Retro Belt-Drive USB Turntable, a Retro-Style Suitcase for the Erudite

There was a time when records were the best, and sometimes only, means of getting ownership of a song copy, which is why many people have large collections, stacks really, of records at home.

To let those old-fashioned but nonetheless charming entertainment media regain their role in today's society, Pyle has released the Retro Belt-Drive Turntable.

While it looks like a suitcase when closed, it becomes a turntable when open, though it is much more than the average disk spinner.

The product, rather than being made according to outdated blueprints involving electrical speakers and ancient mechanics, connects to PCs instead.

Indeed, it features a USB connector through which the suitcase can be recharged and, most importantly, data songs can be saved on the computer.

To elaborate, once the Universal Serial Bus connection has been established, the songs can be converted into MP3 files. Pyle made sure to include the necessary software in the box.

Spec-wise, the turntable (part number PVTT2U) still has two built-in anti-magnetic speakers (forward-facing instead of upward-facing like on old systems), and Stereo RCA output.

Furthermore, there is the option to switch from 33 to 45 and 78 RPM (rotations per minute), as small, full-size and single disks/albums sometimes need different playback speeds.

Of course, we are fairly certain that the hilarity of listening to a normal record at high speed could catch on as well, as the voices of the singers, or the voice actors if one is listening to an audiobook, tend to become squeaky.

Sales should start soon, and while the normal price is somewhere in the $188.99-194 Range (141-194.99 Euro), Amazon is letting it go at a discount: $119 / 89-119 Euro.

Sadly, that particular offer is out of stock, so the discount may only apply for this apparent pre-order period. When supplies arrive, the normal tag will probably fall back into place.