Specialist retailers PhonoPhono(Germany) Stunning !, if you have any interest in LP reproduction you MUST download the catalogue from this company, incredible range of cartridges, turntables, arms etc.., including models that other dealers say aren't made anymore or are "only available in Japan", and UK readers should note that it's sometimes cheaper to buy from this supplier via mail than to order the same item in the UK, and for some odd reason it's also cheaper to buy a Denon cart from this supplier than it's to buy them in Japan, odd. Bauer Consulting(Germany) Mail order LP specialist, mostly sells software but also handles some specialised hardware Record Players+ (USA) Sells refurbished turntables, grammophones etc.. also sells 78's etc.. Eifl(Japan) This mail order retailer specialises in selling obscure Japanese products to westerners, these are either not available in the west such as some Denon and ZYX carts or are much cheaper to buy direct from Japan than out of a shop in the US or UK. Cleaning/Chemicals etc.. AM One of the few manufacturer left that makes reasonably good record cleaning brushes, they also make loads of other record cleaning products and accessories. Record Research Lab Record cleaning chemicals etc.. Last Makes record preservants Disk Doctor Audio Restorations Sells Keith Monks record cleaning machines in the US. Discwasher Makes and sell a variety of disk cleaning and protection products. VPI Industries Makes record cleaning machines. Audio Top Makes excellent record cleaning chemicals and tools Lorricraft Makes a mid-high end record cleaning machine Discwasher Has a big range of record cleaning solutions Decca Is still making their carbon fibre brush, the first model to hit the market some 30+ years ago or so Keith Monks Sound Systems Manufatures a record cleaning machine Zerodust Makes the LP Raiser but that is a record cleaning solution that has excellent anti-static properties Calibration etc. Asthetics Makes Cartridge demagnetisers Winds Makes an high quality arm load meter. Turntable Basics Sell turntable accessories, calibration, belts etc.. Gyrascope A fascinating, highly accurate and expensive turntable speed tester. Van Den Hul Makes a variety of turntable, tonearm and pickup calibration accessories. Merrill Audio This company sells a nice booklet explaining the proper set-up of turntables Turntable rebuilding Origin Live Labels/Markers NB Services (US) Please send any factual corrections, dead links, information and/or links that you feel that should be on this page to the page maintainer but please note that I do not have an Internet access at the moment so there may be some time before I can answer.
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The Record player is around 110 years old, it's based on the Grammophone that was invented by Berliner and replaced the Edison cylinder in the market. Refinements came in the 1920's when electronic signal amplification replaced mecanical or acoustic amplification giving way to a more accurate tonal and dynamic balance, and furthermore in the late forties when microgrove records came into use, giving us a more robust medium and longer playing times. The modern LP is a microgroove record that utilises RIAA eq. curves, so to use a record player with a modern system you need a preamplifier with a built in RIAA correcting equaliser (sometimes called a phono stage). While these are often built into standalone amplifiers it's almost unheard of seeing them on a Mini or a Midi system, so you will either need to have a record player that has a built in preamp or to buy a standalone amplifier (a few manufacturers of those are listed on the Phono Preamps page).
And if anyone thinks that the LP is dead here below are listed no fewer than 106 current manufacturers of turntables with prices ranging from less than 50 € to over 90k €, and there are more to come.
Currently active record player manufacturers. A to F
Acoustic Signature
Makes 4 decks, their main deck is the Analogue One Mk II a high end deck that has been selling well in Germany for the last few years but they have a somewhat cheaper model called The Final Tool that has been getting a lot of interest across the atlantic and great reviews on both continents, you can read a review by Stereotimes of that model. The company recently introduced a "budget" model called Samba that comes with a Rega tonearm as standard, note that the company also has 2 upgrade kit's for that model if you want to improve it at a later date, and finally for those with a love of analogue sound reproduction they have a 3 motor monster called Impact, that model appears to be slightly cheaper than the Analogue One. All those model share the same custom bearing system that is considered to be one of the most succesfull in the business, and are cheaper than most other high mass tables.
Acoustic Solid
German maker of high end players, although it has recently been moving in other directions introducing both mid price players and decks that are in or near the reference class (and price range). Their mainstay is the One to One deck it's a heavy platter deck with a freestanding motor, for those that want a deck that can take more than one tonearm there is the Solid One it's their reference class design, similiar im many ways to their other decks but comes in at a whopping 37 kilos. A version of that deck that can only take one arm is the Solid Edition and at "only 30 kg's" probably easier to get into the house, but there is also a slightly cheaper version called Solid Machine that also can accomidate 3 arms, it has all the design features of the more expencive decks but is smaller and lighter.
The Solid Machine Small is my personal favorite, a high end performance deck at a really good price (relatievly), and as it's made out of polished aluminium damn good looking to boot. The Solid Vintage it the only deck from the company that resembles a normal turntable with a cover etc, its also the only deck from the company that does no not have the motor seperate from the chassis and is Acoustic Solid's entry into the mid range market. Finally there is the Solid Round a deck made out of antiresonant high tech materials rather than the alumuinium that their other decks feature, high end table that can be fitted with 2 tonearms.
Altmann Industrie Elektronik
This company has recently introduced a very interesting turntable called the 776 that is like a cross between a lightwheight brodcast turntable and a consumer desk. It's based around a Technics SP10 MKII motor and subsystem and features a SME ltd. arm and an Ortofon pickup, noticably the deck supports 16 and 78 rpm in addition to the usual 33 and 45.
Amazon
Well regarded maker of mid to high end turntables.
American DJ
Makes a line of DJ turntables.
Analogue Audio Systems
Makes the Gabriel reference class turntable.
Athma-Sphere
Makes a turntable called 208 that is built around the old Empire turntable.
Audiolabor
Makes the high end Konstant turntable, this was one of the first heavy platter turntables on the market and has become something of a classic (it's basic design is close to 20 years old, although it has seen some updates).
Audiomeca
Has the high end J-1 turntable that comes with their SL-5 linear tracking arm and the more rationally priced Romance deck that uses the more conventional Romeo tonearm.
Audio Note UK Ltd.
Makes the TT-1, this is an updated version of the old Dunlop Systemdeck IIX, in other words a 3 point suspended sub-chassis deck with an synchronus AC motor in the classic British fashion, this table has been reviewed by Hi-Fi choice, they also have the TT2 wich is an improved variant of of the TT1 with 2 motors for increased speed stability, torque and less interference, the TT2 model also has a much better power supply but appears otherwise to be identical to the 1. Note that unlike the TT1 the TT2 is only available in Black and that there is no information on it on the companies homepage, nor is there any info on their new TT3 Reference model, this is based on the Audio Note UK TT-3 turntable and features the same 3 motor arrangement but eschews the plinth in favour of an open arrangement and the motor subsystem has been improved with the addition of Flywheel and an independent power supply for each motor.
Audio Technica
Makes the AT-PL30, it's a keenly priced model intended to integrate with a midi system, apparently features a built in RIAA preamp and comes with an AT-N3600L MM pickup.
Audio Tekne
Makes the ACP-8801 high end turntable that sports a seperate motor, this model is only made to order and has seen a lot uf updates recently.
Avid Hi-Fi
An English company that has recenlty introduced the Acuts turntable with a seperate powers supply and the Volvere deck.
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