Victrola Sapphire Stream Turntable (Review)
Summary: A premium turntable in every sense of the word, Victrola's Sapphire Stream is an audiophile's dream come true in build, sound and looks.
5
Turntable Perfection
Having had a blast with Victrola’s impressive VPT-800 Automatic Turntable, I was chomping at the bit to give their latest premium turntable a go.
The Stream Sapphire is Victrola’s newest and highest end turntable to date, retailing for $1299US at time of review. Amazingly – and even at this price point – the Stream Sapphire is arguably worth every cent.
Everything about the Stream Sapphire screams classy. To begin, this bad boy packs some serious weight, thanks to its beautiful medium density fiberboard plinth real walnut veneer, stunning carbon fiber tonearm, and gorgeous aluminum build within.
Unboxing celebrates this work of audio art, wrapped in gorgeous fabric bags adorned with the Victrola logo on each, and every part – counterweight, needle, 45rpm adapter, etc. – separately packaged and on display to marvel.
At around $1300US, nothing is skimped. The Stream Sapphire thick rubber platter is terrific, RCA inputs top quality gold plated. Stream Sapphire’s feet are robust, allowing for needed sound dampening and zero wobble.
Arguably the most impressive inner workings of the Stream Sapphire is its spectacular Ortofon 2M Blue Cartridge, one of the top needles on the market. This cartridge is easily removable and swappable thanks to an intuitive insert point on the arm, as is the needle at the base of the cartridge. Comparing this needle’s design excellence to lower end ones is almost laughable. The Ortofon 2M Blue is a work of art.
When Victrola’s touts ‘streaming,’ they really mean it. It was effortless to sync Stream Sapphire’s VINYLSTREAM to a Sonos Move 2, with advertised multi-speaker functionality across this line and other Bluetooth options to include UPnP. The Victrola app significantly simplifies Sonos sync, also yields a robust array of auto-play and sister options that work wonderfully. It was nice to see an option to simultaneously play via RCA and Sonos…also how easily it is to turn the latter off on demand.
A welcome feature – also customizable via the Victrola app – is the Stream Sapphire’s illuminated control knob. Being able to dually control volumes on a player and speaker removes unnecessary distortions or bass/treble imbalance. As I was using a Klipsch The Three Plus for RCA output, their app features custom EQ tweaks to improve clarity even further.
Similarly, the Victrola app likewise features options to emphasize quality over consistency, to include FLAC preference. This robust customization is a major step up over the one-size-fits-all on lower end models employing VINYLSTREAM.
Most importantly, OMG the sound! Stream Sapphire’s combination of build, balance, premium needle, brushless motor, sound dampening base and vibration isolation combine to audio excellence. Sound was equally perfect on both analog RCA and Sonos, an audiophile’s dream come true. Every musical nuance came across wonderfully. I could nitpick on the removable dust cover, but it’s an understandable design decision for aesthetics and acoustics. The Ortofon 2M Blue is so smoooooth.
My lone disappointment is my absence of a premium audio setup to really allow the Stream Sapphire to flex its muscle. Those possessing multiple Sonos speakers of all shapes and sizes likewise impressive receivers and zone distribution are apt to be floored by what this device can deliver.
Playing devil’s advocate and in all fairness, most will be more than happy with Victrola’s impressive VPT-800 at 1/5th the price of the Stream Sapphire. The former works wonderfully well, features terrific entry level features, and sports VINYLSTREAM functionality.
On the flipside, true vinyl enthusiasts will only purchase a single record player for the next 5-10 years, and the Stream Sapphire is one you will love for a very long time. It looks, feels and sounds truly magnificent, a beautiful functional display piece that will love your Sonos setup from Day 1. It doesn’t get much better than the Ortofon 2M Blue and a perfectly weighted manual carbon fiber arm. Ditto a real walnut veneer that pops against the aluminum inner frame. I want to hug this turntable!
Last and importantly, I’ve also been incredibly impressed by Victrola’s outstanding customer service. They are wonderfully responsive, know their products, and go out of their way to provide informed answers to anything you throw at them.
Final Thoughts
Victrola’s Stream Sapphire is their highest end turntable to date and a truly impressive visual and audio treat. It’s top-of-the-line build quality, Ortofon 2M Blue needle, carbon fiber wand, and terrific VINYLSTREAM functionality make the Stream Sapphire an absolute winner.
Unboxing Photos
About the Author
Paul Stuart A gamer for over 30 years, Paul Stuart has an unhealthy obsession with Assassins Creed, God of War, also sport and virtual reality titles. In his spare time, he teaches Muay Thai kickboxing, runs WrestlingInFlorida.com, and drives his toddler crazy.
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