The TT-N503 came in a bombproof box with machine-molded foam, which only manufacturers with substantial economies can benefit from.   Just Yamaha’s “packaging” division must be larger than many audio manufacturers. 

The Arcylic top cover, the die-cast aluminum platter, and the plinth were neatly separated, housed, and wrapped in foam sheets to prevent scratches.   The pride in Japanese packaging is fully demonstrated as there were no fingerprints, dust, or the slightest scratch, which makes me wonder whether the product was packed in an air-tight sealed chamber.

The turntable came finished with black piano lacquer, which looks exactly the same as the finish of the Yamaha C4 grand piano sitting in my living room.  I am sure the Yamaha piano division has something to do with the exquisite piano finish.   Few in this price category offers this quality of finish.  

I didn’t read a single page of the phone book thick owner’s manual, which must have taken some Yamaha employees a couple of weeks to compile. It is more detailed than any other owner’s manual I have ever owned, showing the consistency of the high standards at which Yamaha operates.

But even for a beginner, the TT-N503 requires nothing more than common sense to put it together. You flip the platter upside down and loop the belt on the inner ring; then, you simply place the platter onto the spindle. Stick a finger into the hole of the platter to catch the belt and loop it around the spindle. Put the turntable mat back onto the platter, and you’re good to go.

The Yamaha TT-N503 is packed with features, and it has everything that a beginner needs to play vinyl. For an entry-level product to offer this many features at this quality level, the TT-N503 likely benefited from Yamaha’s economies of scale, which would not have been possible for a smaller company.

The TT-N503 is a belt drive table that comes mounted with a tonearm and an Audio Technica AT3600L MM phono cartridge). On the back of the unit, it has traditional analog RCA outputs, switchable between Phono Out and Line out, which tells you that if LINE OUT is chosen, the unit is built in with an MM phono stage, which allows you to connect directly into a preamp, an integrated amp, or active speaker units. If you choose to install a higher quality phono cartridge, such as an MC cartridge, users can select the Phono output, which bypasses the internal phono stage.

The name “Network” Turntable may be confusing for some, but the “Network” part is precisely what sets the Yamaha turntable apart from others. It is simply packed with features that allow the next generation to get started with high-end audio. The TT-N503 comes with a set of “network” outputs that will enable you to connect to a router, network server, PC or NAS (Network Attached Storage Hard Disk device) via CAT5/6/7 LAN cables, Wifi or Bluetooth, or Yamaha’s own “MusicCast” compatible devices.

I asked my 19-year-old daughter if the network capability is something important, and she said the ability to stream music off her iPHone is the lynchpin of the equation. This very feature could very well be the ticket for a young person to transition into vinyl. Those who are used to streaming music from their iPhone or Android devices can connect Spotify or other music streaming apps to play music through the TT-N503 turntable into connected amplifiers and speakers. The TT-N503 can be connected and controlled by Yamaha’s MusicCast Controller App on mobile devices to act as a streamer. The TT-N503 can output to Bluetooth devices such as headphones, and speakers regardless brand. 

The weak point amongst entry-level turntables is the tonearm that comes with it. Not all tonearms are created equal, and many entry-level arms suffer from either poor design or simply lousy workmanship. The lifter, for instance, is often raised too high, so the cartridge is over 1 cm from the platter. When you lower the lever, many of them do not come straight down but diagonally, which makes choosing tracks to play challenging because the stylus will land on the wrong spot.

The tonearm on the Yamaha TT-N503 is one of the few in this price category that perfectly scores all of the above. In fact, the arm is so good compared to many $1000-2000 dollar tonearms that I would give it an award if it was sold separately.

Out of the box, I was surprised to find the cartridge aligned to perfection, and by that, I mean when it was verified against the Acoustical System Pro-Alignment Set (€ 3,995), which is the world’s most accurately alignment tractor, the stylus of cartridge landed at the exact laser cut divot of the Baerwald IEC template. The cantilever was also 100% aligned perfectly parallel to the grid! The offset angle of the headshell is perfectly aligned to the Baerwald IEC geometry grid lines. The arm felt solid, with a properly working lifter, anti-skating mechanism, as well precisely fitted connection joints without any wobbling.

Over a period of 2 months, I played over a hundred records on the turntable. No, it isn’t comparable with any of the high-end turntables I have on hand; they do everything better in every way. But could I have lived with the Yamaha without any of the high-end tables? I would hate to admit it, but truly I could have lived with the Yamaha.