Get ready to enjoy analog ambiance and wireless connectivity with these House of Marley turntables. Keep reading to learn about the pros and cons of each, plus find out my recommendations for which one is right for you.
The House of Marley brand
House of Marley is an eco-conscious audio brand created in coordination with Bob Marley’s family. The brand uses sustainable materials whenever possible, including bamboo, FSC® certified wood, and reclaimed or recycled textiles.
A portion of House of Marley’s profits go to Project Marley, which supports global reforestation with donations to One Tree Planted.
What’s in the box of these turntables?
In the box of the Stir It Up 2, you’ll find a House of Marley “Stir It Up 2” Bluetooth Turntable, a REWIND® fabric dust cover, a turntable belt (already installed), an aluminum platter, a counterweight, a 45 RPM adapter, a universal AC adapter with international plugs, a USB cable, a 3.5mm (Aux) stereo mini-plug to dual RCA output cable, an Audio Technica Stylus (AT-3600L; already installed), a REGRIND® slip mat, an instruction booklet, and a warranty guide.
In the box of the Stir It Up 2+ (pictured above), you’ll find everything from the 2, plus two House of Marley Get Together speakers and their cables.
Finally, in the box of the Stir It Up Lux, you’ll find a House of Marley “Stir it Up Lux” Bluetooth Turntable, an RCA to aux cable, a 45 RPM adapter, a turntable belt (already installed), a turntable counterweight, a turntable glass platter, a turntable cork slipmat, an Audio Technica Stylus (AT-95E; already installed), a stylus pressure gauge, a turntable adapter kit PSE, an instruction booklet, and a warranty guide.
At a glance: How do these turntables compare?
| Key specs and features | Stir It Up Wireless 2 | Stir It Up Wireless 2+ | Stir It Up Lux |
|---|---|---|---|
| Record speeds | 33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM | 33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM | 33 1/3 RPM and 45 RPM |
| Turntable weight | 7.76 lbs | 7.76 lbs (14.56 lbs with speakers) | 9.99 lbs |
| Stylus | Audio-Technica 3600L | Audio-Technica 3600L | Audio-Technica 95E |
| Speakers included | No | Yes | No |
| Converter needed | Depends on speakers | No | Depends on speakers |
| Pre-amp included | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes, in and out | Yes, in and out | Yes, in and out |
| Dust cover | No | No | No |
| Turntable mat | Black PU suede | Black PU suede | Double-sided PU (printed zoetrope or suede black) |
| Key features | Finished in bamboo Bluetooth-enabled | Finished in bamboo Bluetooth-enabled Comes with wired speakers that are easy to set up | Finished in bamboo Anti-vibration feet Glass platter delivers extra stability |
My experience with the House of Marley Stir It Up 2, 2+, and Lux
I’ve broken down my experience with these three turntables into five different sections: plinth build quality, tonearm build quality, sound quality, setup, and Bluetooth.
Plinth build quality
Overall, these turntables are built moderately well. They have adequate heft and size, with very level plinths and excellent dials.
However, while I love that House of Marley prioritizes using eco-friendly materials in its products, I’m a little more hesitant about the bamboo. It looks beautiful across the fronts and tops of these turntables and speakers, but as a natural material, it can respond to changes in temperature and humidity. I’d keep that in mind when choosing where to set up your turntable and avoid placing it somewhere that experiences big swings in either.
Tonearm build quality
The rest of the build on these turntables is excellent. Their tonearms really stood out for me: they’re built solidly and are beautifully articulated, with careful attention to detail in each. They feature smooth motion, good weight, and artistic twists that are unique to each design.
The House of Marley Stir It Up 2 turntables feature tonearms with a Bob Marley quote etched into the side. They’re smooth and silver, with a mix of finishes used to highlight each different component of the arm.
The House of Marley Lux turntable features a cool, heavy tonearm with a matte black finish. Its mix of soft curves and perfectly crisp edges shows off the precision involved in the making of each turntable, and it’s a pleasure to set onto a record.
Sound quality
The sound quality on all three of these turntables is good. Records sound big and warm no matter which of these turntables you use, and the House of Marley speakers included in the 2+ really surprised me with their quality. Despite their small size and very lightweight build, they project excellent, balanced sound.
Overall, the sound quality on the Stir It Up Lux is noticeably better than on the Stir It Up 2. The Lux is a better-balanced turntable overall, so micro-vibrations in the floor affect your sound a lot less. It also features a different Audio-Technica stylus than the 2 or the 2+, which may contribute to this slight increase in sound quality.
Setup and tonearm balancing
All three of these turntables feature plug-and-play setup. I’ve found that a wired speaker pairing is the fastest to set up, but you can pair with Bluetooth speakers, too.
The biggest difference in the setup of these turntables is their tonearm balancing. This can be a bit tricky, and the instructions on the House of Marley website and the printed quick start guides do not match. I recommend going with convention: set the tracking force on each tonearm to about 3 grams.
If you’re worried about this step in your record player setup, I recommend choosing the House of Marley Lux turntable. It comes with a separate, reusable stylus pressure gauge that makes the balancing process easy.
Bluetooth and connectivity options
What made using these speakers tricky was their Bluetooth setup process. They’re easy to pair with a smartphone for audio in and app control. However, with no screen and no pairing announcement of their own, it’s more finicky to get them paired with Bluetooth speakers for audio output.
I was able to get all three of these turntables successfully paired with Bluetooth speakers to play records. However, I needed multiple attempts for each, so plan to give yourself a few extra minutes to get everything set up. Once you’re set up, you can also use the Marley smartphone app to customize things like your preferred EQ mode and settings.
Key differences: Which House of Marley turntable should you buy?
Best for a new listener: House of Marley Stir It Up 2+
One of the steepest learning curves when getting into vinyl is the record-to-speaker pathway. Do you need a pre-amp to use with your record player? A ground wire; a slip mat; a stylus? Should your speakers be wired, powered, or passive? Learning this entire setup can be tricky, and usually involves more than just dropping a record onto a turntable.
The House of Marley Stir It Up 2+ flattens this learning curve. It comes with everything you need included in the box. You can unbox it and have a record playing in minutes, making it a great choice for gifting and for beginners.
Best design: House of Marley Stir It Up Lux
With a smoked glass platter, thick anti-vibration feet, and a wonderfully colourful turntable mat, the Lux version of the Stir It Up turntable looks and feels noticeably more premium than the rest of the line.
Fun fact: the turntable mat included with this turntable is actually a zoetrope art piece. To watch this artwork, play your Lux at a speed of 33 in a dark room without a vinyl on the player. Turn a strobe light (House of Marley recommends the Strobe Light Tachometer app on iOS and the LED Strobe app on Android) to 11 Hz and watch the mat spin!
Best for a pre-existing audio system: House of Marley Stir It Up 2
With the exact same design and features as the Stir It Up 2+ minus the speakers, the Stir It Up 2 turntable is a great choice for audiophiles who already have most of their setup. If you’re adding a turntable to your pre-existing stereo system, there’s no reason to add extra speakers—just opt for the 2 on its own.
Final verdict: My top House of Marley turntable recommendation
All three of these turntables are good options for beginners. They differ in price, build quality, and speaker inclusion, making each one better for a different type of listener.
For me, the Stir It Up Lux really stood out as a quality product compared to the 2 and the 2+. Its plinth is significantly heavier and better balanced, with four thick, perfectly-measured isolation feet that absorb considerably more vibration than the 2 or the 2+. The Lux’s thick, smoked glass platter looks and feels luxurious, and helps absorb even more vibrations.
It also feels like more of an art piece than the other products in the Stir It Up line, which is a lovely detail to have in a turntable.
Shop House of Marley online at BestBuy.ca today.
