[scrypt]

. . . for only nine grandswadth and change.

http://elpj.com/frameset.html

 

[archosman]

Yeah... but does it sound like a turntable? For the low end $9500 model it better... let alone the $13000 model.

 

[gloco]

Whoa!!! I wonder if tuberoller has tried this thing!

 

[ServinginEcuador]

Quote:

Originally posted by gloco Whoa!!! I wonder if tuberoller has tried this thing!

PLEASE don't let him know!

At least not unless you want to know what it really sounds like.

 

[soleblaze]

those have been around for awhile..

I don't know, I think they defeat the purpose of playing vinyl in the first place..having pure analog sound. of course they'd be nice if you don't care if it's not pure analog and have records that aren't available as cds

 

[aos]

After reading the website, I think it IS fully analog in signal path. Besides it'd be a useless product otherwise.

 

[kentamcolin]

They need to spend more money for a good product designer to make this thing look cool.

 

[archosman]

True. Damn thing looks like one of the first laserdiscs from the late '70s.

 

[kerelybonto]

Optical turntables have been around for over a decade now, and ELP's been making them for quite a few years now. They're siginficantly cheaper today than they were even a couple years ago. (There's a Stereo Times review dated 2000 available on the web in which the top end model is listed at $20,500, which is over $7,000 more than it goes for now; the other models are similarly cheaper.)

Given that top-tier turntables can cost more than these (not to mention periodic replacement costs for needles), I'm surprised they haven't caught on more. Yes, the optical turntables are fully analog. Further, they have inherent advantages over a standard mechanical turntable: besides leaving your records in pristine condition, they use linear tracking, something that's impossible on a mechanical turntable, creating distortion as the needle approaches the center of a record. This alone, I'd think, would be enough to interest lots of audiophiles.

I really would like to know how these things sound. The potential for ideal analog sound is there; whether it's implemented correctly or not -- well, someone'll have to let us know.

kerely

 

[kerelybonto]

By the way, the Stereo Times article I mentioned is here . It's not much of a review, written by someone who admittedly doesn't listen to much analog sound -- it's more of an article on the novelty of the thing.

Other information on ELP's optical turntables is hard to come by. I did, however, find a reference to a 'report' on the table having recently appeared in The BAS Speaker, the publication of the Boston Audio Society. If anyone has a way to check it out, it's in issue three, volume 24, published in (I think) November of last year.

kerely

 

[Hirsch]

Quote:

Originally posted by kerelybonto they use linear tracking, something that's impossible on a mechanical turntable

I saw my first linear tracking arm on a mechanical table around 1968 (Rabco SL8, IIRC), and they've been around ever since (and were likely around before that). The top of the line Goldmunds, some of the best tables ever made, used linear tracking arms. The linear tracking Eminent Technologies II arm was the arm of choice for many on VPI's line until they came out with their own pivoted line. So, linear tracking is very possible on a mechanical table.

I'd think the big hurdle with a laser table is warpage and off-center holes, which can be present on much (most?) vinyl, even if small on most. That, and how to deal with dust. Unlike CD, vinyl doesn't have error correction...

 

[Czilla9000]

Hirsch - Arrording to there site:


"Renewed Sound
Discs with cracks and scratches, warp and wear can look like new to the laser eye."


Now all they need to do is invent a Needled Laser-Less CD player

 

[braillediver]

I have a linear tracking Revox turntable.

 

[Oliver :)]

Quote:

Originally posted by Czilla9000 Now all they need to do is invent a Needled Laser-Less CD player

SelectaVision, 'nuff said

 

[mkmelt]

I own a linear tracking B&O turntable and have always enjoyed the playback of this unit. It is very neutral sounding, with no inner groove distortion due to the lack of tangential tracking error. Of course, the linear tracking mechanism probably introduces other distortions into the playback chain, but it is debatable if these are audible.

The laser pickup has been around for at least 25 years. I think the original prototype was an American design. This design has been enhanced and improved upon by a Japanese firm. I have no doubt that a laser pickup turntable can sound very good, but I believe the main benefit is being able to play priceless rare recordings without damaging the medium. So the primary market for these units will be archivists and libraries such as the Library of Congress, etc. Due to each unit being essentially hand made, the price will probably never come down enough to be affordable by most audiophiles and record collectors.

When not too long ago I decided to re-explore the world of analog audio, I chose to look at the whole chain of the analog recording process from live/studio performance to speakers or headphones. Since most if not all analog performances from the 50s through the mid-70s were originally captured (recorded) and mixed down on analog tape, it made sense to remove the entire LP record mastering / stamping / playback loop from the listening experience, to get as close as possible to the original source. Many, if not most, extraordinary and influential jazz, pop, rock, and classical recordings were originally released on two track and 4-track reel to reel tape.

So armed with a working high quality (Ampex) 4-track stereo reel to reel tape recorder/player, I decided to rebuild my depleted analog music collection, not with more vinyl, but with these same albums as originally released on reel to reel tape. Of course, this would have been difficult to do, if not impossible, were it not for internet sites such as eBay and Audiogon. In less than a year, I have been able to acquire open reel tape copies of most of my favorite recorded music.

For the most part, this has been and ear-opening experience as I find that the reel tapes generally have excellent sound, and include a good deal of recorded detail and ambience often lacking on the CD. All without any ticks, pops, or scratches to listen through. To be sure, some tapes have less than perfect sound, or suffer dropouts and print through. Tape hiss is present, but not usually audible at sensible playback levels. My experience is that both 3-3/4 inch per second and 7-1/2 inch per second tapes can sound excellent. Overall I find these sound artifacts to be minimal and less obtrisuve than impulse-type LP record noise.

I won't claim that reel to reel tape necessarily sounds better than a top flight turntable, tonearm, and cartridge can sound. Just that it can get you as close to the original recording as most of us will ever get to hear. I am curious to do some listening comparison of SACD audio to the reel tapes of the same performances. The results should be interesting.