The construction is relatively solid for this price point with an all up weight of 5.4kg (the competing Dual MTR-75 weighs in at 4kg, for example). In some ways, this review of the L-3809 is a round-about sequel to the recently published Technics Ottawa f stereo system review in that the Lenco, like the Technics Stereo System reviewed previously, is a lifestyle product. The Chinese exponents of the same are not up to those standards. No where near. The direct drive designs are a different matter, though. It’s almost as if the direct drive models are decent performers in spite of what the Chinese designers cobble together. The direct drive motors ‘save’ these turntables from themselves, in effect. They surprise and out-perform all low expectations connected to this sorry breed. That is, sound is not the be all and end all for this turntable’s design. It was a major factor for the designers but the available build budget was not devoted to sound and only sound – as was the case with the Rega RP1, for example. Which, it so happens, makes an appearance in this review as well.

Would have I liked to have seen the Lenco brand, full of tradition, retired to rest in vintage peace? Absolutely, sure.That’s why I turned to the 120x from Audio-Technica to see how the Lenco faired. Sure, the 120x is slightly more expensive in terms of recommended retail price but it would be intriguing to see two turntables of similar technologies, look and feel competing in generally the same market. But what about that strobe light and pop-up light (for DJ use) that will immediately warn you that this might be a sad little Technics 1200 rip off? In this case, first impressions are very wrong indeed (although the turntable is recommended as an effective budget DJ tool, that’s true). Bass now had a more organic and rounded structure, almost 3D in their presentation instead of the 2D, flat canvas effect from the Lenco. Thus sound, important as it is, is but one element on the build-budget’s shopping list. Looking at this design, Lenco wanted to appeal to a broad-based audience.

If you are looking for a classic turntable that you can take anywhere, the Lenco L3808 Turntable might be of interest. Even before we look at the details, you should note that it comes in a design that is easy to use and maintain. If you're used to a more old-school record player, the L-400 can seem a little over-complicated at first. For starters, if you lift the arm, the turntable doesn't start spinning automatically, instead, you have to press the start/stop button. Similarly, at the end of a record, it doesn't auto-return, the record will just continue to spin. You have to manually lift the arm and replace it. As far as the Lenco shoot out was concerned, though? The L-3809 has the edge over the older 08 model. If you’re a L-3808 owner, is there enough improvement to warrant thoughts of an upgrade? Probably not, no.

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Well, in terms of basic, Chinese-made, belt-driven turntables I agree that the basic performance from a belt-driven configuration does leave something to be desired. I’ve heard Chinese-designed, budget belt-driven turntables featuring badges slapped on the top from Audio-Technica, Dual, Sony and Marantz and all sound relatively poor because they are based on those self-same belt drive motors. It can play both 33rpm and 45rpm records as you'd expect, plus it has pitch control, which allows you to adjust the speed by up to 10 per cent. Thanks to a USB output you can also save your vinyl records in digital form, using the free software from Audacity. You simply connect to your PC and away you go.

And there’s nothing wrong with belt drive motors, in general terms. The best turntables I’ve ever heard are based upon belt drive systems. I have many belt-drive turntables in my own collection. With the VM95E in place, how did the L-3809 compare to the 120x? Well, what the 120x has that the Lenco does not is attention to detail in terms of parts quality and build quality and it shows. Where the Lenco delights with its VM95E in place in upper midrange detail, the 120x takes the detail level up another rung of the ladder. Tonal realism offers the same story. The crunch and aggression from the cellos are more in evidence via the 120x while the expanded soundstage, roaming left and right, creates an epic delivery of the music as a whole. The entire organic flow from the 120x is also more naturalistic and at ease. The performers sound relaxed, they sound like they have, in short, a great time. CONCLUSIONLooking from the top down, the front-left offers a large, round play/pause button. To the right of that are small, rectangular dual select speed buttons. Moving across to the right-hand side, you’ll find a power knob that sits on top of the light for the strobe. At the far right is a pitch slider. This proved to be very useful, because the speed was not accurate out of the box. I needed to fiddle with this slider (which I saw as nothing but a speed ‘pot’ in operation), in conjunction with my RPM rotational speed app on my iPhone. An app which is a lot better in performance terms than you might think, at least when viewing certain negative comments on the Internet. It’s actually pretty decent and helped me to configure the speed of the Lenco. I believe Android offers a similar app, although I’ve never used that variant. This turntable might have the name Lenco on it but, for the purposes of this review, that really doesn’t matter. For all I care, the badge can have ‘Cheese On Toast™’ on the top. I’m here to review what’s in front of me, I’m not here to review a memory. ELEPHANT No.2 So what can we expect from the L-3809 and how does it differ from the previous mode, the L-3808? SOUND QUALITY