Enjoy Taylor Swift’s latest album on one of the best possible hardware

Swifties all around the world have been waiting for months for the discharge of Taylor Swift’s latest album, The Tortured Poets Department (TTPD, in the event you’re conversant in the lingo). In addition to the teasers, Taylor has released a series of exclusive vinyl records, each with its own bonus track. For many fans (myself included), this was enough to finally make a return to physical media.

Yes, after years of rolling my eyes at my kids collecting records, I gave in and began a set of my very own.

Since the digital revolution of music streaming began, I’ve left records, cassettes and CDs behind. After all, my generation is the one which discovered the enjoyment of skipping straight to your favorite song on an album. Why should I am going back?

It wasn’t until recently that I spotted that by foregoing the physical, I used to be missing a connection to my music. I’m an 80s kid who grew up with cassette decks and my parents’ hi-fi system. I still remember the ritual of listening to a whole album. That’s lost when you possibly can dive into each album like a Sonic Sniper, take heed to your favorites and jump right back out.

But getting my hands on my TTPD Target-exclusive Phantom vinyl was just the primary part. I needed a correct system to play it (that is one other thing that is largely been lost: dedicated hardware for music). But I didn’t want to simply throw away any old Goodwill. If I began with Taylor, I might do it right.

That’s why I used to be thrilled after I saw that Sonos is totally amazing Turntable set. It’s seemingly easy, in any case, all you have to play records is a turntable and a speaker. But what a turntable and speakers.

Turntables

The Pro-Ject T1 Phonos SB turntable is a gorgeous, minimalist turntable. To avoid unwanted vibrations, the bottom is manufactured from CNC-milled wood and is manufactured in order that there are not any hole parts. It is out there in black, walnut or white. Whether you are in your Reputation, Evermore or TTPD era, you are covered.

The solid construction extends to the glass top. Better than plastic or lightweight metal, the resonance-free platter is heavy and doesn’t deform or bend, ensuring smooth playback. The tonearm is constructed from a single piece of aluminum and has a superb counterweight. I also appreciate the tonearm lever, which permits you to gently lower the needle. Speaking of which: The T1 Phonos SB is provided with an Ortofon OM 5E moving magnet cartridge that delivers phenomenal HiFi sound.

You even have options for playback, with an electronic 33/45 speed switch and an included felt mat. You can connect the included RCA cable (which also includes an adapter for the Sonos Five speaker) to the integrated preamplifier. The sub-platter has a belt drive with steel bearings, which ensures a fair more reliable sound.

It is out there in black, walnut or white. Whether you are within the Reputation Era, Evermore Era or TTPD Era, we’re here for you. I also appreciate the included dust cover (although I can already see fingerprints on the clear, smoked plastic).

The speaker

The Sonos Five is a powerhouse amongst speakers. With six amplifiers, three tweeters and three midrange drivers, it’s essentially the most powerful within the Sonos range. It routinely ensures clear stereo separation with absolutely crystal-clear vocal details (ideal for us Swifties). It may also work in a stereo pair and switch to mono when you bring it into vertical orientation.

The Sonos Five is connected to the turntable via a line-in adapter. Since the Five can be a totally functional Bluetooth speaker, you will need to make certain you choose autoplay within the Sonos app’s settings in order that it activates each time you play a record.

Otherwise, setup is a breeze. You can tweak the equalizer (I do know I should, but I never try this since the factory EQ settings are only that good) and arrange a Trueplay sound that adapts the output to the architecture of the particular room, wherein the speaker is positioned.

The sound

In one word? Transformative. I’ve never really understood why pumping digital music through my Apple Homepod Mini at full volume is worse than a vinyl record. After all, it’s all about converting music right into a signal and playing it back, right?

But I used to be unsuitable. I began with a record I’m very conversant in: Daft Punk’s TRON: Legacy soundtrack (seriously, I will need to have listened to it 200 times) and was blown away by the sonority and subtle separation of various parts of the composition . Instead of the bass taking up (which frequently happens whenever you blare a song) or the horns drowning out the strings, all of it just comes together into the layered masterpiece that it’s.

What excited me much more was hearing TTPD. Suffice it to say, Taylor Swift’s vocals within the Five shined on a few of my favorite songs like “Florida!!!” (I absolutely love Florence + the Machine too) and “I Can Do It With a Broken Heart” (Eras tour participant, IFYKYK). Even after listening to the album within the automobile and on the go for a whole weekend, I discovered myself detecting subtle tonal changes that simply weren’t apparent when played through the automobile speakers (as fun as that’s). I used to be also impressed that the sound separation remained even after I turned the quantity up really loud (some tracks you only need to take heed to at full volume).

And yes, sitting down and consciously listening to your entire album without the power to simply jump from track to trace made for a transcendent experience. Truly one of the best method to experience the master’s music.

Now just hurry up and release TTPD: The Anthology on vinyl already, OK?

You can buy the Sonos turntable set for $948 on the Sonos website (a bundle deal that reduces the full price by $50). If that is somewhat too expensive, you possibly can pair the Pro-Ject T1 with an Era 100 speaker for $682.

Believe me, it’s price it.