Giradischi

.....il buon vecchio GIRADISCHI......

Acoustic Research, USA

The AR-XA was arguably the first suspended-subchassis turntable. (The other contender for this honour is Thorens, with the - superior - TD-150)

ES-1 with Mayware Formula 4 arm

Acoustic Signature, G

Solidone

Pearl

Novum

Alphason, UK

Sonata + Zeta arm

Amazon, D

Reference, Moerch arm (DK), Jan Allaerts MC-1 cartridge (B)

Aqua

this was a curious turntable with a viscous clutch-like transmission: a layer of water and glicerine between platter and a fanned motor transmits the torque to the upper platter.

Ariston, UK

A long-gone Scottisch manufacturer that once made a turntable that later became the first Linn LP-12.

RD-11 Superieur

RD-80 + SME 3009/III

RD-40

Audio by Design, UK

Quasar

Quasar, different configuration

Audio Exclusive, D

Der Plattenspieler + SME V

Audiomeca - Pierre Lurne, F

Pierre Lurne first did a few designs for Goldmund, including their legendary tangential arm. Later on he founded Audiomeca, who still have products resembling the Goldmunds. The Romance is 'entry-level', with an interesing uni-pivot arm. There is a bigger model, the JL-1, which sports the tangential arm.

Romance + Romeo arm

J-1

Lurne arm

Audio Note, UK

TT1 (a rebadged Systemdek IIX/900)

TT3 (a rebadged Voyd)

TT3-Reference + power supply

Audio Technica, J

AT-1007

AU\RA, CZ

G7E

Aura, USA

Aura with SME 3009/III

Avid, UK

Acutus

Bang&Olufsen

Whatever you say, no-one can deny that B&O make elegant turntables. In the seventies and eigthies they weren't half-bad either, but of course their use was a bit limited by the proprietary cartridge mount B&O preferred. One of the highlights was the 4000, with about the first really working tangential tonearm ever (forget the Rabco!) and the mouthwatering 8000 I lusted after in 1984.

Beogram 1602

Beogram 1800

Beogram 3000

Beogram 4000

Beogram 8000

Basis, USA

Back in the eighties, when they only had the mega-expensive Debut and Ovation models, Basis was often called 'the Goldmund of the USA'. Later on more basic turntables were added, such as the upgradeable 2000-series, and the tiny 1400. The 1400 is a marketing hit, probably because it needs no setup whatsoever.

Basis 1400 + Rega RB-250

Basis 2500 + Graham

Basis Gold Debut Standard

Blue Amp, D

Blue Amp TD-126 (modified Thorens)

Bose (tm) (c), USA

360 (tm)

Braun, D

Atelier P3

Brinkmann, D

Balance + Breuer arm

Breuer, D

Breuer arm

SpJ, NL

La Luce

Centoventi

CEC, J

930

Clearaudio/Souther, D

Solution

Evolution

Revolution

Reference

Master Reference

Souther arm

Clearlight Audio, D

Recovery with SME309

Commonwealth, AUS

Much like an Australian Garrard, focusing on broadcast applications.

Transcription Turntable

Cotter, USA

Mitch Cotter Turntable

Cranfield Institute of Technology, UK

This result of university research shortly saw commercialisation under the Elite brand name. After the demise of Elite, Townshend adopted some of the ideas into the Rock range of turntables.

prototype turntable

prototype tonearm

early commercial turntable

Dais, UK

This brand was a precursor to what is now Nottingham Analogue.

Dais

Denon, J

Also known as Nippon Columbia, part of the Hitachi group, Denon are one of the pioneers of high-quality moving-coil cartridges (DL-103!), and in the eighties they also had a fleet of massive direct-drive turntables and matching servo-controlled arms. Today only the DP-47 and a few also-ran models remain, although the DL-S1 cartridge must be one of the finest available.

DP-100M

DP-40

DP-47

DN-308F

DP-DJ151

DNM - Rota, UK/CH

A weird-and-wonderful collective of smaller brands centring around Dennis Morecroft and DNM's Swiss distributor.

rs1

Dual, D

Another one of the old brigade, Dual ruled the market of affordable record players during the sixties and seventies, and the CS-505 was Europe's fave entry-level audiophile table in the eighties, ussurping the Pioneer PL-12, but later dethroned itself by the various Regas. While there must be more old Duals out there still faithfully spinning records (like the 1219), Dual these days have a very low profile. They went through several bankrupcies and buy-outs, and presently their situation is a bit unclear. There certainly is still production of a handful of turntables (including the CS-505 MkIV), but the Dual-name, albeit with a different logo, also belongs to a German mail-order chain. The main products there are a bunch of mini systems with silly user interfaces: imagine a hybrid of a MacIntosh SE and a ghetto blaster.

CS-503

CS-505 (classic 1980s entry-level)

CS-731Q (direct-drive)

CS-741Q (direct-drive)

CS-5000 (featured in the film The Lair of the White Worm)

CS-5000 + Rega RB-300

CS-750

Golden One

Golden Stone (granite-based CS-750)

Dynavector, J

Moving-coil cartridges and insane tonearms.

DV-507 and DV-13 cartridge

Empire, CH

598

EMT, G

Legendary 'industrial' broadcast turntables and cartridges. Nowadays EMT is allegedly part of the Belgian Barco group, and turntables is not what they make today.