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I'm someone that can never resist the urge to modify and personalise everything that I own. Car, toy cars, watches, bicycles, computers, anything that I can get my hand on, I'll want to modify and customise them. Which brings me to the latest thing I did to my turntable. Yea, in rather recent times, I have hopped onto the whole vinyl record trend, built up a little collection, and truly enjoy listening to music in this troublesome manner ("What's wrong with Spotify?", I've often found myself asking out loud). The original platter was made of aluminium, and required a platter mat, the new frosted acrylic one does away with the need for a platter mat, and being translucent, it can be lit up by LEDs underneath As though it wasn't already a hassle, I decided to make things more complicated by zhnging my turntable with an acrylic platter and LED lights. While acrylic platters are offered for other brands of turntables, it wasn't something that was available for my particular Audio Technica model. But I chanced upon this product while I was scrolling Taobao, and decided to go for it. The first step after removing the original platter, was to install this 3D-printed ring that the LED strip is pasted on. The real troublesome part was trying to make sure it is centered properly, otherwise it is going to look uneven when lit Here's how it looks like with the acrylic platter! The brightness of the LED strip is adjustable as well! Installation was rather simple; the platter was well made and flat. While I'm pretty sure it does nothing for the sound, I am quite pleased with how it looks now. It definitely helps to make those fancy coloured records look even better! I've paid around $100 for this fancy piece of kit. Is it totally useless, or aesthetically pleasant enough to justify the money spent? Let me know what you think. -Zhi Xuan

https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Electronics/50-000-turntables-amp-up-tunes-for-affluent-vinyl-fans?utm_campaign=GL_JP_update&utm_medium=email&utm_source=NA_newsletter&utm_content=article_link&del_type=4&pub_date=20221011090000&seq_num=11&si=44594 $50,000 turntables amp up tunes for affluent vinyl fans Success of niche manufacturer Esoteric rescues parent Teac from financial abyss Esoteric's Grandioso T1 turntable uses a magnetic driver for contactless rotation. (Photo by Shuhei Yuzawa) SHUHEI YUZAWA, Nikkei staff writerOctober 11, 2022 00:03 JST TOKYO -- High-end Japanese audio equipment maker Esoteric has launched its first analog turntable -- at a sticker price normally reserved for new cars. The Grandioso T1, released last month, sets itself apart by using a magnetic driver and platter to achieve contactless rotation. Unlike conventional turntables, it reduces vibrations that would disturb the playback of a record. The device does not come cheap: its suggested retail price starts at 7.15 million yen ($49,500). Esoteric's parent company Teac, an electronics maker, invited this reporter to the company's headquarters to take a listen to the turntable. The equipment was hooked up to Teac speakers priced at 40 million yen. The Grandioso played a powerful instrumental piece, and the ear was able to pick out the most minute notes. Although the experience was overwhelming, it was hard to tell whether the credit goes to the turntable or the high-end speakers. A request was made to play a song this reporter was more familiar with, so Teac put on "Wrapped in Kindness," an early release by Yumi Arai that was featured in the Studio Ghibli feature film "Kiki's Delivery Service." The occasional crackle heard during the listening added flavor to the experience. Teac gave a demonstration of the new turntable, hooked up to a 40 million yen speaker system. Turntables found at cafes and similar establishments normally sell for hundreds to a few thousand dollars. The target market for the Grandioso will be wealthy customers overseas, and the machines will be sold through dealerships. Esoteric "has achieved increases in sales and profits for six consecutive years," said President Hiroshi Oshima. The company's success owes largely to growing shipments outside of Japan. Overseas markets now account for over 60% of overall revenue, with many customers in mainland China and Hong Kong. In 2020, Esoteric signed its first distributorship deal in South America. Esoteric's performance has contributed to an upswing in Teac's earnings. After five straight years of net losses through fiscal 2016, the company returned to the black for the next five years through fiscal 2021. Teac's medium-term plan released in May set out a strategy of taking the lead in a specific niche, then expanding into related products. It targets operating profit of at least 1.1 billion yen in fiscal 2024, up 70% from fiscal 2021. This is a difficult time for the audio equipment industry, with Onkyo Home Entertainment filing for bankruptcy in May. Developing a strong lineup of high-end products, along with carving out a unique niche with equipment for streamers and content creators, will be key to ensuring continued growth.

Anyone has recently bought any speakers (non-atas) which has a white and red hole behind ? I wish to find one to connect to a turn table, the old type which plays record one. My old man bought one from mustaffa and his speaker cannot connect, cos the turntable comes with a pair of red and white cable, and the speakers doesn't have them. I don't know nuts about these things, hope to help him as he is quite disappointed. Pls share which brand\model can buy, and how much. Thanks.

hi Folks anyone familar with turntables ? i have a unused Bose lifestyle 3 and some old vinyls passed to me by a uncle thinking of hooking up a turntable to it and making the Bose useful if you know of any local forums to read up on ... will be most heartfelt appreciated ! thanks loads in advance !