Pro-Ject T1 Turntable, Sonos Five speaker, and the TTPD vinyl
Swifties around the world have been anticipating the release of Taylor Swift's latest album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD if you're up on the lingo), for months. Along with the teases, Taylor has released a number of exclusive vinyl records, each with their own bonus track. For many a fan (myself included), this was enough to finally trigger heading back into physical media.
Yes, after years of rolling my eyes at my kids for collecting records, I caved and started a collection of my own.
Since the digital revolution of streaming music took off, I've left records, tapes, and CDs behind. After all, my generation is the one that discovered the joy of skipping right to your favorite song on an album, why would I go back?
It's only recently that I've started to realize that, in ditching the physical, I'm missing out on a connection with my music. I'm an '80s kid raised on tape decks and my parent's hi-fi. I well remember the ritual of listening to a whole album. That's been lost when you can drop into any album like a sonic sniper, consume your favorites, and zip right back out.
But getting my TTPD, Target-exclusive, phantom vinyl in hand was just the first part. I needed an actual system to play it on (that's another thing that's mostly been lost: dedicated hardware for music). But I didn't want to just grab any old Goodwill cast off. If I was going to start with Taylor, I was going to do it right.
That's why I was thrilled to see that Sonos has an absolutely astounding Turntable Set. It's seemingly simple, all you need to play records after all is a turntable and a speaker. But what a turntable and speaker.
The Turntable
Pro-Ject T1 Fits into any decor (even if your decor is giant robots)
The Pro-Ject T1 Phonos SB Turntable is a gorgeous, minimalist turntable. To eliminate unwanted vibrations, the plinth is made of CNC-machined wood, manufactured so that there are no hollow parts. It comes in black, walnut, or white. So whether you're in your Reputation, Evermore, or TTPD era, you're covered.
The solid construction extends to the glass platter. Better than plastic or lightweight metal, the zero-resonance platter is heavy and won't warp or bend, further ensuring that playback is smooth. The tonearm is a single aluminum piece, with excellent counterbalance. I appreciate the tonearm lever as well that lets you drop the needle smoothly. Speaking of, the T1 Phonos SB comes with an Ortofon OM 5E Moving Magnet cartridge that delivers phenomenal hi-fi sound.
You also have options for playback, with an electronic 33/45 speed switch and included felt mat. The integrated pre-amp lets you connect the included RCA cable (that also comes with an adapter for the Sonos Five speaker). The sub-platter is belt-driven with a steel bearing that ensures even more reliable sound.
It comes in Black, Walnut, or White so whether you are in your Reputation era, Evermore era, or TTPD era, we've got you covered. The included dust cover is also a touch I appreciate (though I can already see fingerprints on the clear smoked plastic).
The Speaker
Sonos Five speaker in stereo mode
The Sonos Five is a powerhouse of a speaker. It’s the most powerful one in the Sonos lineup, with six amps, three tweeters, and three mids. It automatically provides clear stereo separation with absolutely crystal vocal detail (great for us Swifties). It can also work in a stereo pair, switching to mono as soon as you set it in vertical orientation.
The Sonos Five connects to the turntable via a line-in adapter. Since the Five is also a fully functional Bluetooth speaker, you'll need to make sure you select Autoplay in the Sonos app settings so that it activates whenever you play a record.
Other than that, setup is a breeze. You can tweak the equalizer (which I know I should, but I never do, the factory EQ settings are just so good) and set up Trueplay sound that will tune output to the architecture of the actual space the speaker is in.
The Sound
For all your Swiftie listening pleasure
In a word? Transformative. I never really understood why pumping digital music through my Apple Homepod Mini at full volume was any worse than a record. After all, it's all just converting music into a signal and playing it back, right?
But I was wrong. I started with a record that I'm deeply familiar with: the TRON: Legacy soundtrack by Daft Punk (seriously, I must have listened to it 200 times) and was floored by the richness of tone and subtle separation of different parts of the composition. Rather than the bass taking over (as often happens when you blast a song) or the horns drowning out the strings, it all just came together as the layered masterpiece that it is.
Which made me even more excited to listen to TTPD. Suffice to say, Taylor Swift's vocals shone on the Five through some of my favorite songs like "Florida!!!" (absolutely love Florence + the Machine as well) and "I Can Do It With a Broken Heart" (Eras tour attendees, IFYKYK). Even after a full weekend of listening to the album in my car and on the go, I found myself discovering subtle tonal shifts that just didn't come through when blasting it through car speakers (as fun as that is). I was also impressed that even as I turned the sound way up (because some tracks you just have to listen to at full volume) the sound separation was maintained
And, yes, sitting down and listening to the whole album deliberately, without the ability to easily skip around from track to track, made for a superior experience. Truly the best way to experience the music of the master.
Now just hurry up and release TTPD: The Anthology on vinyl already, OK?
You can get the Sonos Turntable Set from the Sonos site for $948 (a package deal that knocks $50 off the total price). If that's a bit too dear, you can pair the Pro-Ject T1 with an Era 100 speaker for $682.
Believe me, it’s worth it.
