Lenco L-91 Turntable Test 

the main thing is to stop in time

The Lenco L-91 turntable model is an interesting but rather strange case. On the one hand, this is a simple and understandable turntable of the user segment, where many decisions have already been made for you - collect and use. On the other hand, there are important little things that distinguish the player from the budget brothers.

It seems that finding a "balanced solution" is exactly the task that Lenco's engineers set themselves. But do the above-mentioned trifles play such a big role? Let's figure out for whom this is all done and whether that very balance is necessary.

All at once

The player meets the user with a discreet and somewhat classic design. The polished and solid turntable table is reminiscent of 20th century furniture. No DJ aesthetics - everything is very homely, warm and minimalistic.

The legs are not adjustable, but they absorb vibrations quite well. The straight arm and black platter are made of aluminum, don't look cheap and match well in color. And there is a sticker on the case that literally spoils everything. It is completely unclear why she is here - this is not a laptop.

The drive here is belted - quiet and simple. The speed switch is on the bottom left, it's a neat round button with good responsiveness - it really just feels good to press.

The right side of the turntable is occupied by the tonearm area, where the anti-skating control and the lifting mechanism fit. At the same time, the tonearm is not adjustable in height, which is a shame - it will not work either to replace the slipmat with a thicker one, or to radically change the cartridge. However, looking ahead, I will say that the complete mat is excellent here.

The player's on/off button is located on the back, which may not be very convenient for those who turn off their equipment after listening. In addition, the player can fit close to the wall.

However, there are not so many reasons to reach for the back of the device: after all, the power and signal cables are non-removable, and the only connector is a USB output for connecting to a PC and digitizing your compositions.

As you may have guessed, there is no Line and Phono switch, and you can listen to records only with a built-in phono stage.

Included is the standard Audio-Technica AT95E cartridge for many entry-level turntables, which is enough for most users. By the way, it has already been discontinued, and AT-VM95 has come out to replace it, but replacement needles for AT95 will be available for sale for a long time.

The complete cartridge is already adjusted and fixed on the headshell, so when assembling the player, it is enough just to get the headshell from the delivery set, attach it to the tonearm and set the azimuth.

Then you can start leveling the tonearm with a weight, and that's all - the main process of setting up the player will be completed. And fastening the platter and belt is not difficult - it will take just a couple of minutes.

Those important little things

Since we're talking about a budget turntable, it's worth pointing out what might be important for those who are just starting to get into vinyl, but are no longer looking towards all-in-one solutions like the Crosley. It is unlikely that these details will satisfy the needs of experienced users, but they may seem interesting to those who are just looking around.

A rubber slipmat is attached to a rather massive platter, which successfully absorbs any resonances from the platter. This was the first thing I noticed when assembling the player - the rubber slipmat is really very good.

Often, budget models are equipped with cheaper solutions made of felt or felt, which, for many, are also electrified for no reason. Here, the manufacturer took care of the end user and put a worthy component in the kit.

Auto-stop function: when you bring the tonearm to the platter, it begins to rotate - as soon as you remove the tonearm, the drive immediately stops the platter. If desired, the function can be turned off, but then it will be possible to stop the rotation only by turning off the player.

Let me remind you that the on / off button is located at the back, which is not very convenient. So I would recommend leaving the feature active. Moreover, I have been used to completely manual control of the player for quite a long time and do not really like automation. But in the case of Lenco L-91, I am ready to admit that hitchhiking is very convenient and in a good way speeds up the use of the player.

Another little thing is the darkened lid. With a fairly simple design, this works as a solid visual solution. The main colors here are golden (table) and black (controls and disk). So transparent gray looks very good - quite fresh against the background of the usual, completely transparent plastic.

In general, it sounds

Listening was conducted on acoustics Klipsch The Sixes. First of all, I would call the sound airy - such an easy, relaxed and balanced presentation. The stage is spacious, most often not squeezed, but not as big as you expect from your favorite compositions. And here you understand - this player is not for everything.

For example, jazz and soul, for some reason, sounded rather constrained and even. The tools were crammed together and couldn't breathe. I like it when musical parts look like a battle and a competition - there is very little energy here, and calm compositions seem to be just very quiet.

This was especially noticeable when listening to Bob Scobey's Frisco Jazz Band's album "Beauty And The Beat" in 1957 - a rather energetic and sincere imprint of its time. And also in the reissue of the soundtrack to "Cowboy Bebop" from the wonderful The Seatbelts - there was absolutely no separation and juiciness here. This kind of music deserves a more impressive player.

Orchestral, acoustic and hybrid motifs sound more interesting. Especially the violins and bass lines. If you love movie and video game soundtracks, Lenco is playing with its own money here. I used the soundtrack to the fifth episode of Star Wars as a guide, and in general I was not disappointed: the sound turned out to be massive, lively and booming.

While this sound is fairly easy to get used to, the Lenco's overall ease of delivery doesn't get boring. Therefore, the hybrid orchestral music from Kazuma Jinnouchi, who wrote the wonderful soundtrack for Halo 5: Guardians, sounds great here too. I especially liked how the airy delivery highlighted the french horns in this soundtrack.

Also pleased with the sound of ambient. I'm not sure that there are so many texture fans in the world to listen to such music on vinyl, but why not - a smooth and balanced presentation does not color such tracks, and listening feels comfortable. Quiet compositions on the organ from Interstellar also behave well here - thanks to the very airiness and neutrality.

Pop-music and electronica showed themselves in the best way. Here the most pure, sonorous and close to reality results were revealed. You can even pick up albums from the 80s like Sister Sledge's "When The Boys Meet The Girls" or Martika's self-titled album and you'll get that really naive, bright and lively pop sound.

But synth-pop produced the most crystal and unrestrained sound. CHVRCHES, The Naked and Famous, Grimes and similar groups feel very good and truly alive here - you even want to start dancing. The synths from Kavinsky or the soundtrack from Stranger Things are also sonorous and lively. This turntable certainly feels very good in such an energetic environment.

But in darker electronics like The Prodigy or Massive Attack, such a bright presentation, on the contrary, interferes - the density is lost, and the tracks do not feel so massive. The Prodigy's "The Fat Of The Land" album simply lost in aggression, and "Mezzanine" by Massive Attack suffered the most - it feels like all the viscosity has been pumped out of there. As a result, the album sounds very distant, although, on the contrary, it should envelop the listener.

What is the result?

I'm going to assume that Lenco created this player with an eye on the young buyer, whose tastes will mostly consist of modern mobile and light music.

Most often, such a buyer does not want to think for a long time about whether the system plays well and whether it is necessary to improve its setup - it plays, and it does well. Which leads us to the lack of the ability to connect an external phono stage, that is, almost complete closeness for future upgrades.

Like it or not, this decision makes the Lenco L-91 a temporary turntable for many vinyl listeners. This turntable looks like a kind of first stage, necessary to try and decide if the young listener really likes this hobby.

Nevertheless, this is a good player in the budget segment. Of course, some closeness and inability to play different genres equally well can scare away. On the other hand, if you came for simplicity and do not plan to somehow improve your setup, everything is in its place. And little things like a slipmat and a hitchhiking function will be a nice addition.

If you are unpretentious and do not want to spend a lot of time searching - why not. In addition, the player looks really good. Just please get rid of this sticker.

Pros

Nice design; smooth and balanced air supply; convenient autostop function; quality slipmat included.

Cons

Limited upgrade options; the location of the on / off button on the rear panel; lack of a height regulator at the tonearm; genre.

OFFICIAL SITE

Lenco L-91

Lenco L-91 Turntable Specs

Speed ​​support: 33 and 45 rpm

Drive: belt

Support plate: aluminum, 332 mm, with rubber mat

Tonearm: straight, aluminum, detachable shell

Pickup: Audio Technica AT95

Additional functions: auto-stop, built-in phono stage (non-switchable)

Adjustments: anti-skating, downforce

Outputs: line, USB

Dimensions: 450x350x135 (with legs and lid)

Weight: 5 kg