Everyone loves comeback stories. Seeing an underdog rise from near defeat to emerge victorious tugs at our hearts and makes us wonder what come-from-behind miracles await us next.
It’s a feeling I get every time I think of vinyl’s incredible resilience and resurgence. As a child of the ’70s and record store veteran of the mid-to-late ’90s who witnessed the long player’s death throes up close, I can assure you a Milli Vanilli World Reunion Tour seemed more likely than vinyl’s resurrection. The shop where I worked practically gave records away — and even that wasn’t easy!
Fast forwarding to today feels like sonic fiction! Vinyl has risen from the ashes like a fire-winged phonographic phoenix, with sales exceeding all other physical music formats for years running. And in another incredible storyline twist, Victrola — the descendant of the brand that first sparked America’s affinity for home audio over a century ago — is one of the companies revolutionizing vinyl listening. The evolution of turntable technology proves that vinyl’s enduring appeal is more than a nostalgia trip.
In this review, we’ll take a close look at Victrola’s Stream Sapphire turntable — their flagship Roon Ready Relay record player!
Premium materials and audiophile aspirations
The Stream Sapphire exhibits more than superficial beauty, though its aesthetics immediately demand attention. The turntable’s low-resonance MDF plinth features an elegant real walnut veneer and brushed aluminum faceplate that immediately conveys Victrola’s commitment to premium materials. In my listening room, its finely figured grain creates a perfect visual continuum with my chocolate-finished BDI audio tower, Nucleus Titan, and retro JBL speaker cabinets — as if they all emerged from the same slab of timber.
A die-cast aluminum platter and thick rubber slipmat provide the stage for your favorite vinyl. The eye-catching silver carbon fiber tonearm offers more than good looks. Its strong, lightweight, rigid qualities reduce mass and optimize tracking ability while minimizing unwanted resonances, resulting in more accurate sound reproduction — especially when paired with a quality cartridge. And the Sapphire sports a real jewel!
The custom-designed removable headshell comes pre-mounted with an Ortofon 2M Blue. This isn’t just any cartridge upgrade; it’s one with revered audiophile attributes. Ortofon’s 2M Blue features a nude elliptical diamond stylus that traces groove walls with remarkable precision, delivering vivid detail and dynamics while preserving vinyl’s signature warmth. The cartridge’s outstanding tracking ability, extended frequency range, and delightfully balanced character allow it to navigate intricate musical passages while keeping their subtle nuances intact — extracting full flavor from sonically dense grooves.
Beneath the surface, the Stream Sapphire flexes increased muscle over previous models. A quiet, newly improved two-speed DC brushless motor with electronic speed control ensures consistent record rotation. The semi-automatic belt-driven design halts the motor when the needle reaches the run-out groove, a nice touch for those of us who occasionally drift into vinyl-induced reverie when enjoying a side of music. The adjustable aluminum feet underneath include dampening bases for perfect leveling and enhanced isolation from environmental vibrations.
Around the back, gold-plated line-level RCA outputs and a dedicated ground terminal ensure signal integrity and let buyers experiment with interconnect options. The built-in phono preamp delivers sonically pleasing sound quality while simplifying system integration — though pre-freaks should note it can’t be bypassed for an aftermarket unit. That could give some folks pause, but in my assessment, it’s not a deal-breaker. Victrola knows its customers, and I suspect buyers will value Sapphire’s plug-and-play convenience and carefully crafted sonic synergy. A power input and an ethernet port for steadying streaming quality on crowded networks round out the rear panel. Finally, a molded dust cover fits over the platter and tonearm, offering limited dust protection.
Like Victrola’s other advanced streaming players, it’s Sonos Certified and UPNP compatible.
Vinyl’s new groove, introducing Roon Ready Relay
This is where Victrola’s Stream Sapphire truly separates itself from other record-spinning streamers. As the first Roon Ready Relay turntable, it converts analog to pristine Hi-Res 24-bit/48kHz FLAC, fusing vinyl’s mystique with Roon’s multifaceted music features — creating an exciting new frontier for audio adventurers.
For those wondering how Roon Ready vinyl is even possible, Victrola employs brand new Roon Ready Relay technology that works differently than traditional Roon Ready devices. Instead of receiving audio from your Roon Server, the Stream Sapphire sends a digitally converted vinyl signal over your network to Roon, where it can be routed to any supported device — whether that’s AirPlay, Chromecast, phone, tablet, or laptop-based Roon controllers, or the cornucopia of high-performance Roon Ready devices.
It’s long been said that Roon embraces elements of vinyl’s intimate listening traditions. The Stream Sapphire brings that full circle by ushering vinyl itself into the fold — freeing it from wired-system constraints so its lush sound can flow freely through your home.
Understandably, some purists will argue that converting vinyl’s analog signal for digital streaming is audio apostasy — a sacrilege that betrays everything that makes the format special. And that might be valid if it was done poorly. But the Stream Sapphire pulls off the transformation with stunning finesse and sound quality that preserves vinyl’s natural beauty while making it a multiroom medium. Its approach to digital conversion closely mirrors what happens in many high-end audio components that convert analog signals for sophisticated DSP processing.
And there are other compelling reasons to give vinyl’s evolution a chance; namely, Victrola has already proven they can teach an old format new tricks. They know phonographica like sugar knows ice cream — they’ve been perfecting it since 1906. Name another living audio company that can say that!
Now that we’ve covered Roon Ready Relay tech, let’s explore how playing vinyl through Roon with the Stream Sapphire works.
Simplicity from set up to needle drop
If the tech and audio conversion alchemy we’ve discussed has you worried about Sapphire set up challenges, then let me dash your fears.
This turntable has to be one of the most streamlined audio components I’ve ever configured. The unboxing, minor assembly, and connection process— wired and streaming—only took about ten minutes. I’ve spent more time cleaning a single album than it took me to connect everything and spin one on this player. A conveniently placed QR code pulls up the Victrola app, where the detailed quick-start guide leads you through each step with reassuring simplicity.
Using the Stream Sapphire to play an album in Roon is equally straightforward. Playback is thoughtfully arranged around volume and audio routing. You’ll see a volume slider and two sections where you can select a default speaker or quickplay option for Roon streaming.
To select a default device:
- Press the arrow
- Toggle on Roon
- Choose one of your enabled devices
- Adjust volume with the multi-function knob on the Stream Sapphire, the volume slider in the Victrola app, or in Roon
- If autoplay is enabled, music automatically streams to this device when playing a record
To select a device in the quickplay list:
- Toggle off default speaker autoplay
- Choose a device in the list of quickplay options
- Adjust volume as described above
To play through grouped speakers in Roon:
- First, create the group in Roon
- Refresh the quickplay list in the Victrola app
- Select the group in the quickplay list
- Control individual device volumes in Roon
- Please note: the multi-function knob and volume slider in the Victrola app doesn’t control volumes for grouped devices
The settings menu in the Victrola app provides additional flexibility, like allowing simultaneous wired and streaming playback, streaming buffer adjustments, and other fine-tuning options.
Having already witnessed vinyl’s amazing rebirth, I was eager to experience its evolution with an open mind and ears.
Wax meets wireless, the user and listening experience
I can’t fault diehard vinyl connoisseurs for harboring suspicions that record streaming will reveal itself as inferior audio chicanery once auditioned in person. Despite all the compelling new tech, premium trimmings, and Victrola’s prestigious phonographic legacy, only sound quality and user experience can prove the Stream Sapphire is more than a visually appealing turntable with a neat trick up its tonearm.
In my opinion, the Stream Sapphire easily transcends mere novelty. Its versatility continuously reveals itself in daily use by delivering engaging listening sessions that liberate vinyl from the traditional constraints of a single-room setup. While many other reviews pass that off as a mundane convenience feature, I argue it’s a potentially transformative experience vinyl lovers will succumb to immediately — at least I did.
When family members want to watch television near the turntable, I can relax in a favorite chair in the neighboring room, enjoying new album purchases through a Roon Ready headphone DAC. While writing this review, I streamed vinyl through Roon to a DragonFly Red on my MacBook. How about doing dinner prep while a favorite jazz album streams to Bluetooth earbuds connected to an iPhone Roon remote? Listening experiences like these have become daily luxuries. And when an album side ends, Roon’s easy switching lets me immediately return to the digital tracks in my queue — creating a seamless blend of vinyl and streaming playback choices.
Currently, Roon doesn’t display a vinyl album’s now playing info due to the stream’s digitized analog nature. But Roon’s vast metadata is still easily searchable while listening, further assisting album credit curiosity or filling in missing details for pressings without liner notes. Interestingly, I’m much more absorbed with listening than browsing when streaming vinyl in Roon because of the captivating sound quality.
The Stream Sapphire showcases all of vinyl’s beguiling sonic traits: that warm, entrancing midrange that gives vocals intimacy, lush full-bodied low-end, realistic dynamics that preserve music’s natural beauty, and vivid tonal colors that bring instruments to life.
The Ortofon 2M Blue’s musical presentation is genuinely impressive, creating an intoxicating, enveloping listening space and sound staging that consistently exceeded my expectations across various listening scenarios. Neil Young’s intimate acoustic Young Shakespeare live album, and Richard & Mimi Fariña’s evocative folk masterpiece Reflections In A Crystal Wind were positively mesmerizing and bursting with delicate nuances.
Comparing traditional RCA connections versus streaming playback through my Roon Ready integrated amp revealed no major differences — both methods proved equally engaging. Wi-Fi streaming with the Sapphire was effortless and so satisfactory that I never bothered connecting it to my network via ethernet.
The Stream Sapphire exhibited only one specification, which caused initial concern. Its wow & flutter is listed as less than 0.25 – a little on the high side for turntables at this price point. However, attentive auditioning of my 180-gram mono pressing of Giant Steps revealed no hints of horn wavering that would indicate speed inconsistencies. John Coltrane’s legendary saxophone lines unfurled with ebullient pitch-perfect fluidity buoyed by rock-solid contributions from his accompanists. And I heard no speed fluctuations across any of the demanding material I spun after that.
In fact, everything I threw at the Stream Sapphire — from the funky jazz-fusion maelstrom of Miles Davis’s Bitches Brew and the glittering disco-ball decadence of The Bee Gees vocal harmonies to the timeless titans of classic rock — tracked effortlessly and sounded beautifully.
The Victrola Stream Sapphire preserves all vinyl’s soulfulness, ritual, and excitement while freeing listeners to enjoy it in ways we never imagined.
Final impressions, vinyl tradition reimagined
Sometimes, the most meaningful innovations don’t shatter traditions; they thoughtfully extend them. Victrola’s Stream Sapphire reinforces that philosophy by honoring vinyl’s hallowed history while gracefully modernizing it for the streaming age.
The Stream Sapphire delivers on multiple fronts: outstanding build quality, exceptional ease of use, and, most importantly, genuinely engaging sound that maintains vinyl’s captivating character, whether played through traditional connections or streamed via Roon Ready Relay. That last bit still feels like a touch of audio alchemy — the ability to free vinyl from its physical constraints while preserving its soul — but the Stream Sapphire pulls it off with aplomb.
This turntable is perfect for:
- Roon customers seeking an ideal way to add vinyl to their collection
- Roon/vinyl enthusiasts who’d like to stream it throughout their home in Hi-Res FLAC
- Anyone looking to pair vinyl’s timeless charm with Roon’s powerful features
- Current Stream Sapphire owners who are intrigued by Roon
- Anyone desiring a premium turntable that combines traditional appeal with modern conveniences
What makes the Stream Sapphire genuinely remarkable isn’t just its innovative features or premium components — though they certainly contribute to its appeal. Its magic lies in how elegantly it infuses modern functionality while preserving the fundamental joy of lowering a needle on a cherished album. Every aspect speaks to Victrola’s deep understanding and reverence for what makes vinyl special.
The Victrola Stream Sapphire’s marriage of analog charm and digital convenience doesn’t just bridge two worlds — it creates an entirely new one that audio adventurers will want to explore. Whether you’re a vinyl veteran looking to expand your listening options or a streaming devotee curious about adding records to your rotation, this turntable opens up exciting new possibilities for enjoying music in its most timeless form.
Ready to put a new spin on your favorite albums with Roon & Victrola? Sign up for a FREE Roon trial!