Eco-minded audio maker House of Marley has been trying to hit the right note between delivering accomplished audio performance alongside sustainably sourced designs since 2010, and its hard not to credit the brand for their efforts to increasingly integrate more and more mindfully sourced materials when cheaper and less environmentally-friendly options are par for the course. Well over a decade later the brand’s catalog of speakers, headphones, and turntables have become increasingly more reflective of their sustainable ethos, something visibly apparent with their new flagship Stir It Up Lux turntable, a Bluetooth-enabled vinyl spinner designed to appeal to a multitude of senses.
House of Marley has kept the Stir It Up Lux design fairly straightforward, with subtle branding and organically modern presence delivered by its simple rounded bamboo plinth. The plinth is a degree warmer in real life than the photos above show, exhibiting a consistent flat grain that keeps the design on this side of contemporary rather than crunchy-green.
Compared to the more affordably appointed Stir It Up model which sits upon a large black base and has a noticeably thinner bamboo plinth, the Lux edition’s denser and heavier slab of bamboo is better equipped to absorb vibrations. The turntable also feels a lot more premium, with aluminum components, belt-driven glass platter and aforementioned plentiful plinth combining for a satisfying heft.
The Stir it Up Lux knurled dial located in the lower left of the plinth allows for switching between 33 1/3 and 45 RMP speeds, with a headphone port. The turntable also features auto stop/start, and anti-skate adjustment.
Conversely, the design projects an airier presence thanks to its floating plinth seated upon four vibration absorbing feet. The absence of plastic in look, feel, and construction – at least externally – imparts confidence the Stir It Up Lux should age well.
The Lux is equipped with an Audio-Technica 95E elliptical stylus with adjustable counterweight and aluminum headshell adorned with a subtle Jamaican-themed detail. The 95E rates as an entry level cartridge, but a model historically appreciated for balanced performance and certainly good enough for the casual vinyl lover who wants plug-and-play satisfaction. Those already planning an upgrades path will appreciate the replaceable design, allowing the stylus to be swapped out with one of numerous replacement styluses available that rate as mid-tier.
The Lux moniker is deserved in its choice of materials, but the turntable is squarely an enthusiast-friendly audio component, with a built-in, switchable pre-amp. It can operate as a BYO-speaker affair, with playback possible using wireless Bluetooth audio speaker(s), non-powered speakers connected to an amplifier, or powered speakers. House of Marley also prepackages the Lux turntable with a pair of Get Together Duo Speakers for a discounted, out-the-box-ready experience.
The pairing method is straightforward with a simple press and hold button setting to connect via Bluetooth 5.3. We did run into a small hiccup pairing the turntable with a non-House of Marley Bluetooth speaker (a connectivity issue we later discovered attributed to the speaker rather than the turntable). When used with a provided Get Together 2, the process was quick and without issue, making the argument for keeping brand components consistent.
Alongside RCA out connections, there’s a lone USB-C out port located alongside the rear of the turntable. The port is not for connecting devices for playback, but instead intended to charge House of Marley Speakers or any USB-C powered audio device.
Included is double-sided cork slipmat, with one side featuring a Bob Marley-adorned zoetrope pattern that animates the reggae legend in multitude in mesmerizing fashion. For those with more sedate sensibilities, don’t fret, the flip side of the slipmat is plain dark cork.
Cedella Marley, daughter of Bob Marley, opines vinyl’s purity in the appreciation and experience of music, “There’s no skipping tracks, so you’re listening to the album exactly as the artist intended you to.” And House of Marley’s Stir It Up Lux turntable keeps things appreciably simple tastefully embellished with an eco-conscious aesthetic that distinguishes itself from the multitude of turntables available today.
The Stir It Up Lux Bluetooth Turntable is available directly from the House of Marley website, Amazon, and select retailers for $400, with the optional Get Together 2 available for $250.
This post contains affiliate links, so if you make a purchase from an affiliate link, we earn a commission. Thanks for supporting Design Milk!
