The Andover Audio SpinPlay is a single-piece record player worth buying: I am often asked about all-in-one record players with built-in speakers that can play records without any other components. With few exceptions such as extremely expensive consoles, these players have not been anything I would recommend. They either sounded poor, were hard on your records, or both. I am pleased to finally have a single-piece system to recommend, and while playing records is its primary function it can do much more.

The Andover Audio SpinPlay takes Andover's lauded SpinBase turntable speaker technology and integrates it with a semiautomatic turntable. The SpinPlay looks like a briefcase without a handle, and is ruggedly and handsomely constructed. Andover's vibration-isolating technology does a fine job keeping the speaker from causing feedback from the turntable. It has Bluetooth as well as digital and analog connections so you can play audio from your portable devices and other components such as a television, audio streamer or CD player. The integrated speaker has a wide 270-degree sonic spread. I found that I especially enjoyed listening from 6 feet away or further, which made the SpinPlay sound bigger than it is.

The Andover Audio SpinPlay Record Player lists for $729, but using the code SP130 on andoveraudio.com currently reduces the price $130 to only $599. Besides the outstanding bargain currently being offered, there is another reason I am featuring the SpinPlay today. Remember the Audio-Technica AT3600L cartridge I wrote about last week? It is the world's most common photograph cartridge, and it is easily upgraded with the ALN3600LE stylus from lpgear.com. The AT3600L is the cartridge preinstalled on the SpinPlay, and the $39.98 stylus upgrade makes it worlds better. You can even sign up for emails on lpgear.com and save 10%, making it under $36. I very highly recommend this upgrade and if you don't order the stylus when you buy your SpinPlay, I'd plan on doing it soon thereafter. Your ears and your records will thank you.

Q. What are your thoughts on Dolby Atmos speakers sitting on top of the front speakers and bouncing sound off the ceiling, versus speakers mounted in the ceiling or high on the walls and pointing down towards the listeners?

—J.K., Isanti, Minnesota

A. Atmos is absolutely wonderful, and I think to have Atmos is much better than to not have Atmos. The ideal situation is to have the Atmos speakers above you, facing down. Some companies like SVS will not compromise on this and only sell Atmos speakers of this type. Other manufacturers recognize such mounting may not be practical or even possible for many environments, so they offer speakers and soundbars that bounce the Atmos sound off the ceiling so it comes from above you.

My own home theater is built into the basement of my mid-century ranch home. The ceilings are relatively low and made of textured plaster. The ceiling looks beautiful, and I didn't want to cut holes in it. For Atmos I mounted tiny, full-range Cambridge Audio Minx speakers on pole stands, positioned them high above the main speakers and directed them to reflect off the ceiling into the listening area. I may have gotten better sound by getting the speakers higher in the air and facing down, and I may look into stands to do that one day. But for now, what I have really works and creates a very convincing 3D space that uses the whole room.

Dolby Atmos is worth it — find a way! If bouncing off the ceiling is the best way for you to make it happen, go for it.

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