Lenco L-3808 Matte Grey | 33 & 45 RPM Direct Drive USB Turntable for Vinyl with Integrated Stereo Pre-Amplifier and Premium Audio Technica Cartridge - Grey Record Player

Product Information

Perhaps I should try using the turntable's preamp instead of my offboard one. It's often a question of synergy. Which is why I fitted an AT-95E – also from Audio-Technica – and compared the newly updated configuration with the similarly fitted Fluance RT81. Fitted within the chassis is a cheap phono amplifier (very similar to the model found within the Dual, incidentally). Again, upgrade to an external model ASAP to enhance the sonics. The mains cable of the Lenco L3808 Record Player comes fitted to the turntable for a smooth user experience. The other thing about this product is that it exudes a weighty bass, and this makes it stand out from the crowd. If you try to use it, you will realise that the drums are detailed with an accurate sense of guitar. If you are looking for a top-notch budget performer, then this innovative turntable might be of interest. Despite being cheap, it does come with essential features that are found in high-end turntables. However, you might have to do some upgrading here and there to get top-quality sound. One of the best things about the Lenco L3808 Vinyl Turntable is that it comes with professional-level features. For example, you can regulate the pitch and adjust the target light. What you need to know is that you should never judge this product by its cover. Take it on a road test, and you will find it quite good.

In terms of sound quality the differences – and there were differences – were relatively subtle but they were present. A dust cover can be fitted on top of the turntable. You even get a bright orange duster with a 75 th anniversary logo on too. A nice touch. It even has those typically DJ-like features, the pitch adjustment and the target light. So… a ‘me too’ design then. Would have I liked to have seen the Lenco brand, full of tradition, retired to rest in vintage peace? Absolutely, sure. That is, sound is not the be all and end all for this turntable’s design. It was a major factor for the designers but the available build budget was not devoted to sound and only sound – as was the case with the Rega RP1, for example. Which, it so happens, makes an appearance in this review as well.

Lenco L-3808 Direct Drive USB DJ Turntable, Black Overview

That goes for the other elephant in this other cramped room, the Hong Kong design. The Chinese derivation from this turntable will no doubt trigger instant condemnation from some quarters, in terms of sound and design. Even so, judging by my experience with the earlier L-3808 model, I actually expect a decent sound performance from this one. Why is that? was accompanied by weighty bass. Drums were meaningful and full of character, while the accuracy of the electric guitar added a sense of transient speed. What the L-3809 has that the 120x does not, after all of that, is an alternative design that might lean towards personal preference. The 120x offers a classic, direct-drive, Technics-a-like appearance. Some potential customers will love the look but other may see the 120x as old-fashioned with tired aesthetics. The L-3809 does look trim, has a modern swish to its aesthetics and offers a neater and tidier layout. Even so, this new design was also undertaken to, as Lenco states, be a “little less bulky providing a unique, stylish modern design.”

This turntable might have the name Lenco on it but, for the purposes of this review, that really doesn’t matter. For all I care, the badge can have ‘Cheese On Toast™’ on the top. I’m here to review what’s in front of me, I’m not here to review a memory. ELEPHANT No.2 There is no ground for use with external preamp - which gives off loud hum. The internal preamp is still adequate. There is clearly a noise-gate on board that will cut off during some silence. The result of the Rega vs Lenco shoot out is no surprise when sound is the only concern. But prospective Lenco owners should not despair or feel down hearted. As I mentioned above, I wouldn’t buy the Lenco for sound only anyway. You buy a Lenco L-3809 for the same reasons that you’d buy a Technics Ottawa f sound system, for the overall experience. Sound on the Lenco is just one element on the menu. It’s not the primary focus, as it is on the Rega.I found that, playing the turntable at 33.33, I did have to move the pitch adjustment just a tad from the default ‘0’ postion, to correct a slight speed drop. More than that, after my own queries, it appears that this new iteration is an in-house Lenco design. According to the company who kindly answered a few of my questions, “Our design is always a close cooperation between our manufacturer’s designer and our product manager. With the L-3809, we started from the design of our popular L-3808 and asked our factory designer to create something more modern, different from several other models in the market…which all are very similar.”