if you have $64,000, you can buy..., a turntable Options

[coughlin]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/16/ces.lux...able/index.html




LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Attention audiophiles, old-school vinyl listeners and the very rich: Do we have a piece of stereo equipment for you.

It's called the Gabriel Turntable, and you won't find it at Wal-Mart. Crafted in limited editions by an Italian company that will engrave each buyer's name on it, the Gabriel is to a Kenner Close 'N Play what a Ferrari is to a Yugo.

"When I look at it," said Placido Pappalardo, co-owner of maker Angelis Labor, "the only word that comes to mind is love."

Angelis Labor executives proudly unveiled their turntable last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, where its retro appearance and mechanical design set it apart from the cacophony of digital gadgets on display. That, and the price: up to $64,000, depending on which model is ordered.

The Gabriel is made from aluminum, bronze and stainless steel and can be customized with up to four arms. Each arm is made in a Modena, Italy, factory that also builds Ferrari parts. A one-armed model costs about $27,000, while a four-armed version runs for $64,000, including installation. Watch the Gabriel in action »

"It is a thing of beauty," said Jonathan Valin, executive editor of The Absolute Sound magazine, who saw the turntable in Las Vegas but didn't get to hear it. "Whether it is a world-class turntable, I don't know."

Why would anyone want four arms on their record player? Different pickup cartridges produce different types of sound, and some audiophiles like to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges.

The Gabriel is a magnetic suspension turntable, meaning that calibrated magnets are used to lift the platter a few millimeters above its bearings. This helps reduce vibration, which can affect sound quality.

"It's as if the whole turntable is floating in air," Pappalardo said.

The entire device rests on a custom-built, vibration-dampening table. It takes half a day for an Angelis Labor technician to set the whole thing up and calibrate the turntable.

The Gabriel is not yet in stores. Angelis Labor is now seeking a distributor to sell the turntable through specialty audio retailers who can demonstrate it personally for customers. Unlike most manufacturers, the company has no interest in selling it on the Web.

"We will never allow anybody to sell our products on the Internet," said Pappalardo, perhaps the only business executive at CES this year to make such a statement.

The Gabriel is not the only four-armed record player on the market. Nor is it the most expensive: the German-made, 770-pound Clearaudio Statement turntable costs twice as much.

But with vinyl making a comeback, the Gabriel may appeal to audiophiles who believe that listening to old records on a high-end player is like going back in time.

"They're not just eye candy. They actually sound better," said Valin, who prefers analog sound to the digital sound produced by CDs and MP3 files.

But even Valin wonders what kind of person would pay $64,000 for a turntable.

"You'd have to be very wealthy, very much into vinyl or very crazy," he said. "Or all three."

[newfakename]

*fuck*

This post has been edited by newfakename: Jan 19 2009, 08:57 AM

[Dr. Moose]

I wonder how often that exposed drive belt breaks... and what it costs to replace it.

[hamandegger]

http://www.cnn.com/2009/TECH/01/16/ces.lux...able/index.html


LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Attention audiophiles, old-school vinyl listeners and the very rich: Do we have a piece of stereo equipment for you.

It's called the Gabriel Turntable, and you won't find it at Wal-Mart. Crafted in limited editions by an Italian company that will engrave each buyer's name on it, the Gabriel is to a Kenner Close 'N Play what a Ferrari is to a Yugo.

"When I look at it," said Placido Pappalardo, co-owner of maker Angelis Labor, "the only word that comes to mind is love."

Angelis Labor executives proudly unveiled their turntable last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, where its retro appearance and mechanical design set it apart from the cacophony of digital gadgets on display. That, and the price: up to $64,000, depending on which model is ordered.

The Gabriel is made from aluminum, bronze and stainless steel and can be customized with up to four arms. Each arm is made in a Modena, Italy, factory that also builds Ferrari parts. A one-armed model costs about $27,000, while a four-armed version runs for $64,000, including installation. Watch the Gabriel in action »

"It is a thing of beauty," said Jonathan Valin, executive editor of The Absolute Sound magazine, who saw the turntable in Las Vegas but didn't get to hear it. "Whether it is a world-class turntable, I don't know."

Why would anyone want four arms on their record player? Different pickup cartridges produce different types of sound, and some audiophiles like to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges.

The Gabriel is a magnetic suspension turntable, meaning that calibrated magnets are used to lift the platter a few millimeters above its bearings. This helps reduce vibration, which can affect sound quality.

"It's as if the whole turntable is floating in air," Pappalardo said.

The entire device rests on a custom-built, vibration-dampening table. It takes half a day for an Angelis Labor technician to set the whole thing up and calibrate the turntable.

The Gabriel is not yet in stores. Angelis Labor is now seeking a distributor to sell the turntable through specialty audio retailers who can demonstrate it personally for customers. Unlike most manufacturers, the company has no interest in selling it on the Web.

"We will never allow anybody to sell our products on the Internet," said Pappalardo, perhaps the only business executive at CES this year to make such a statement.

The Gabriel is not the only four-armed record player on the market. Nor is it the most expensive: the German-made, 770-pound Clearaudio Statement turntable costs twice as much.

But with vinyl making a comeback, the Gabriel may appeal to audiophiles who believe that listening to old records on a high-end player is like going back in time.

"They're not just eye candy. They actually sound better," said Valin, who prefers analog sound to the digital sound produced by CDs and MP3 files.

But even Valin wonders what kind of person would pay $64,000 for a turntable.

"You'd have to be very wealthy, very much into vinyl or very crazy," he said. "Or all three."

MARSMAN Has five of those!!!!!

[FrankD]

for 64K I want a turntable that my car can fit on.

[MARSMAN]

MARSMAN Has five of those!!!!!

I have heard systems with tables worth as much ..as well as 90k speakers

[FrankD]

I have heard systems with tables worth as much ..as well as 90k speakers

Were Barry and the Remains playing live on this giant turntable?

[Dan The Butcher]

haha it's 64 large and it's fucking belt driven? fuck that

[afinemess]

i want one of these

[In the Woods]

It's not even direct drive?

[Danny Vermin]

It's not even direct drive?

most purists hate direct drive.

[Dan The Butcher]

thats because most purists aren't beatmatching

[afinemess]

how about the ELP laser turntable.... for $11,000....




i dunno, isn't the whole point of the needle to be able to hear the nice crackle...???

[In the Woods]

thats because most purists aren't beatmatching

Plus they're cunts.

[coughlin]

I have heard systems with tables worth as much ..as well as 90k speakers

was the sound that noticeably better (like $50K worth)? mserious question, my ears would never pick that shit up...

[Golf Chance]

I've only heard a super duper turntable once (custom designed and built by a former Cambridge SoundWorks coworker), and it was insane how good it sounded. I'm sure it was pricey, but I doubt it was anywhere near 64k.

There was virtually no crackling at all on my copy of Zeppelin IV, which was always crackly on my tables (even on my Denon, which is a $600 table with a $100 cartridge).

I'd love to hear one of these Gabriel things.

[Sharpening Knives]

I'm wondering if Albini has splurged on one of these yet.

[Dan The Butcher]

Plus they're cunts.

I was trying to be nice

[MrCheese]

Or go to the Salvation Army store and get one for $15.

[MrCheese]

Or go to the Salvation Army store and get one for $15.

[Dan The Butcher]

yeah but then you wont be able to get maximum listening pleasure out of your 180 gram virgin pressed Dark Side of the Moon (WITH replicas of the original stickers!!)

[Golf Chance]

Or go to the Salvation Army store and get one for $15.

Yes, you CAN play your vinyl on a super cheap turntable, but it will most likely sound like ass, and could very well damage the vinyl at the same time.

An expensive turntable can sound bad too, and be just as damaging - it's all about the setup. More expensive tables offer the ability to be properly setup, whereas cheap ones do not.

[KRAN]

I am most impressed by the ability to hear a difference in audio depending on the cartridge. I had no idea...

[Jesus the 33rd]

I got my girlfriend one of these for x-mas.


pro-ject

[Golf Chance]

I got my girlfriend one of these for x-mas.
pro-ject

Nice!