Coturn CT-TWO Puts a Thorens-Backed Turntable in a Backpack

Portable turntables have mostly been cheap suitcase players, so a €599 record player that slides into a backpack gets attention. The Coturn CT-TWO is built by German industrial designer Benjamin Großjohann and turntable manufacturer Thorens, and it's aimed at buyers who want a machined, well-finished deck they can carry. Its strengths and compromises are both easy to see once you hold it, and they decide who should spend the money.

What Thorens Brings to the Design

The CT-TWO grows out of Großjohann's original CT-01, a former professional BMX rider and trained industrial designer based in Bonn. His goal was a portable deck that didn't shed mechanical quality just to get smaller. Thorens became involved through Gunter Kürten, CEO and owner of the Swiss company founded in 1883. Rather than license the name, the two set up Coturn by Thorens GmbH, which they own jointly. Thorens contributes turntable engineering, analog playback know-how and manufacturing development. Großjohann keeps the original concept and industrial design direction.

That split matters. Thorens has spent much of its modern history refining conventional architecture, including descendants of the TD 124 and TD 160. Coturn moves the company into a different category, one built around portability and contemporary styling rather than heavy suspension, big platters and wooden plinths. For Thorens, it's a way to reach younger vinyl listeners without dropping the traditional decks that made its name. Coturn says the CT-TWO is assembled and tested by hand in Bonn.

The model naming has been messy. Thorens-associated coverage earlier referred to a CT-02, but the production model launched as the CT-TWO.

How the Deck Plays Records

The core of the design is a narrow, CNC-machined aluminum chassis with an anodized finish in Grey, Black or Champagne. It houses the motor, belt drive, phono preamplifier, battery, Bluetooth transmitter and controls. The tonearm folds into a recessed channel when you're done, leaving a slim, smooth body that's easy to store. Lifting the arm out of its channel switches the unit on. Speed, Bluetooth pairing and volume sit under a touch-sensitive panel beneath Gorilla Glass.

The trade-off is the platter. It's small, and most of a full-size LP hangs past it. Full-size decks use larger platters to support the record and add rotational mass. Coturn instead relies on a compact platter, an electronically regulated DC motor and a belt drive to hold speed. Coturn lists wow and flutter at ±0.2%, which is a reasonable figure for this class, but I'd like independent measurements before drawing conclusions about sound quality. The spec sheet doesn't say how it sounds, and Coturn hasn't published a listening verdict.

Speeds are 33⅓ and 45 RPM, and the CT-TWO takes 7-inch, 10-inch and 12-inch records. A 7-inch adapter is included. The deck comes with a factory-fitted moving magnet cartridge that Coturn calls its own MM model. It's matched to the permanently mounted tonearm, so you won't swap in a different cartridge or tune alignment the way you would on a conventional audiophile turntable.

Bluetooth, Battery and Outputs

Wireless is the feature most people will use. The CT-TWO transmits over Bluetooth with aptX HD and AAC, so you can pair it with compatible headphones or speakers and skip carrying a phono preamp, amplifier and speakers alongside your records. The catch is that Bluetooth still means converting the cartridge's analog signal to digital and encoding it. aptX HD is lossy, and both the sending and receiving devices need to support the codec to get it. If you're chasing an all-analog chain, wireless playback isn't that. Wired output is the better choice for critical listening.

For cables, there's a 3.5mm headphone output with volume control and a separate 3.5mm line-level output. The built-in phono stage lets you connect powered speakers, an amplifier or a receiver without a dedicated phono input. There are no RCA jacks, so most traditional hi-fi systems will need a 3.5mm-to-RCA cable. The rechargeable lithium-ion battery is rated at 7.4V and 2,500mAh (18.5Wh), with up to 20 hours of playback. That's up from the 16 hours Coturn claimed for the CT-01. Charging runs over USB-C at 5V/2A, so a power bank can keep it going away from an outlet. One omission needs emphasis. The CT-TWO has no built-in speakers. It works as a portable source, not a self-contained system. If you plan to play records outdoors, bring headphones or a Bluetooth speaker.

Where the Compromises Show

A deck this small can't escape the basic demands of playing a record. The LP overhangs the platter, so it needs a level, stable surface with room for the disc to spin. This is a tabletop device, not something you can play while walking or holding in your hand. The tonearm has no conventional cueing lever, so you lower the stylus by hand. That's a risk for newer listeners or anyone with expensive pressings, especially on a surface that isn't steady. Adjustment is limited compared with a full-size deck, and Coturn hasn't published tracking-force or cartridge alignment specifications. Those numbers would tell serious buyers a lot about how the arm will behave with different records. A protective case isn't in the standard package. Coturn sells a fitted carrying case separately, so budget for it if you plan to travel with the deck. Longer-term questions remain open. Coturn says individual replacement parts can be supplied, but the battery, stylus and service arrangements outside Germany aren't settled. If you're buying from outside Europe, check what support and spares are available before you commit.

Measured Against the Alternatives

The closest rival on paper is the Audio-Technica Sound Burger AT-SB727 at $199. It has a compact belt drive, a spring-balanced tonearm, a replaceable stylus, a built-in phono stage and a rechargeable battery rated at roughly 12 hours. It weighs 900 grams and uses a plastic body, and its Bluetooth transmission is SBC only. It's a far cheaper, more utilitarian option, and it's built on a different philosophy. The Victrola Revolution GO sits in a different place. It has built-in stereo speakers, Bluetooth, a battery good for up to 12 hours and an Audio-Technica AT-3600LA cartridge. It also plays 78 RPM records, which the CT-TWO can't. The Revolution GO is bigger and heavier, with a carrying handle and detachable strap, but it works without extra speakers. The source lists it at $99.99, down from $199.99, so check current pricing before comparing. Compared with those two, the CT-TWO is about materials and minimalism. Its machined aluminum chassis and retractable arm feel more like a precision product than a molded-plastic portable. The integrated phono stage, battery and wireless transmitter also let you move between portable listening and a home system without buying extra electronics.

Price, Availability and the Bottom Line

The CT-TWO launched on October 29, 2026, at €599 in Grey, Black and Champagne. Coturn lists free shipping within Germany and Switzerland, and €24 shipping across the rest of Europe. International shipping is available. U.S. orders are listed at $710, which includes $29 shipping, against a conversion of about $681 for the euro price. Exchange rates will move that number, so check the checkout price at purchase. My read is that the CT-TWO is a premium second turntable, not an entry point into vinyl. If you want a deck for a desk, a bedroom or a travel kit that can also feed a hi-fi system, it's one of the more thoughtfully built options in the category. If your priority is a serious home setup, the money goes further on a conventional turntable with adjustable arm geometry and a proper plinth. Whether it sounds as good as it looks is still an open question until someone measures it and listens carefully. Thorens has spent more than a century helping people play records at home, and now the CT-TWO takes that experience out the door. Your record collection still needs to be carried separately, though.