Victrola Revolution Go review 2024: easy to use

Vinyl is making a big comeback, so why keep your records on a shelf at home when you can listen to them anywhere? The Victrola Revolution Go is a portable turntable and Bluetooth speaker that was made for this purpose. It plays your LPs through its built-in speaker, streams them to other Bluetooth devices, and works pretty well on its own as a wireless speaker for streaming music.

We also like how retro it looks. It doesn’t have the power, bass, or clarity you’d expect from a $200 Bluetooth speaker, but that’s not what it’s meant for. Audiophiles should stick with a dedicated outdoor speaker like the JBL Charge 5 ($179.95) for digital audio and a high-end turntable for 180-gram gems.

Victrola Revolution Go specifications

Victrola Revolution Go review: Design and features

At first glance, the Victrola Revolution GO looks like a regular record player. It has a platter sitting on a plinth and a plastic dust cover to keep everything inside clean and tidy when it’s not in use.

But the Revolution GO is made with a few extra features that make it good for use on the go. First of all, there is a large grille built into the plinth. This is where the Bluetooth speaker sits, so you can listen to your records and music from your phone without having to connect the turntable to an external speaker. You can buy this external speaker from its official website.

Victrola Revolution Go review: Sound quality

The Victrola Revolution GO has a pair of 5-watt drivers that send sound out. This isn’t the loudest speaker we have ever heard, nor is it the speaker with the best sound quality. Still, there may be a reason why this portable player sounds the way it does. Since the record player is right next to the speaker, too much bass would make the needle jump.

This means that the speaker doesn’t have as much bass as you might expect, but it doesn’t sound thin. The Revolution GO has a rough sound and seems to focus on the lower midrange, which gives it a unique sound. For better or worse, this doesn’t sound like a Bluetooth speaker in the same price range.

Victrola Revolution Go review: Connectivity

Near the front of the turntable is a large knob that can be used to change the power, volume, and connection modes. If you hold it down for two seconds, the turntable will turn on or off. The volume can be changed by turning it. When you press it, you can switch between three ways to connect: Vinyl, Vinyl Stream, and Bluetooth mode. With the last two modes, pairing is very simple.

Victrola Revolution Go review: Performance

The Victrola Revolution Go works very well, but not quite as well as it could. The speed at which cheaper record players play records is, of course, the first problem. They sometimes play too quickly or too slowly. And, more importantly, they might not go at the same speed all the time. Lucky for us, the Victrola Revolution Go is pretty close to the truth here.

But we can’t say that it’s great because of how it sounds. It has a rich sound that most people who are just getting into vinyl will like. It’s warm, with a slightly overemphasized mid-range and a slightly rolled-off high-end that give everything that vinyl warmth, even when you’re using it as a Bluetooth speaker. 

Victrola Revolution Go review: Battery Life

Because this is a pretty unique product, we didn’t have any ideas about how long the battery would last. We could only compare it to Bluetooth speakers, keeping in mind that a turntable has a lot more parts that move. Victrola says you’ll get between 8 and 12 hours of playback with vinyl and between 9 and 13 hours with Bluetooth. This is a low price for a Bluetooth speaker, but we can’t imagine using it for that long without plugging it in.

Victrola Revolution Go review: Price and availability

The Victrola Revolution GO was shown at CES 2022, but it didn’t come out until October 2021. It can now be bought for $199.99/£199, which is about AU$280. Pricing for the rest of the world is still being worked out.

Usually, the price of a record player starts at around $100, £100, or AU$150 and goes up into the thousands or even higher. The Revolution GO is on the cheaper end of the price range, and since it’s the first fully portable turntable that can also be used as a Bluetooth speaker for your phone, it seems like a great deal.

Final Words

The Victrola Revolution GO is unique because it is the first turntable that can be taken anywhere. It has a rechargeable battery, is light, and has a Bluetooth speaker built right in. It’s not the best-sounding record player we’ve ever tried, but it works well, plays loudly, and lets you take your records with you.

THE GOOD AND THE BAD

THE GOOD

1. Rechargeable battery
2. Lightweight build
3. Carrying strap

THE BAD

1. A little heavy for a portable device.
2. The speaker built in is good, but not great.

FAQS

Will Victrola suitcase ruin records?

The Victrola from the 1920s does play records. Since they are made of shellac, they are obviously stronger than vinyl. Very fragile, and a small drop is enough to break it. When these were first made, the needle was made of metal and would definitely wear down the grooves.

How long does a Victrola needle last?

Because it’s so often on the move, every stylus, no matter how durable, has a finite lifespan. Most experts recommend replacing it every 1,000 hours of use.

How much is a Victrola worth today?

Most Victrola models with an internal horn can still be found at estate sales and on EBay. The average price for these “attic-stored” machines is between $50 and $200.