Numark TTUSB Turntable
Known because of its variety of DJ equipment, Numark has a turntable which is directed at the domestic marketplace and is designed for digitising music. With that said, the styling is unashamedly 'DJ' in appearance using its curved plinth, tapered-edge platter.
The built in preamp could be bypassed if wanted, so the turntable can be used with an external phono stage. The TTUSB provides both 33 and 45rpm speeds and is fitted with a 3.5 mm stereo mini jack input connector to enable the transport of cassette tapes (or similar line-level sources) to computer files. This input is used to send sound to your personal computer through the USB connection and does not send sound to the RCA output. The supplied applications save it to your own computer as MP3 files and will rip your vinyl collection directly, but it can require you to have iTunes installed on before it will run.
The turntable has two on/off switches - one located in the front-left at the rear of one plus the plinth-left. There is also a master power switch round the rear. The deck includes a slider speed control, which allows the pitch to be fixed by +/-10%, revealing the DJ tradition of the deck. However, the slider can also be used if required, to accurately establish a stroboscopic audio CD on the turntable speed. The arm doesn't have a lever that is cueing and that means you will need to manually lower it using the finger-elevator on the headshell. All needed cables to connect the TTUSB for your pc or stereo system are comprised.
Sound quality
The Ion cartridge does rather a respectable job of managing both Borodin along with the Stravinsky pieces. Doing an Ion exchange with the Goldring 2400 cartridge has little influence on the sound quality, so join the output signal to the MM phono input of the Exposure amp and I proceed to avoid the internal phono stage. This results in a improvement in imaging and depth, but that is never to imply that the Numark's internal phono stage doesn't do a commendable job.
The Simon and Garfunkel track has a good presence and clarity. Although there is not a great deal of depth, there is certainly good left-to-spread throughout the soundstage. The Miles Davis piece is similarly very clear and open, with all the hi-hats quite light and musical. I find myself drawn to the piano solos, which are melodic and tuneful. The piano sounds very believable as an acoustic instrument, as opposed to sounding like an electronic piano.
Ending using the Laurent Garnier disc shows that both cartridge and the arm manage well with the heavy bass and also the triangle is also clear and sharp. The shifting moods of Food For Thought are well suited by the TTUSB.
