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U-Turn Audio Orbit Plus Review

Good sound and construction that is held back by a higher than average price point and less user friendly design
u-turn audio orbit plus turntable review
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Price:  $329 List
Manufacturer:   U-Turn Audio
By Max Mutter and Steven Tata  ⋅  Dec 6, 2017
68
OVERALL
SCORE


RANKED
#5 of 7
  • Sound Quality - 40% 7.0
  • Component Quality - 25% 8.0
  • User Friendliness - 25% 5.0
  • Vibration Resistance - 10% 7.0

Our Verdict

Sporting spartan-esque simplicity, the U-Turn Orbit Plus is a barebones turntable that sounds quite good. However, its high price point is more expensive than other models that sound just as good or better, and offer some more user-friendly touches that the Orbit Plus lacks. If you're looking for great sound the Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB sounds better and is a good bit less expensive than the Orbit Plus. If you're looking to save some money the Fluance RT81 sounds just as good and is easier to use. Because of this, we feel the Orbit Plus isn't the best choice for most people, though it certainly is not a bad record player.
REASONS TO BUY
Good sound quality
High quality construction
Good vibration resistance
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Fully manual
Some static distortion at higher volumes

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Overall Score Sort Icon
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Star Rating
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Pros Good sound quality, high quality construction, good vibration resistanceExceptional sound quality, high quality construction, easy to useGreat sound, high quality construction, easy to useGood sound, fully automatic cueing, great vibration resistanceInexpensive, good sound, fully automatic operation
Cons Expensive, fully manual, some static distortion at higher volumesSusceptible to skipping if bumped, expensiveExpensiveExpensiveDynamic range is a bit stunted, little adjustability
Bottom Line Good sound and construction that is held back by a higher than average price point and less user friendly designGreat for audiophiles that want the best possible listening experienceGreat sound quality and user-friendly features will please vinyl veterans and newcomers alikeAutomatic cueing and good resistance to skipping offers greater peace of mind when listening to treasured old recordsA great and budget-friendly entry point to listening to music on vinyl
Rating Categories U-Turn Audio Orbit... Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Audio-Technica AT-L... Fluance RT81 Audio-Technica AT-L...
Sound Quality (40%)
7.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
6.0
Component Quality (25%)
8.0
9.0
8.0
7.0
7.0
User Friendliness (25%)
5.0
8.0
9.0
8.0
5.0
Vibration Resistance (10%)
7.0
6.0
6.0
8.0
6.0
Specs U-Turn Audio Orbit... Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Audio-Technica AT-L... Fluance RT81 Audio-Technica AT-L...
Cartridge Ortofon OM 5E Ortofon 2M Red Audio Technica AT95E Audio Technica AT95E Audio Technica ATN3600L
Drive Method Belt Belt Direct Belt Belt
USB Compatibility No No Yes No Yes
Operation Manual Manual Manual Fully Automatic Fully Automatic
Platter Material Acrylic Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum Aluminum
Mat Material Felt Felt Felt Rubber Felt

Our Analysis and Test Results

The Orbit Plus is a good all around turntable, but its relatively high price makes it a poor value when compared to other models.

u-turn audio orbit plus turntable review
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Performance Comparison


The Orbit Plus did quite well in our overall testing, as you can see in the table above. In the sections below we discuss all the strengths and shortcomings we discovered while testing the Orbit.

Sound Quality


The Orbit Plus earned a 7 out of 10 in our sound quality testing, putting it well above average but just behind the top performers. Its overall clarity was on par with that of the top scoring Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB and the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon. The Orit's dynamic range was a bit compressed when compared to these top models, but it was still wide enough to lend loud notes the emotional resonance they deserve. The one major complaint we had about the Orbit's sound was the fact that there was a slight static noise in the background of everything. This was not at all noticeable at low volumes, but when we cranked the music loud it was conspicuous but not overpowering. No matter how much we adjusted the tonearm and cartridge we could not get this distortion to go away. Overall we didn't feel that it was a huge drawback, but if you like to enjoy your music at a high volume it may become annoying.

u-turn audio orbit plus turntable review - the orbit plus sounds great, but there are less expensive models...
The Orbit Plus sounds great, but there are less expensive models that sound better.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Component Quality


The Orbit Plus is quite well constructed, earning a high score of 8 out of 10 in our component quality testing. This put it just behind the top score of 9. Our favorite part of its build is the heavy acrylic platter, which goes a long way towards reducing vibration from the motor. Even the high end Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB and the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon have aluminum platters that are noticeably lighter. The motor is separate from the platter and uses a belt drive, also to reduce vibration from making its way into the record. The metal tonearm is quite stiff and well constructed, and the Ortofon OM 5E cartridge gets the job done. Overall the Orbit's construction quality is commensurate with its higher price, with only the carbon fiber tonearm of the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon being a noticeable improvement over any of the Orbit's components.

u-turn audio orbit plus turntable review - the orbit has a nice stiff tonearm, but the tracking force...
The ORbit has a nice stiff tonearm, but the tracking force adjustment can be a bit finicky.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

User Friendliness


This was the worst metric for the Orbit as it earned a mediocre 5 out of 10. This is largely due to its simplistic design which places more of an onus on the user. The Orbit lacks any sort of cueing lever, which means you must pick up the tonearm, move it into the right position and gently rest it onto the record yourself. While this isn't particularly difficult, it can be a bit nerve racking for a newcomer. The other models in this price range, the Audio Technica AT-LP120XUSB and the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon, both have cue levers that somewhat automate the process of actually putting the needle down onto the record. We found this to be much easier than having to lower the tonearm and needle by hand. Some models, like the Audio-Technica AT-LP3BK, completely automate the cueing process, so you can get a record playing at the push of a button.

u-turn audio orbit plus turntable review - you have to hand cue the orbit plus without the assistance of a cue...
You have to hand cue the Orbit plus without the assistance of a cue lever, this may take some getting used to if you're new to vinyl.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

The Orbit also forces you to manually select the speed at which the platter turns, whereas most models automatically detect whether a record is a 33 or 45 and adjust themselves accordingly. Finally, the tonearm is balanced with a sliding weight, making it much harder to make fine adjustments than with models that use threaded weights that can be moved very slightly by turning them.

Vibration Resistance


The Orbit was above average in our vibration resistance testing, earning a score of 7 out of 10. It stood up to all but the hardest of bumps to the table it was sitting on without skipping. While the Fluance RT81 was even better in that regard, we'd still approve the Orbit for raucous dance parties.

Value


This is where the Orbit Plus loses a lot of merit. It is significantly more expensive than the better sounding and easier-to-use Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB. This makes it a poor overall value unless you just really fall in love with its aesthetics.

u-turn audio orbit plus turntable review
Credit: Jenna Ammerman

Conclusion


The U-Turn Orbit Plus is a great overall turntable that is held back by a relatively high list price. If you can find it on sale it's great, but otherwise the Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB would be a much better choice for most people.

Max Mutter and Steven Tata
 
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