House of Marley’s popular Stir it Up line of sustainable turntables has gotten a sharp new look, some upgraded parts, and a trippy zoetrope slipmat that features some dancing animated Bob Marleys for when you, er, blaze your fire. The House of Marley Stir it Up Lux Bluetooth turntable, sales of which go toward supporting its Project Marley reforestation initiative, is available as of today for $400.
With sustainability and environmental awareness at its forefront, House of Marley’s bamboo-emblazoned headphones, speakers, and turntables have been popular among planet-conscious and audio-loving customers alike. The Stir it Up turntable has been turning heads since we reviewed it in 2017. And for 2023, the record player has gotten its most significant face-lift yet, adding the apt moniker of “Lux” to its model name. The belt-driven, Bluetooth-capable turntable has sidestepped its usual silver accents for a sleeker, more striking black color, but is still made from recycled aluminum. The speed-select switch has been redesigned into a dial and now includes a 3.5-mm headphone input and a bright blue accent around its base. It’s also been moved to the left front of the plinth, switching places with the House of Marley logo.
The tonearm assembly and counterweight have been redesigned, too, as has the headshell, which is still emblazoned with the green, yellow, and red Rastafarian stripes. And at the end of that headshell is a new Audio-Technica AT-95E cartridge, which is a decent cartridge whether you’re just getting into collecting vinyl records or are already on your way.
While the plinth is still made of the same Forest Stewardship Council-certified bamboo, one of the key updates to the Stir it Up Lux is the switch from an aluminum platter to a slick-looking “infinitely recyclable” glass platter, which should bode better for anti-resonance.
Also new for the Stir it Up is a fun, reversible black cork slipmat with a trippy Zoetrope design that animates with moving images of Bob Marley and red, yellow, and green colors when it’s placed under a strobe light (or filmed at 11 frames per second).
Outside of these updates, the Stir it Up Lux remains a solid turntable, with a built-in phono preamp for easy connectivity to powered speakers, receivers, and other audio devices, as well as Bluetooth speakers and headphones with Bluetooth 5.3. The Stir it Up Lux also features 33 1/3 and 45 RMP speeds, auto stop/start, and anti-skate adjustment.
“Vinyl is the most genuine way to listen to your favorite music — there’s no skipping tracks, so you’re listening to the album exactly as the artist intended you to,” says Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, in a press release. “That’s everything for a musician. Immersing yourself deep in the roots of an album with House of Marley’s new Stir it Up Lux turntable is an unforgettable experience.”
The Stir it Up Lux is available as of today for $400 at the House of Marley website and Amazon.
