Levitating turntable to enter production after raising nearly $450,000
Published
Tue, Nov 15, 2016, 15:40
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The MAG-LEV will be released next year.
The MAG-LEV Audio turntable will be released next year after its Kickstarter campaign raised nearly $450,000.
The turntable has received considerable media attention and financial backing in recent months for its floating platter design, which the company claims to be a world-first. Its Kickstarter page, which aimed to raise $300K, offers few concrete details on how the turntable works or the benefits of the floating design—apart from aesthetics—but the assumption is that a floating platter would reduce vibrations. The levitating platter appears to be supported by a magnetic field while "sensor regulating software" controls the spinning of the platter. The text goes on to claim that "air is the smoothest medium with least amount of friction, which further elevates this project into a truly unique listening experience." There is no information regarding how the design affects torque or wow and flutter.
A semi-automatic tonearm, which is a Pro-Ject 8.6 design housing an Ortofon OM 5E cartridge, lifts off the record at its conclusion, while the platter has "some tolerance" to vibrations and touch. Other purported benefits include reduced wear to parts, digital speed regulation and "computer precision." Early bird backing options are no longer available but you can still pledge $880 or more to receive a model in September 2017.
Watch a promo video for the MAG-LEV Audio turntable.