By: Dipin Sehdev

Andover Audio is moving further upmarket with the Andover-One DD Direct Drive, a new $999 component turntable that combines direct-drive speed control, a carbon-fiber tonearm, three-speed playback and a factory-installed Audio-Technica cartridge. Designed and engineered in Boston, the Andover-One DD is the company’s highest-performance component turntable to date. It is available now through Andover Audio and select retailers. Andover’s website currently lists shipments beginning the week of Oct. 5.  This is great to see from Andover. The company has built a reputation around making thoughtfully designed audio products that are easy to live with, and the new DD appears to follow the same philosophy. It is serious enough for someone building a traditional component system, but it avoids turning record playback into an unnecessarily complicated exercise.

At $999, however, Andover is entering one of the most competitive parts of the turntable market. The question is whether the Andover-One DD gives buyers enough for the money. On paper, the answer looks promising.

Direct Drive With Three-Speed Playback

At the center of the Andover-One DD is a digitally controlled direct-drive motor supporting 33?, 45 and 78 rpm records. Andover specifies speed accuracy within 0.2% and wow and flutter below 0.15%. Unlike a belt-drive design, where a higher-speed motor transfers rotation to the platter through a belt, the DD’s motor operates at the platter’s rotational speed. Andover says this helps reduce the high-frequency motor vibration that can contribute to audible rumble. The company pairs the motor with a damped cast-aluminum platter and anti-resonant silicone-rubber mat.

The plinth is made from thick MDF with adjustable vibration-absorbing feet, giving the deck a relatively conventional but sensible approach to controlling resonance. The more interesting part may be how Andover combines those audiophile fundamentals with a little automation.Moving the tonearm over a record automatically starts the platter. At the end of a side, an optical Auto Stop system stops playback. Andover says both systems use contact-free optical sensing, avoiding mechanical interaction with the tonearm during playback.

That gives the turntable some everyday convenience without making it fully automatic.

A Carbon-Fiber Tonearm With Real Adjustment

The Andover-One DD uses an 8.8-inch straight tonearm built around a lightweight carbon-fiber tube and cast-aluminum headshell. Tracking force, anti-skating and vertical tracking angle are adjustable. That last feature is worth noting. VTA adjustment is not always offered on turntables in this price range, and it gives owners more flexibility when changing cartridges or experimenting with different stylus geometries. The headshell uses a standard SME-style twist-lock mount. That makes cartridge swaps significantly easier than on a fixed-headshell design. An owner could, for example, keep one cartridge mounted for standard LP playback and another equipped with an appropriate stylus for 78 rpm records. The arm supports cartridges weighing from 2.5 to 6.2 grams. That combination of 78 rpm support, removable headshell and adjustable VTA gives the Andover more flexibility than its understated appearance might suggest.

The Included Audio-Technica Cartridge Is a Good Starting Point

Andover ships the DD with an Audio-Technica AT-VM520xEB moving-magnet cartridge already installed. That cartridge currently carries a suggested U.S. price of $109.  It uses Audio-Technica’s four-coil VM generator design with a bonded elliptical stylus and aluminum cantilever. More importantly for long-term ownership, it belongs to the VMx family, allowing users to move to more advanced compatible styli without replacing the entire cartridge. That makes the included cartridge more than a throwaway bundled component. There are obviously significantly more expensive cartridges available, but the VM520xEB is an appropriate starting point for a $1,000-class turntable and gives owners a straightforward upgrade path.

Is $999 a Good Deal?

This is where the Andover-One DD gets interesting. At $999, I would call it competitive rather than an outright bargain. There is a lot included for the money: direct drive, three-speed playback, a carbon-fiber tonearm, removable SME-style headshell, adjustable VTA, semi-automatic start and stop behavior, a damped aluminum platter and a $109 Audio-Technica cartridge. But there is also serious competition. Technics sells the SL-50C for $899.99 MSRP, and current dealer pricing can be lower depending on finish and promotion. The SL-50C includes a coreless direct-drive motor, 33?, 45 and 78 rpm playback, an Ortofon 2M Red cartridge and, importantly, a switchable built-in phono preamp. Technics specifies wow and flutter at 0.025%, substantially lower on paper than Andover’s sub-0.15% specification. 

That makes the Technics a formidable comparison. The Andover counters with a carbon-fiber arm, adjustable VTA, removable SME-style headshell and its optical semi-automatic conveniences. There is also the Rega Planar 3, a longtime reference point around this price category. It currently sells for about $1,125 without a cartridge, which makes the $999 Andover look comparatively well equipped out of the box. Pro-Ject’s Debut PRO B is another relevant comparison. It sells for $1,099 and includes a carbon-aluminum tonearm, adjustable VTA, damped aluminum platter and pre-mounted Pick it PRO B cartridge, but it uses belt drive rather than direct drive.

How the Andover-One DD Compares

*Pro-Ject supports 78 rpm with the appropriate belt/configuration.

The value proposition therefore depends on what a buyer prioritizes. If someone wants the lowest published wow-and-flutter number, a built-in phono stage and Technics’ proven direct-drive platform, the SL-50C is hard to ignore. If someone wants a more adjustable arm, easily swappable headshells, an included cartridge with a simple stylus-upgrade path and semi-automatic convenience, the Andover-One DD becomes more compelling. That is a healthy place for it to be at $999.

It Also Fits Into Andover’s Own Ecosystem

Andover designed the DD to work as a conventional component turntable, but it also serves as an upgrade path within the company’s own product family. It can be paired with the Andover-One SB powered speaker base, offering an alternative to the integrated Andover-One Mk2 system while giving listeners more flexibility to change cartridges and use the turntable as a standalone analog source. That approach makes sense for Andover.

The company has generally tried to bridge the gap between traditional hi-fi and products that are easier to integrate into normal living spaces. The DD appears to push further toward the enthusiast side without abandoning that simplicity. As Andover Director of Engineering and Product Management Bob Hazelwood put it, the goal was to build something that experienced listeners could adjust and refine while still remaining approachable for someone stepping into a more serious vinyl system.

Andover-One DD Specifications

One specification in the supplied material appears to contain a unit typo: the product is listed at 12.8 pounds and “58 kg.” A 12.8-pound turntable would be approximately 5.8 kilograms, not 58 kilograms. Andover’s published product page should be treated as the authoritative source for the final shipping specification. 

Pricing and Availability

The Andover-One DD Direct Drive carries an MSRP of $999. Andover says the turntable is available now through AndoverAudio.com and select dealers. The company’s current product page says units are expected to ship the week of Oct. 5.  A hinged dustcover and factory-mounted Audio-Technica AT-VM520xEB cartridge are included.

A Promising $1,000 Turntable From a Company We Like Seeing in the Category

There is no shortage of excellent turntables around $1,000, which means Andover cannot compete simply by putting a direct-drive motor in a substantial plinth. Fortunately, that is not what it has done. The combination of a carbon-fiber tonearm, adjustable VTA, removable SME-style headshell, three-speed operation, optical Auto Stop and a respectable Audio-Technica cartridge gives the DD a clear identity. It is not automatically the value winner. The Technics SL-50C, in particular, makes that difficult at current pricing. But the Andover offers a different mix of features, and for listeners who value cartridge flexibility and a little semi-automatic convenience without giving up manual setup control, the package makes sense at $999. Andover makes some genuinely thoughtful audio products, so it is good to see the company take a more serious swing at the component-turntable market. The specifications suggest it belongs in the conversation.

The next question is how it sounds.