Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Audio / Video
  3. News

The Rokblok portable record player drives around your vinyl like an RC car

By
The very name turntable conjures a pretty accurate image of how it works, with the platter that the record sits on essentially being a table that turns. That’s how all record players work, right? With its RokBlok portable record player, the San Francisco-based Pink Donut has set out to prove that isn’t always the case.
Recommended Videos

The RokBlok, as the name implies, is a fairly utilitarian-looking block constructed of medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and bamboo that plays records by traveling in circles on top of them. Just place the RokBlok on top of a record, pull its lever, and away it goes. The hardware packs in a preamp and included speaker, and it also features Bluetooth, allowing it to wirelessly transmit sound to headphones or speakers located within 30 feet.

Related

This might seem like a fast way to damage your records, but Pink Donut has already thought of this and says it won’t be a problem. “RokBlok has been engineered to prevent damage to your records when in use,” the company states on its Kickstarter campaign page. “We do this by carefully balancing and distributing the weight of the player (3.2 oz) across it’s scratch-proof rubber wheels and not the needle. This makes it so the needle does not take the brunt of the weight out on your record’s grooves.”

rokblok-portable-record-player-2
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The RokBlok can play both full-sized LPs and 45s, and the company says the included rechargeable battery offers up to four hours of music playback or two days of standby time. Once it has run out of juice, two hours of charge time is all it takes to get it up and running again. The product is meant to be fun and easy to use, but even its manufacturer admits it won’t replace a high-end turntable.

While the retail price isn’t incredibly high at $100, Kickstarter backers can get an even better deal, with a single RokBlok going for $80 or even $70 with the limited Early Bird pricing. If you don’t want to spend that much but are interested in the novelty factor, the Kickstarter is also offering another kitschy record player in the SheetRok — a paper record player that uses no electricity. Backers can opt for a SheetRok with a random record included for just $15.

The RokBlok has already surpassed its $50,000 goal, with 47 days left to go at the time of this writing. The campaign comes to a close on January 24, with rewards planned to begin shipping to backers in September. For more information, see the campaign page on Kickstarer.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kris Wouk
Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
Wiim reveals Ultra streamer pricing and unleashes the Amp Pro
Wiim Ultra.

As promised, Wiim has officially taken the wraps off its new network music streamer, the Wiim Ultra -- a slick aluminum device with a color touchscreen, physical volume knob, and a dedicated, front-facing 3.5mm headphone output. We also now know the price: It will be $329 when it hits Amazon sometime between July 1 and September 30.

Wiim also promised that it would reveal another new device, and it turns out to be the Wiim Amp Pro, a beefed-up version of the highly rated Wiim Amp that launched earlier this year. It will sell for $369 when it arrives on Amazon around the same time as the Ultra.
Wiim Ultra

Read more
The 10 most popular streaming services, ranked by subscriber count
The Netflix home screen.

Let's start this with a caveat or two: If you're going to compare streaming services merely by the number of subscribers they have, it's not exactly a fair fight. Not all services are available in the same places. Nor does the number of subscribers really address the "worth" of a streaming service. Or whether it's easy to use, or if the apps are any good. Or, for that matter, if a given streaming service has what you want to watch, which really is the only measure necessary.

Still, it's interesting to keep up with how things are doing from a global perspective, especially when you have relatively young upstarts like Apple TV+ gaining so many accolades in an industry dominated by Netflix.

Read more
Bose, Sony, and more: 131 headphone prices slashed, from $8
Woman wearing Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones.

Best Buy has a huge sale on headphones right now meaning if you’re looking for great headphone deals, this is the retailer you need to check out. Discounts mean that you can buy earbuds from just $8 but there are also deep discounts on high-end options too. Keen to learn more? Of course you are! We’ve picked out some of our favorites but you can also tap the button below to see the sale for yourself. With hundreds of options, you don’t want to miss out.

What to shop for in the Best Buy headphones sale
For some of the best noise-cancelling headphones, check out the which are down to $180 right now. Usually costing $250, the Apple AirPods Pro 2 are exceptional. They offer a custom-built driver for low distortion, crisp and clear high notes, along with deep and rich bass. Adaptive audio dynamically blends Transparency mode with ANC so you get the best listening experience without any disruption. Features like personalized spatial audio and personalized volume further help matters.

Read more