Bruce Good is the co-presenter of Premier Friday Show on 2oceansvibe Radio.

I’ve been accused of choosing form over substance in my time. Vacillating between the timeless elegance of a 1960s Porsche Speedster over a 2009 Audi being the most recent example. While it didn’t, the timeless very nearly usurped the practical. (Implicit in this is that I couldn’t get both, which is a topic for another day.)

The relevance, you may ask, to an article on my recent, much-publicized, love affair with vinyl? The quandary was the choice between a 1970s Bang and Olfsen, or ION’s new USB LP Turntable.

The choice to go vinyl was out of my hands. After seeing a friend delicately hover a needle between the 2nd and 3rd track of Avalon and then hearing the nostalgia-inducing crackle before Bryan Ferry wistfully groaned, “A va Lon”, I was powerless to resist her alluring charms. The crackle being the proverbial foreplay in my now intense and passionate love affair.

As a lover of classic and deco design I was drawn to the retro cool of the Bang and Olufsen turntable – the variety that Dicky Greenleaf would almost certainly have had on display in his Amalfi-coast beach house. But like the Speedster, drawbacks can be prohibitive if your budget is Ripleyesque. For instance, purchasing a new needle for the B&O could cost north of R2,000 and her general upkeep would certainly further investment. Quite a lot when you consider the whole ION shebang costs under R1,500. Price apart, what features tempted me to tempt me from B&O’s deco classic to the ION?

First, it comes with software that allows records to be converted and saved to itunes, and is literally ready to go once you open the box. Secondly, it can be played through an existing sound system, or simply through a laptop using the USB port.
And the all-in cost is R1,480 versus about R2,800 for the old school set up. With a guarantee and state-of-the-art parts, there is no need to worry about replacing uber-expensive needles.

Hence sensibility and functionality reigned supreme. So, if you’re in the market for a turntable, and you should be, I give the ION my strongest stamp of approval. Substance over form. Though to be fair, the modern relative is still streamlined and stylish.

So, with that decision out of the way, where to purchase one? Our preferred retailer is Mabu Vinyl – the only independent record shop in Cape Town – an indie treat just off Kloof St. Else the Internet if you don’t reside in the mother city (details below).

Resistance is futile. Vintage design, clothes, cars, themes are the new brown. The choice is thus not whether to add vinyl and a turntable to your world, it is when. Now you know when and where…

Features of the ION Profile LP Turntable:

• Convert LPs to MP3s via USB connection to Mac or PC
• EZ Vinyl/Tape Converter software with guide
• Built-in preamp – play records on home stereo / theatre
• Hinged dust cover protects needle and keeps slipmat clean
• Plug-and-play USB computer connection requires no driver installation

These turntables can be bought at the Mabu Vinyl store (email: mabu@sugarmusic.co.za (PH) 021 423 7635 website: www.mabuvinyl.co.za), or https://mabuvinyl.co.za/mabudigital.html

Ships to anywhere in SA for R1,600, all inclusive.