In this digital world, no one had ever thought of using vinyl records ever again. People had thrown away their old records, thinking they could never be played and listened to. However, thanks to the Jensen JTA-230 Speed Stereo Turntable, people have cleaned their records collection so that they are ready to listen.
The Jensen JTA-230 is a 3-speed stereo turntable with built-in speakers and speed control. This easy to use and easy to set up device is considered as an entry level player available at an affordable rate. The 3-speed turntable has features of a pitch, volume and tone control. Also, it contains a stereo spacer system, a headphone jack, and a dust cover.
Cartridge and Stylus of the Jensen JTA-230
Jensen JTA-230 comes with a ceramic cartridge that works on the piezoelectric effect. Cheaper record players contain a ceramic cartridge rather than the magnetic ones because they are robust, resistant and less expensive. The light weight of the turntable makes it more susceptible to external vibrations and hence, ceramic cartridges are fitted because they are less sensitive to external noise.
The biggest drawback is the frequency bound. The stylus may go out of the groove at lower frequencies, which will skip tracks while playing. Furthermore, the ceramic cartridge does not work beyond frequencies of 14,000Hz.
The stylus of this unit can play 33.5 and 45 rpm records with its tip made of diamond and with a radius of 0.0007 inches.
Inputs and Outputs
Jensen JTA-230 is a self-contained player with no requirements of an external speaker, amplifier, or pre-amplifier. It contains two stereo speakers embedded in the left and right side of the player. Also, this turntable can be used as a stereo system by connecting an MP3 player or iPod to it through an auxiliary input jack.
For the outputs, this player provides a left and right RCA line-out jacks, a 3.5mm stereo headphone jack, and a USB port for converting the audio on the vinyl records to digital format.
Sound Quality
To avoid input of the sound coming from the speakers into the stylus and hence skipping tracks due to excessive vibration, the speakers of the vinyl player have an average sound quality that does not get thunderous.
Benefits vs Drawbacks
The pros of the Jensen JTA-230 turntable are its size, price, and support of three speeds. Moreover, it does not require any complicated setup or adjustments and can be easily connected to a computer.
The drawbacks are that the speakers are quite small and can’t get loud. Also, it gives limited tone control, flat bass response, and manual start-stop. Most importantly, it cannot be upgraded.
Conclusion
The Jensen JTA-230 is an affordable vinyl player ideal for people who love to listen to music casually. Also, it is the best device for transferring vinyl albums to a digital format through the USB port. The product has received great appreciation from its customers, and it has stood beyond their expectations.
