Andover-One DD Adds Direct Drive To A Starter-Friendly Turntable

Andover Audio has introduced the Andover-One DD, a component turntable designed to make the move beyond an all-in-one record player less intimidating. It arrives with a cartridge already fitted, plays three record speeds and adds automatic start and end-of-record stopping without taking away the hands-on part of playing vinyl.

At $999, this is a serious first turntable rather than a budget impulse buy. The useful part for a newcomer is that it is ready to use but not locked down: the tonearm can be adjusted, the headshell can be removed and the stylus or cartridge can be upgraded later.

Quick Reference

• Product: Andover-One DD component turntable
• Price: $999
• Speeds: 33⅓, 45 and 78 rpm
• Drive system: digitally controlled direct drive
• Included cartridge: Audio-Technica AT-VM520xEB moving magnet
• Availability: shipping from the week beginning 5 October 2026

A Proper Component Turntable

The Andover-One DD is built to connect to a separate HiFi system. Its solid MDF plinth supports an internally damped cast-aluminium platter, while adjustable feet help to level the deck and reduce vibration reaching the stylus.

This is important because a turntable works by following extremely small movements in a record groove. Footsteps, a wobbly table or strong bass from nearby speakers can all interfere with that job, so a stable surface still matters.

Direct Drive And Three Speeds

Direct drive means the motor turns the platter itself instead of using a rubber belt. Andover uses digital speed control and quotes speed accuracy within 0.2%, with wow and flutter below 0.15%. Wow and flutter describe small speed changes that can make a held piano note or vocal sound unsteady.

The deck supports 33⅓ and 45 rpm for the records most people own, plus 78 rpm for older shellac discs. Do not assume every modern stylus is suitable for 78s, though: those records normally need a different stylus profile.

A Tonearm Built To Grow With You

The 8.8-inch straight tonearm uses a carbon-fibre tube and a removable SME-style headshell. Tracking force, anti-skating and vertical tracking angle can all be adjusted, giving owners room to change cartridges later.

For the first setup, the factory-fitted Audio-Technica AT-VM520xEB removes one of the fiddliest jobs. It is a moving-magnet cartridge with a replaceable stylus, so a worn stylus does not mean replacing the whole turntable.

Convenience Without Full Automation

Optical sensors start the platter and stop it at the end of a record without adding a mechanical linkage to the tonearm. The system is not fully automatic: you still place the stylus on the record and return the arm when the side finishes.

That compromise should suit listeners who like the physical ritual of vinyl but do not want the stylus left running in the final groove if they become distracted.

What You Need To Complete The System

The Andover-One DD does not include a phono stage, amplifier or speakers. You will need an amplifier with a moving-magnet phono input, or a separate phono preamplifier feeding an amplifier or powered speakers.

There is no Bluetooth transmitter built in either. That keeps the signal path traditional, but it means wireless headphones or speakers need another device in between. A hinged dustcover, silicone platter mat and the fitted cartridge are included.

Price And Availability

The Andover-One DD is priced at $999 in the United States, with shipping scheduled for the week beginning 5 October 2026. Regional prices were not listed on the launch page.

For a newcomer, the key budgeting point is the complete system cost. If you do not already own an amplifier with a phono input and speakers, allow for those before deciding whether this turntable is the right starting point.

What The Terms Mean

Cartridge: the part at the end of the tonearm that turns the stylus movement into an electrical signal. Phono stage: a small circuit that boosts and corrects that very quiet signal before it reaches an amplifier. Tracking force: the downward pressure of the stylus on the record. Anti-skating: an adjustment that helps the stylus sit evenly in the groove.

For more from Starting Out click here