Ortofon 2M Blue
Exceptional detail with very little distortion. The 2M Blue’s highly polished nude elliptical stylus is constructed from a single diamond and pressed directly into the cantilever for improved resolution and dynamics. Its engine features Ortofon’s signature split pole pins for flat frequency response.
Ortofon 2M Bronze
World-class precision. The 2M Bronze’s Nude Fine Line diamond stylus flawlessly tracks even the highest frequency information with minimal distortion and record wear. Features a low-resonance Lexan DMX cartridge body and special upgraded engine with lower coil impedence and silver-plated copper wire.
None
No built-in preamp. Your turntable needs to be connected to either (a) an amplifier or powered speakers with a clearly labeled “phono” input or (b) an external phono preamp like this.
Built-in
Our built-in Pluto 2 Phono Preamp lets you connect your turntable directly to an amplifier or powered speakers. No additional equipment or cables needed. Pluto 2 combines elegant circuit design with high-quality components, and features a subsonic filter, dual gain stages, and a bypass switch. It’s also available as an external preamp.
Orbit Theory Turntable
Our most advanced turntable. Engineered for uncompromising playback.
- OA3 Pro Tonearm with one-piece magnesium armtube, dial counterweight, and adjustable anti-skate.
- Choice of Ortofon 2M Blue or Bronze cartridge.
- Ultra-quiet motor with electronic speed control (33/45 RPM).
- Grooved acrylic platter with precision aluminum spindle and seamless silicone belt.
- Adjustable-height aluminum feet with Sorbothane for vibration isolation.
- Natural hardwood plinth in walnut, ebonized oak, or white oak.
- CNET's Best Turntable Under $1000, TIME's Best Inventions 2023
Order with confidence.
Orders $99+ ship free
Designed and assembled in Woburn, MA.
Don’t love it? No problem.
Our most advanced turntable yet
-Ty Pendlebury, CNET
-Derek Malcolm, Digital Trends
-Ryan Waniata, WIRED
Seriously detailed playback
Introducing our OA3 Pro Tonearm. One-piece magnesium armtube is light yet rigid for exceptionally low resonance. Upgraded gimbal bearing allows for near-frictionless tonearm movement. Easily adjustable for flawless tracking.
Ultra-quiet motor with electronic speed control
Theory’s motor features a larger rotor and coils that are optimized for smooth running. Advanced motor controller for pinpoint speed accuracy and virtually zero motor noise. Knob for easy speed change (33/45 RPM).
Loaded with upgrades
Sorbothane-damped feet. Grooved acrylic platter. Machined aluminum spindle. Every detail has been thoughtfully designed to elevate your listening experience.
Exclusively on Theory
Enhanced tonearm adjustability
Adjustable anti-skate and dial counterweight make it easy to fine-tune performance.
Ultra-quiet motor
Theory’s motor uses heavy-duty magnets to minimize vibration and ensure near silent operation.
Upgraded gimbal bearing
OA3 Pro features a high-precision bearing design with all stainless steel components.
Aluminum spindle and pulley
Machined from aircraft-grade alloy for increased precision and durability.
33% Lighter
10x Damping capacitycompared to aluminum
Our OA3 armtube is molded from magnesium – an incredibly strong yet lightweight material known for its vibration damping properties. Each armtube is made in the USA to exacting standards.
One-piece tapered design minimizes points of resonance in the tonearm. This ensures no musical information from the record is lost, so you hear every detail with remarkable clarity.
Easily adjustable for flawless tracking
Fine tune your tonearm to optimize cartridge performance. OA3 Pro’s dial counterweight allows you to set tracking force without a stylus gauge. And its adjustable anti-skate uses a hinged weight to apply consistent force across the entire record surface.
Precision engineered from the inside out
OA3 Pro’s upgraded gimbal bearing allows the tonearm to move with exceptional freedom. Both the bearing shaft and housing are machined from stainless steel and threaded for highly precise axial preload. This means less resonance in the tonearm and near-frictionless movement across the record.
Pinpoint speed accuracy
Theory features a DC-powered sine wave generator system that monitors and adjusts speed thousands of times per second. Our advanced motor controller utilizes a crystal oscillator to drive the ultra-quiet motor with pinpoint accuracy. The result? Minimal wow & flutter and no motor noise during playback.
Rumble
-72 dBA
Wow & Flutter
<0.1%
Orbit’s new groove
Our frosted acrylic platter is grooved to keep the belt in place. All platter surfaces are precision machined for ultimate flatness and virtually zero runout. The platter rotates on a machined aluminum spindle and inverted main bearing with self-lubricating polymer bushings.
Less vibration. More clarity.
Theory’s adjustable Iso-Level Feet are constructed out of aluminum and layered with Sorbothane – the gold standard for vibration isolation. Preventing vibrations from reaching the stylus lets you hear the most subtle details of your music with outstanding clarity.
Plug and play
Optional built-in phono preamp lets you connect to your favorite components. Featuring Pluto 2 technology with low-noise circuitry and high quality components like WIMA film capacitors and precision resistors.
Hand assembled in the USA
Our expert technicians assemble and test every turntable in our Woburn, MA workshop – allowing us to deliver a consistently high level of quality.
Expert support from real people
Whether you're a first-time vinyl listener or a seasoned audiophile, we’ll help you choose, set up, and care for your sound system. We stand by our turntables with a comprehensive 3 year warranty and 30 day return policy.
Features
Orbit Arm 3 Pro Tonearm
Molded magnesium armtube with adjustable anti-skate and counterweight.
Cartridge
Ortofon 2M Blue with nude elliptical stylus or Ortofon 2M Bronze with Nude Fine Line stylus.
Cue Lever
Silicone-damped Cue Lever for easy tonearm operation.
Ultra-quiet Motor
AC synchronous with advanced motor controller.
Electronic Speed Control
Change speeds (33/45 RPM) with the turn of a knob.
Drive Belt
All-new seamless silicone belt.
Main Bearing
Self-lubricating polymer bearings with stainless steel shaft. Precision aluminum spindle.
Solid Hardwood Plinth
Your choice of walnut or ebonized oak.
Isolation Feet
Adjustable-height aluminum feet with Sorbothane for vibration damping.
Platter
Grooved acrylic platter with frosted finish.
In the box
AC Adapter
RCA Cables
Orbit Theory
Dust Cover
Felt Mat
Specifications
| Playback speeds | 33/45 RPM electronically changed |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 16.75 x 12.5 x 4.25" |
| Wow & flutter | < 0.1% |
| Nominal speed | +/- 0.5% |
| S/N Ratio | - 79 dBA |
| Rumble | < -72 dBA |
| Tonearm effective length | 220 mm |
| Tonearm effective mass | 8 g |
| Overhang | 19 mm |
| Input voltage | 115V/60Hz |
| Output connection | RCA |
| Warranty | 3-year limited warranty |
⚠️ WARNING: This product can expose you to chemicals including DEHP, which is known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. For more information go to www.P65Warnings.ca.gov.
Orbit Theory in action
Compare Models
Powder coated
Made in Minnesota from medium density fiberboard (MDF), a wood composite material with excellent acoustic properties. Durable powder coat finish. Available in five colors.
Solid wood
Natural hardwood plinth in your choice of solid (not veneer) black walnut or white oak with a durable satin finish. Harvested from sustainably managed forests in the USA. Wood's natural variation is part of its distinctive beauty. The grain pattern, color, and texture of each plinth is unique.
The platter is the spinning surface that your record sits on. It plays a large role in maintaining speed consistency and preventing unwanted vibrations from reaching your stylus.
Basic
Made in Minnesota from medium density fiberboard (MDF), a wood composite material with excellent acoustic properties. Grooved platter for easy belt installation and use. Textured black powder coat finish. Felt platter mat included.
Acrylic
Superior speed consistency and playback clarity. Our frosted acrylic platter is precision machined in Massachusetts for ultimate flatness and virtually zero runout. Acrylic is remarkably effective at minimizing unwanted vibrations thanks to its high density and low stiffness. Grooved platter for easy belt installation and use. Felt platter mat included.
Cue Lever
Our silicone-damped Cue Lever helps you safely and precisely cue your records. Use the stainless steel lever to raise and lower the stylus or pause a record. It lowers the tonearm gently to protect your stylus. Also available as an upgrade to install at home.
None
No built-in preamp. Your turntable needs to be connected to either (a) an amplifier or powered speakers with a clearly labeled “phono” input or (b) an external phono preamp like this.
Built-in
Our built-in Pluto 2 Phono Preamp lets you connect your turntable directly to an amplifier or powered speakers. No additional equipment or cables needed. Pluto 2 combines elegant circuit design with high-quality components, and features a subsonic filter, dual gain stages, and a bypass switch. It’s also available as an external preamp.
Cartridges translate information contained within a record’s grooves into an audio signal. All our cartridge options are moving magnet (MM) and come with a diamond-tipped stylus (needle).
Audio-Technica AT91B
The AT91B is an excellent entry-level moving magnet cartridge. It features an aluminum cantilever, and delivers good musical detail with a slightly bright edge. The AT91B has a conical stylus, which somewhat limits trackability and playback resolution.
Ortofon OM5E
Built in Denmark, the Ortofon OM5E is known for its balanced and neutral sound profile. It’s a great choice for listeners who enjoy a wide variety of genres. The OM5E's elliptical diamond stylus gives it an edge over the AT91B when it comes to tracking accuracy and overall clarity.
Grado Green3
Grado cartridges have been hand-assembled in Brooklyn, NY since 1953. The Green3 features a unique 3-piece cantilever and twin-magnet system with proprietary Flux-Bridger generator, which is capable of higher resolution than standard moving magnet generators. These distinctive features give the Green3 its signature warm sound and impactful bass.
Ortofon 2M Red
The 2M Red is a versatile cartridge that has earned an excellent reputation among reviewers and everyday listeners. It features a more sophisticated generator and higher output level than its predecessor, the OM5E. The 2M Red engine features Ortofon’s signature split pole pins for extremely flat frequency response.
Ortofon 2M Blue
The 2M Blue delivers exceptional detail with very little distortion. It’s set apart by its highly polished nude elliptical stylus, which is shaped from a single diamond and pressed directly into the cantilever. This advanced single-piece stylus construction results in lower tip mass, which improves resolution and dynamics.
Iso-Level Feet
Aluminum feet with Sorbothane for advanced vibration isolation. Prevents unwanted vibration from reaching the stylus, so you hear the most subtle details of your music with total clarity. Adjustable-height design lets you precisely level your turntable using the included bubble level. Also available as an upgrade to install at home.
Manual
Change speeds (33/45 RPM) by moving the belt from one pulley groove to the other.
Electronic
Change speeds (33/45 RPM) with the turn of a knob. Our advanced motor controller ensures pinpoint speed accuracy by using a sine wave generator that monitors and adjusts speed thousands of times per second.
| Product |
 Orbit Basic
|
 Orbit Plus
|
 Orbit Special
|
 Orbit Custom
|
 Orbit Theory
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Finish options | |||||
| Speed Control | Manual | Manual | Electronic | Manual or Electronic | Electronic |
| Platter | MDF | Machined Acrylic | Machined Acrylic | MDF or Acrylic | Machined Acrylic |
| Tonearm | OA3 | OA3 | OA3 | OA3 | OA3 Pro |
| Cartridge | Audio-Technica AT91B | Ortofon OM 5E | Ortofon 2M Red | 5 options | Ortofon 2M Blue or Bronze |
| Cue lever | Available separately | Available separately | Included | Optional | Included |
| Built-in preamp | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional | Optional |
| Feet | Rubber | Rubber | Rubber | Iso-Level or Rubber | Iso-Level |
| Motor | Standard | Standard | Standard | Standard | Ultra-quiet |
| Price | $249+ | $399+ | $549+ | $249+ | $999+ |
| Links to product pages |