The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Levitating turntable player. May be a bit too much on the gimmic side. Give me an Edison DD player anyday!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HP_Wxx7I-Dg

It is an interesting technology, as it dispenses with wear-prone things like gears and belts, however it has major drawbacks. A large electromagnetic field is required to make the turntable levitate, and this field may affect the local environment. For instance, a person wearing a pacemaker should not get near such device.

Do a levitating cylinder mandrel and I might be interested

In watching the video, I'm certain my Victor V has less wow and flutter!

Could be an interesting idea if it was really developed. This doesn't look like it has been. One of the age old bugbears in designing good turntables is the issue of isolation from external vibrations and footfalls.

I actually think it's a great concept. Is it perfect? Nope. Then again, neither was the Berliner Gram-O-Phone that started the whole "disc record" mess in the first place.

Good to see it--you know, even if it's not exactly the pinnacle of audio excellence, it is certainly an inventive design and a real novelty to look at.

The levitating turntable is not a prototype but actually a commercial product made in Slovenia, that got good reviews from specialized magazines. Extremely expensive, however, and with the limitations concerning the electromagnetic field that I mentioned above. See https://www.soundstageaustralia.com/ind ... -turntable