Little Bear 50/60Hz Strobe Light Tachometer Disc Review

The Little Bear stroboscopic speed strobe light is a turntable maintenance tool priced at $36.99. It generates a flash source at the 50/60Hz frequency of your household power supply, and combined with the tachometer disc in the box it lets you check and adjust a record player's rotational speed.

Because it keys off mains frequency, the maker says it suits almost every country. The light uses a 15VAC power supply, and the low voltage is deliberate: it protects the user from electric shock during use. The LED output is rated at 3W and is bright enough to be used in any environment, day or night, indoors or out. The unit is small and easy to store with the rest of your turntable accessories.

The procedure is straightforward: place the tachometer disc on the turntable and start it spinning, switch on the strobe and hold it 5-10cm from the disc, then watch the stripes for the 33.3 or 45 speed. If the stripes are stable and not moving, the speed is correct. Slow clockwise drift means the turntable is running fast, and slow anticlockwise drift means it is running slow. If the deck has speed adjustment, tune it until the stripe stops; if it has none, the maker suggests trying a new drive belt first, since belts stretch over time, before treating large variations as a mechanical fault. Once the speed is set, the disc comes off and the record goes on. The package contains the strobe light, the tachometer disc and a power supply.

Specifications

How it compares

The strobe is the only speed-checking tool in this group; the speed claims elsewhere come from the record weights. The Nobsound STB-02 Aluminum Record Weight Clamp and Turntable Disc Stabilizer review ($29.99, $7.00 less) and the Nobsound STB-01 Record Weight and Turntable Disc Stabilizer review ($32.99, $4.00 less) both say they stabilize rotational speed, with no measurement; the strobe is how you would check a deck's speed with or without a weight.

The Nobsound R21K Turntable Cartridge Alignment and Tuning Kit review ($69.99, $33.00 more; $79.99 for the Other destination) covers alignment, tracking force and levelling, not speed, so the two complement each other. Choose the strobe if you want to verify 33.3 and 45 RPM and your turntable can adjust speed (otherwise the page suggests trying a new drive belt first); skip it if you play 78 RPM records, which the page does not mention.

Shipping, returns and warranty

• Shipping: Douk Audio's current shipping page says orders are generally processed no later than the next business day and arrive in 2-8 business days, with duties, taxes and customs fees included in the checkout price unless noted otherwise.
• Older shipping terms are still online: airmail at 10-25 days for parcels under 2 kg, DHL, UPS or FedEx at 5-8 days above that, and a line saying the store is not responsible for import duties. Check the delivery estimate and any duties at checkout.
• Returns: ask within 30 days of delivery and wait for approval before sending anything; an approved return has to ship within 7 days. Items need all packaging and accessories and no excessive wear, or the store can refuse them or refund part of the price. Refunds go to the original payment method after inspection.
• Not refunded: original and expedited shipping, duties, taxes and customs charges, unless the law requires it or the store made the error. The return page does not say who pays return postage, and the older refund page excludes mistaken orders and change-of-mind returns from free after-sale service.
• Warranty: 24 months from purchase for manufacturing defects, with free repair, a replacement unit and free shipping both ways for covered repairs. Drops, liquid, DIY repairs, lightning, extreme temperatures and misuse are excluded (partial fees may apply), and damage from weak packing on the way back may not be covered. The older refund page still says 1 year.
• Seller: the site is run by Shenzhen Anba Technology Co., Ltd (Shenzhen, China) and HONGKONG LONGSHENG Import and Export Trading Co., Limited (Hong Kong); support is by email at [email protected]. These terms cover orders placed on doukaudio.com; other sellers apply their own.

For this product, the page lists US, UK, EU, AU and Other under 'Shipping to' and shows Free Shipping, 2-8 Days Arrival, 30-Day Return and 2-Year Warranty badges near the price.