Company History & Product Overview

This article is all about a new turntable from JBL aimed at people just getting into vinyl for the first time. It is called the Spinner, and it sure has a lot to offer someone just starting out with vinyl.

JBL has been around for decades, producing speakers both professionals and home audio enthusiasts love. One of their biggest projects ever was putting together the Grateful Dead’s Wall of Sound, which rocked many a concert stage. They have branched out into all things audio-related, including headphones, portable speakers, electronics, and now with the Spinner, turntables. JBL has some of the best engineers in the industry, and when they do something, they do it right!

We first saw the Spinner at Audio Advice Live in August of 2023 and could not wait to get our hands on one to test out.

New to vinyl? Learn everything you need to know here: Audio Advice Turntable Buyers Guide

Design & Build Quality

If you were around in the 70s and into audio, you might remember the classic JBL L100 speakers, which went on to become a legend. They were so popular that JBL brought them back as part of their Classic Series a few years back. The most famous color their unique grills came in was JBL orange.

The Spinner pays homage to the legendary orange color with the JBL logo, and in an even cooler look, both the platter and anti-skate knob are JBL orange too. Now, if you prefer something more subdued for your space, there is also an option to have the JBL logo, platter, and anti-skate knob in a muted gold tone as well.

Features & Technology

Normally, when we go over a turntable, we start from the bottom and work our way up, so let's get started.

The Spinner has nice feet that will help absorb external vibrations. They are actually pretty cushy as they move quite a bit when you press down on the plinth. And they get bonus points for being adjustable, so you can get things perfectly leveled.

The main platter bearing is captive but does have a tapered brass spindle to lock the platter in well. The aluminum platter itself is about what you would expect for a table like this, but it is pretty lightweight with no damping. However, adding the nice felt mat damps it out pretty well.

We were also impressed to see the motor mount is double isolated from the plinth. It sits in its own cutout, and then on that separate section, the motor mount itself uses large rubber isolators to reduce noise further. Plus, the belt drive system itself adds some isolation, too.

When we looked at the J-shaped tonearm, we thought it might have cheap bearings with some chatter, but that is not the case at all. It is very friction-free, with no perceptible chatter. And unlike some less expensive tables where things are not always perfectly aligned, the headshell is exactly parallel to the record surface. And even though it is removable, it locks in nicely and tightly. We were a bit worried the auto-start mechanism might add some noise. However, listening closely to a blank groove test record revealed it did not, as it was very quiet.

Unlike some other tables, you might find where the counterweight and or anti-skate is fixed; this one is fully adjustable, so should you want to add a better cartridge later, you would be able to. Making this adjustment and setting up the first time might be the only part that could give a turntable newbie a hard time, but have no worries. When you purchase your JBL Spinner from Audio Advice, we will send you our setup guide.

The cartridge is marked as an Audio-Technica and looks like the same one used by some other brands. Audio-Technica is known for making great entry-level cartridges, and we were happy to see it as the choice.

The front panel has 33 and 45 buttons you simply press to select the speed. The Spinner will start spinning, no pun intended, when you move the arm over the record. It stops when you bring it back.

So all of that looks like a pretty typical turntable, right? Well, when you look closely, you’ll see a little light behind the platter that opens up a whole other world of possibilities for many users. Yes, the JBL Spinner comes equipped with Bluetooth and not just any; it's the best aptX HD!

For many people just getting into the world of better audio, they may have a pair of bluetooth speakers or headphones. Pairing up the Spinner to our Bluetooth headphones we used for testing was a snap. When we think about all of the people out there with Bluetooth speakers who might want to add a turntable, this is just such a great feature to have on a turntable that is quite good in its own right. And it gives you the advantage of putting the turntable where you want it.

Now bear in mind that Bluetooth does turn your analog signal into digital, but if you are just starting out and beginning to build your vinyl collection, we are okay with that. And should you decide to get a bit more serious and make a direct connection, the Spinner has you covered there, too. It has a pair of analog outs with a built-in phono preamp for those of you with a system that has no phono preamp. Or, if you have a decent one, you can turn them off.

Another feature that is great for people just starting out in vinyl is auto shut-off. Yes, you can press a button on the back to engage this, and when it is on, the motor will shut off at the end, and your cartridge will not sit there grinding into the paper if you forget to shut things down.

JBL has just thought of everything for the person getting into vinyl with this great new Spinner turntable!

Performance Testing

Now, you probably know that at Audio Advice, we are really into turntables and can be a bit critical at times. So, how did the Spinner sound? In a word, it is far better than we expected, given its price and the nice feature set. Is it as good as some more expensive manual turntables with no Bluetooth? No, it is not. But it is close and surprisingly good to our ears. It tracks well and seems to be as resistant to acoustic feedback as anything near or even above its price. The belt drive system is well implemented as there is a decent sense of rhythm, although not to the level of some British tables that sell for more. But to us, that is okay; this is one heck of a great starter turntable. And we have to say, wandering around the house jamming out to vinyl on our Bluetooth headphones was pretty cool.

Overall Thoughts

If you have the itch to start collecting vinyl and are like a lot of people with a pair of Bluetooth speakers or a basic system with no phono preamp, we can not think of a better, simpler way to get started than with the Spinner! Plus, it just looks as cool as all get out to us!

We’re here to help!

If you have further questions about the JBL Spinner turntable or anything audio or video-related, contact our experts via chat, phone, or email. Or simply visit one of our world-class showrooms to experience speakers, projectors, TVs, and everything in between for yourself before you make a purchase!

Audio Advice has been in the industry since 1978, and throughout the years, we’ve developed a team of professionals who live and breathe all things audio and video. We spend countless hours testing and reviewing every product we sell to ensure it meets our extremely high-quality standards. With our state-of-the-art home theater audio lab, we can become product experts and provide our customers with in-depth, honest feedback.

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