Orbit Special (Gen 2) Turntable, Walnut

I haven't played my records since the 80s so I don't have a lot to compare it to, but it seems like a very nice table and reviews very well. I like that it's US built and most components are also source in the US. It has played flawlessly and sounds great, especially with new vinyl. Unless you plan to play a lot of 45's, I would do a custom without the speed control, but with a Ortofon Blue cartridge and, perhaps, isolation feet. Not much more money, but should be a significant upgrade.

I bought this based on reviews around the internet - saw that it was a little bit discounted, I went for it. Was pretty happy until I saw the 1 star review by AnonymousDa. Got the table today and set it up. Happy to say it is a very inaccurate review and I am very please with my purchase. 1.- The turntable does not have a ground lug nut because is grounded internally thru the RCA cable. Any cable works. More of that later. 2.- Everyone's experience is different, but there is no hum with the Orbit Special in my system. Silent as a sinner in mass. 3.- Everyone's unit is different so there is the possibility any will have finishing defects. But the comment is 100% inaccurate in expecting the red version to be walnut. Both the U-Turn site AND THE AMAZON LISTING specify that for the Walnut turntable you have to pay around an extra $120 and it doesn't come in colors. Same for the oak version. 4.- How can the belt be a poor fit if it is threaded? I measured the speed both for 33 and 45 and it is spot on. So the belt fits and works 5.- Again, no hum here. My system is silent. Also, it is 100% inaccurate that in order to avoid hum you have to use their cable. I did not even unpack the included cable. GOT RID of the ground wire I had for another turntable, connected MY cables, no issues no hum. YMMV, but be aware that is not uncommon for turntables to reveal grounding issues in systems. 6.- Yes, the turntable includes very basic cables, indeed. However, they are clearly pictured in the packing contents (the "in the box" tab in the product description of the U-Turn website). 7.- I sent questions via email to customer support, re: the grounding and I got a reply the next day, as indicated in their support page. Did not have to deal with an actual issue because do not have any. 8.- Most people do not need a pigtail. I assume is a piece of advice for those that DO. I did not. All in all, after a few hours with the device, I am very impressed. No issues, easy setup. Was up and running in 5 mins; granted, I had everything else setup and connected as I was only swapping tables I was planning to immediately install an Ortofon 2M Blue stylus I already own, but to tell you the truth, so far so good with the 2M Red. Will do it later, but rather listen to music now. Love the threaded belt and LOOOOVE the system to lock and que lever. Like how it is not a hard lock AND how the cue lever does not cover the locked position, so there is no chance to lift the cue lever when the arm is locked! Fantastic. Recommended

I replaced my Rega RP1 due to a persistent ground hum, and I couldn’t be happier with the U-Turn Orbit Plus. Right out of the box, the build quality impressed me—solid construction with a sleek, minimalist design. Setup was quick and easy, and most importantly, the sound is fantastic. The Orbit Plus delivers clean, detailed audio with no unwanted noise, making my records sound better than ever. The tonearm tracks smoothly, and the overall performance exceeds my expectations, especially at this price point. If you’re looking for a high-quality turntable without breaking the bank, this one is a fantastic choice!

Everything about this turntable is top notch. There are so many options for customization it's unreal. I got the walnut plinth and it is beautiful. Like a piece of art. The Ortofon 2M Red cartridge is fantastic at this price point and playback is outstanding. I can't recommend this turntable enough. It can easily hold its own against turntables at double the price. There aren't a ton of features, but it has everything you need for amazing playback of your record collection.

I highly recommend this turntable to anyone. The quality and clarity are fantastic. I switched out the stylus to an Ortofon 2M Blue, pushing it through a Yamaha A-S701 amp, and Wharfedale Linton Heritage 85th Anniversary speakers.

Turntable Model: Orbit Special version 2 Upfront Recommendation: Don’t buy. Thank Goodness for Amazon Returns! I love Amazon. 1: Poor Quality: Their turntables do not have a ground… I have a brand new Advance Paris Amplifier, very expensive. There is a very noticeable hum at 1/4 volume. (See how they handle this, #2 below). Paint?…. The turntable was a painted model (red). It looked like red stain in the picture - and they talk about using the highest quality walnut and oak. I’m wondering what is under the paint? The paint had a noticeable defect on the front edge. There was a lip where the paint pooled during drying. Drive Belt… Belt is weak and makes a ticking noise when you turn it on. Take the belt off and no ticking. It’s likely ticking because it is a time bomb. It’s like a really poor fitting, very thin and fragile belt. Cables… You may need to use their RCA cables. Why? Because that’s how they deal with grounding. I originally tried with a very high quality cable, then heard the hum. It was a little less hum with their cable. They show really nice RCA cables on-line, but this did not come with them. Or I wasn’t special enough to get them. 2: Poor Customer Service Model/ Approach: They have a very nice note up front when you open the box. Looks handwritten. It says. Call if you have any issues. So, I call. No one answered the phone. I left a message. Called again. No answer, I left a message. I did get a call. I explained how disappointed I was. I told the rep (who was very nice by the way), but if you’re going to have a note saying “Call if you have issues”, have people to answer your phones. So, the rep told me they are aware of the hum issue and he could send me a pigtail ground adapter. I told him if people might need the pigtail, put it in the box. What company does stuff like this? I shared the other poor quality issues as well. So with that I leave you dear reader. Do not buy.

I frankly did not have expectations that this turntable would approach the sound quality of my 1986 vintage Linn Axis turntable. The Linn finally gave out after 38 years of high quality sound. The cost of turntables has increased significantly so I was prepared to downgrade and sacrifice the quality I enjoyed for so long. It surprisingly surprised me that this new turntable could nearly equal the sound output I’d enjoyed for so many years. I would highly recommend this phono player as excellent sound quality at a very reasonable price

I've owned (much) more expensive turntables in the past so the fact this one impressed me as much as it did is no small feat. It is very well engineered and built and is hands down the easiest turntable to set up I've ever seen - excellent if you're just getting into vinyl. You only need to mount the belt, platter and the dust cover and you're done - no need to install the cartridge nor balance the tonearm since that's been done for you. It doesn't even need to be grounded thanks to some innovative engineering - just connect it to power and to your amp / phono preamp and it's good to go. Sound wise, it puts tables in a similar price range, like Cambridge Audio Alva series or something from Pro-Ject or the lower end Audio Tecnica models to shame and sounds much more like something you'd hear in the $1.5k price range with a fancy MC cartridge to boot. In summary: - well built - looks great - easy to use - sounds excellent - pairs well with built-in / budget phono preamps - won't break the bank Can't recommend enough.