I also find the OM10 performs well with used vinyl — a little less static and fewer skips than many more expensive cartridges. I set this one up at my father-in-law’s for an afternoon of spinning records from his collection of old blues and jazz records (with some classic rock like The Band thrown in), and it performed very well. It made for an enjoyable listening experience and seriously outperformed the mass-production, entry-level turntable he had been using.
The combination power and speed rocker switch on the side takes a little getting used to and I would have liked to see an auto-stop feature, but the focus is on performance. And for the $399 price, the Como Audio Turntable Analog delivers.
Como Audio Turntable Analog Recommendation
For anyone in search of a solid, mid-range turntable, Como’s Turntable Analog is a great option. It’s well-built, features Pro-Ject’s design expertise and components, comes with a switchable pre-amp, and it’s equipped with an Ortofon cartridge that delivers an excellent record listening experience. There are a growing number of turntables in this price range — including a number from manufacturing partner Pro-Ject — but the Turntable Analog was built to Como Audio’s specifications and stands out for its ease of setup.
And if you are already considering Como’s Blu streaming audio system, making it a bundle with the Turntable Analog is a no-brainer.
Disclosure: Como Audio provided a Turntable Analog for evaluation purposes but had no input into this review
