Modeled after the band’s ninja star logo, the Pro-Ject x Metallica Ninja Star Turntable is a record player in the form of a throwing star, complete with pointy edges. As far as record players go, it’s certainly one of the more aggressive-looking ones I’ve seen. And isn’t that what you look for in a turntable?
Just go ahead and put your wallet back in your pocket because the turntable costs a pretty penny – $1,599 to be exact, presumably priced to help the band recoup its losses from the illegal downloading of its music off Napster circa 2000. Something I know absolutely nothing about because it’s not like I was a broke college student at the time or anything.
The turntable features a mirror finish metal top plate and glass platter, perfect for playing translucent vinyl records like the red one in the photo. Don’t have any translucent vinyl? Start collecting! You just dished out $1,600 for a record player; surely you can drop a couple of extra hundred on vinyl. Me? Money’s a little tight right now, so I’m afraid I’ll be sticking to my first-generation iPod.
I’ve been telling myself for years that for Christmas, I’ll get myself a vinyl player. I still haven’t settled on which player to get for my living room although I already have plans as to where to put it and what records I will be getting first. Every time I see a new turntable design, I make up my mind that’s the one I’m going to get. Well, I still don’t have one but this new device from Fennessy might just be my next window shopping or maybe even an actual purchase.
Designer: Fennessy
The strangely-named Fennessy Donut i5 is a well-designed turntable that banks on the classic look of a gramophone with a built-in speaker. It is not portable at all unlike other turntables that we’re now seeing in the market as it is 5.1 foot tall and is 66 pounds heavy. What stands out really is the “bugle” or the old-school gramophone design that is on top of the donut. There is no hint of any donut-like design anywhere in the device though.
Strange name aside, you get a turntable with three sound sources. The bugle itself has a 10-watt, 1-inch tweeter while underneath it, you get a 40-watt, 6.5-inch midrange driver and also a 60-watt, 8-inch woofer. So on paper at least you get a fantastic-sounding device unlike the hollow sound that some of the cheaper turntables have. It is powered by a microprocessor-controlled DC motor at either 33⅓ or 45 RPM with a belt-driven system.
Even though it’s a huge piece of furniture, you still have a minimalist design that can fit in with your living room aesthetic (well, if you have one). It is also minimalist in its functionality as there is just one know that can control the power, volume, and input switching of your device. It doesn’t have any output so while you can stream music from any Bluetooth enabled device, there is no way for you to connect the vinyl player to any other speaker.
The Donut i5 is available in various colors like orange, yellow, chocolate, red velvet, dragon fruit, avocado, matcha, and other hunger-inducing colors. You get a black wooden base and fabric grille as well. There are also special editions like the Van Gogh, Marilyn Monroe, and Quicksand designs.
As more and more content becomes digital today, most of our consumption happens through our smartphones. We listen to music being streamed from the cloud and even force ourselves to enjoy videos with subtitles on screens not much larger than our hands. While there is nothing inherently wrong with this lifestyle, especially for people on the go, it takes away some of the elements that make those activities special on their own. For example, you will sometimes miss out on the visual and tangible aspects of owning products designed specifically to make those activities enjoyable and memorable, making listening to music almost mechanical and rote. This concept design for a beautiful Hi-Fi system tries to bring back some of that joy, and it takes inspiration from some of the best creative minds in the industry.
Bang & Olufsen isn’t just famous for its audio expertise that now permeates many sound systems, including those in cars and phones. The marque has been known for decades for its design acumen, skillfully integrating audio systems into beautiful forms that stood the test of time and fads. The Beogram 4000 turntable and Beomaster 6000 4ch receiver, for example, carry a classic design that embodies minimalist aesthetics and principles that have become en vogue today. Unsurprisingly, these two have served as the foundations for a reimagining of that product line, aptly called the Beogram Remaster.
Rather than just a single piece of equipment, the Beogram Remaster is actually a set that completes a whole audio system designed to bring back the pleasure of listening to music that isn’t beholden to a small pocket computer. More than just distinct pieces of hardware, however, the B&O-inspired “Remaster” has a harmonious visual identity that builds upon the B&O DNA but also tweaks it a bit for more modern tastes.
The turntable, for example, sports the same distinctive slits that radiate from the middle as the original Beogram 4000. This time, however, the plate is more subdued and blends almost seamlessly with the rest of the turntable’s surface. The tonearm is a simpler but larger rectangular block that belies its special talent. It is driven by a linear motor, allowing the turntable to be mounted vertically on a wall. In fact, almost every piece of the Beogram Remaster collection could be mounted in the same way, creating wall art that is also functional at the same time.
The receiver also hides its modern nature beneath its classic appearance. Unlike the original, it can integrate more than just radio stations and DAB. It can also receive streams and podcasts from the Internet and most likely from your phone as well. It is an all-around receiver that handles anything and everything available today, all wrapped in a design that similarly blends the past and the present.
More than just a nod to past designs, the Beogram Remaster is a call to enjoy the act of listening in its pure form. One that doesn’t involve a smartphone or at least doesn’t put the smartphone in charge. The Remaster stays faithful to the design language that brought Bang & Olufsen to fame while also delivering the amenities of modern life. It is, in essence, a testament to the timelessness of good design, whether it’s playing traditional radio music or a Spotify playlist.
We live in a very digital-oriented world, where most of the content that we enjoy comes in a digital form or is distributed through non-physical channels. Despite the brief renaissance of turntables and records, the majority of people still listen to music on their smartphones. At the same time, however, people still crave the physicality of musical instruments or devices, even the likes of turntables that give the sound a unique quality and charm. Wouldn’t it be grand if you had the best of both worlds? Yamaha Design Lab thinks so, too, which is why it came up with a few quirky objects that bring back the joy and fun of physical and mechanical music devices, except they’re powered by a smartphone this time around.
Few of today’s youngsters might even know what a phonograph is, let alone be familiar with the unique music they make, thanks to their physical media. The resurgence of interest in turntables in the past few years might have brought this retro machine to their attention, but not enough to make them give up their Spotify, Apple Music, or using their smartphone to listen to music, for that matter. They won’t have to with TurnT, a rather creative take on the turntable design that mixes smartphones with the old-school way of playing music.
TurnT is practically a wireless speaker that you can connect to your smartphone to play music. What makes it different is how you actually play the music, which involves placing the turntable’s stylus on top of the screen, just like you would on an actual record. Lifting the stylus stops the music immediately, and moving it “inward” towards the center of the disc displayed on the phone’s screen changes the track that’s being played.
TurnT is just one of Yamaha Design Lab’s “Stepping out of the Slate” series of fun little gadgets, each one putting a whimsical twist on an old music device. Winder, for example, is a tall, hexagonal block of wood with a windup key on top. The idea is to recreate the experience of playing with a music box, except that the music is being played on a smartphone. MusicLight looks like a simple candle holder, but the light of the candle controls the music on the smartphone, wavering as the candle flickers and eventually fades as the fire dies.
RhythmBot is actually a collection of four small robots, each equipped with a tiny version of a percussion instrument. This time, however, you play your own music, which the smartphone listens to. The phone, in turn, controls the robots so that they play to your beat, creating your own small performance band.
These small gadgets don’t bring anything revolutionary to the field of music, but they add an element of fun to listening to it. YDL says that these devices offer a unique experience that you can never have just by swiping and tapping on a screen, celebrating the human sense of touch as well as sight. Quirky and adorable, we can only hope that these prototypes will eventually become products that collectors and music lovers will definitely want to get their hands on, figuratively and literally.
In an age where we interact with our music via hands-free luxury, students from the Swiss design school ÉCAL (University of Art and Design Lausanne) have collaborated with Yamaha Design Lab to make the interaction more engaging.
Dubbed the Yamaha Sound Machines, the six different prototypes created by the design students during their course semester were revealed at the Milan Design Week 2022. According to ÉCAL product design graduate Maxwell Ashford, the audio devices have more or less ditched the buttons in modern times – take Bluetooth speakers for example. For those who listen to music on phones or portable audio players, the novelty of virtual buttons is the norm. The creative bunch analyzed the ways in which people listen to music and came up with their own ideas to showcase what modern audiophiles would actually love.
The project was led by Camille Blin who guided the students – Charlotta Åman, Jisan Chung, Silvio Rebholz, Till Ronacher, Jonas Villiger and Ka Yin Cheung – to realize the final versions. The Stagespeaker by Till Ronacher recreates the atmosphere of live concerts at a smaller scale while playing music at home with its stimulus of sound and light. The ASMR Instruments by Ka Yin Cheung is a mobile-like hanging sculptural object driven by gravity that when placed by the bedside plays rhythmic sounds to calm one into sleep.
In another section was the Charlotta Åman’s Bandmait device that plays musical instruments alongside people learning to master their favorite instrument to later play in an orchestra. Silvio Rebholz crafted a home speaker dubbed Spezi which has four separate channels to switch from one device to another. For example, the user can make the transition from their big-screen display to the small screen by pulling the corresponding button.
The most interesting one for me is the Sound Frame by Jisan Chung. The creation seems like a simple wooden frame but it has more to it. When an object is placed inside the frame, it plays a particular playlist of songs to recall cherished memories. This is done by scanning an object of emotional value using the scanner and then programming it to initiate a set of selected songs.
Another interesting prototype is the Vertical Player designed by Jonas Villiger. The device is basically a vertical turntable to display the charm of viny records more upfront. For now, there are no plans to push these products into production, but that could change if audio lovers fancy this niche idea already.
Some people didn’t really get the memo when the Walkman and the iPod made music portable! Designed for people who have a clear, unwavering love for old-school retro music players, the Spinnerette Turntable from Third Man Records, lets you easily carry your own personal vinyl disc player with you wherever you go. Designed to turn into a briefcase when closed, this portable turntable has a turntable and swing-arm, a built-in speaker with volume and tone controls, the ability to toggle between 33 ⅓, 45, and 78 RPM, and get this… even a 3.5mm headphone port! Styled in a delightfully energetic yellow colorway, the Spinnerette lets you pump out music retro style like it’s the 70s no matter where you are. Tie-dye shirt and large tinted glasses sold separately!
An inductee at the Museum of Modern Art, the Spinnerette comes with a belt-driven turntable mechanism, an Audio-Technica diamond-stylus needle, and has the ability to play records at 3 different speed settings. To the right of the turntable sits a dynamic full-range speaker built into the ABS chassis of the Spinnerette. If the speaker isn’t quite punchy enough for you, the Spinnerette does have a headphone out, letting you connect something more substantial. Moreover, there’s even an aux input, in case you want to play stuff through the Spinnerette’s speakers, and a PC output that lets you directly send music from your vinyl to a laptop or desktop via USB – a feature that’s great for deejays and people who want to sample audio from old vinyl discs!
The Spinnerette is powered by an AC input (even though it’s portable, it isn’t wireless), and unfortunately there’s no Bluetooth capabilities on this pretty-boy, but maybe future iterations will support wireless audio… although it sort of defeats the hipster purpose of owning a retro turntable device, doesn’t it?!
When it comes to timeless audio accessories like loudspeakers and hybrid turntables, La Boite Concept knows how to please the end-user. Their two latest handcrafted creations spotted at the M&O 2022 event are proof of that fact.
Home audio and eye-pleasing aesthetics go hand in hand – ask all the designers out there who are chasing that perfect-looking audio accessory for modern homes without compromising on the acoustic performance. French audio brand La Boite Concept has sustained this pursuit for high fidelity audio with their 80 years of persistent know-how of acoustics, and their ergonomic turntable and loudspeaker showcased at the Maison & Objet is a living example. Thankfully we got the chance to explore the LX X turntable and PR/01 loudspeaker at the event.
First up the LX X turntable shaped like a secretary desk is tailored for musical bliss from vinyl, Bluetooth or other digital and analog inputs. The audio-cum-furniture accessory doesn’t have any visible cables thanks to the hatch which conceals them from out of sight. This high-performance audio system having the Wide Sound 3.0 tech comes with or without the built-in turntable option, but I’ll take the vinyl playing one, any day!
Apart from the sublime audio, the turntable boasts a very bold woodwork on the emblematic X-shaped cabinet designed by the brand’s reliable local partners and designer Samuel Accoceberry’s blueprints. Attention to detail in every aspect defines this beautiful piece of audio equipment which is no less than a true piece of contemporary furniture.
PR/01 Loudspeaker
The other one spotted at the event in Paris is PR/01 compact loudspeaker for pure audiophiles who can’t go even a day without listening to their favorite tunes. This elegantly designed speaker produces very clear and thumping low frequencies that is a testament to the design prowess of the brand. This loudspeaker is a result of seven years of R&D, resulting in a patented Active Pression Reflex technology that’s capable of producing high fidelity audio in such a compact package.
To put it very simply, the PR/01 is a speaker, charging station and multimedia hub all packed into one. La Boite Concept claims that the materials used in the making of this elegant loudspeaker give it the confidence to last a lifetime of use. Definitely, the audio accessory is ideal for modern homes, whether you sport it on your bedroom cabinet or on your living room shelves.
Bang & Olufsen is headstrong about its sustainability drive – with a prime focus for now on the creation of circular products. Homing in on a century of years creating a plethora of timeless products that have lasted for many generations, the Danish audio manufacturer is re-releasing the 50-year-old Beogram 4000 Series turntable. The classic vinyl player designed in 1972 by Danish industrial designer Jacob Jensen was a living example of breaking boundaries and going to the next possible level.
Under the scanner, B&O has been buying examples of its most famous products to be refurbished and recreated for generation Z with all the latest technology and timeless function intact. According to Mads Kogsgaard Hansen, the senior global product manager, B&O for the in-house Product Circulatory & Classics Program – studies have pointed out the immense potential for reducing environmental impact by refurbishing old products.
Limited edition Beosystem 72-22 music system is a result of the constant endeavor to preserve old products into timeless musical accessories. As a part of the Recreated Classic Initiative, the brand has recreated 30 turntables, and infused them with the latest audio technology to never miss a beat. The pearl-blasted titanium tone aluminum record player comes in a solid walnut presentation box which doubles as package housing, as well as a storage cabinet for the old vinyl records.
The lucky owners can play the vinyl records in the ecosystem of B&O Beolab wireless speakers with controls actuated via the uber-futuristic Halo Beoremote or even a mobile device using the company’s app. For times when you don’t want to play the record player, the option to stream music from services like TIDAL and Spotify is there.
As per Rick Costanzo, vice president of Bang & Olufsen Americas, the system is a result of active customer engagement which has enabled the B&O products to be trickled down from one generation to the next, “as the technology, engineering, and design are simultaneously updated and improved across product categories.” The price tag of $45,000 is not for the faint-hearted collectors, so you’ll have to be a passionate audiophile and also a B&O fanatic to own this piece of history revamped as a modern turntable for your living room.
As a consolation, the 30 fat-pocketed owners of the Beosystem 72-22 will get a pack of four classic vinyl albums. These will be a set of handpicked releases from 1972 including David Bowie’s The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust, the Spiders from Mars, Paul Simon’s Paul Simon, Eat a Peach by the Allman Brothers’ Band, and Carly Simon’s No Secrets album.
Imagine, after a long day, you walk into your home and pleasing music (you had preset) begins to play. The air purifier kicks in simultaneously to ensure, no matter how much pollution you have inhaled outside, the air at home is clean, fresh, and welcoming. Designed in form of a turntable, AETHER is a concept that makes this possible.
Clean air is important for lungs and blood circulation. In fact, it is important for our well-being. And since the pandemic has pushed us all into the confines of our homes, we are spending approximately 90 percent of our time indoors. Researches prove that the concentration of certain pollutants is often up to five times more than the typical outdoor air. This means the air we breathe at home, in spite of believing it is the freshest, is not clean.
Designer: Hyunbin Yang
A nice air purifier can help improve the air quality indoors, helping you reduce allergens and other pollutants. But a good air purifier needs to be really powerful to do so and pleasing enough to be placed in any room of the house. Combining the goodness of air purification and music with an aesthetically pleasing form factor, designer Hyunbin Yang has conceived the AETHER. This Bluetooth speaker and air purifier in the shape of a modern turntable can be a centerpiece of disguise no matter where you choose to place it at home.
The speaker is controlled remotely by a smartphone or smart device to play any music you like, well before you set foot into the house. So, the time you have can be spent on other tasks, while the mood of the house is already set. The biggest advantage that the AETHER has over the other air purifiers we have seen in our time is the convenience with which the air filters can be swapped. Here changing the filter is as easy as replacing a vinyl on the turntable.
AETHER, like most gadgets these days, features a USB Type-C port for charging and has two speakers one on either side to deliver handsome audio, you’d want to appreciate. In the middle of this turntable is the air purifier display while a push bar on the frame allows you to toggle the air purification strength. Alongside the volume knob, you have a button to turn off the speaker, when you want to. Though there is a lot of work that needs to be done to make it a valuable air purification device we’d want to vouch for, for now, we are simply floored by the portable design, color combination and of course the idea of combining the two things we need to make the home environment cleaner and lighter.
Even audiophiles might not be listening to music all day, so this modern take on a 70s audio system transforms into a piece of minimalist room decor when not in use.
As with almost everything in design, fashion, and culture in general, there has been a revival in interest and sales of vinyl records. Those naturally required the production of equipment that could play that old-school media and even recreated the little flaws that made them sound unique. Many modern turntables, however, are pretty basic and try to also recreate the look of their predecessors a bit too faithfully. One company, however, took inspiration from a design that was already way ahead of its time when it came out decades ago, reviving a stereo system that blends form and function in a truly unique way.
When famed Italian designer Mario Bellini created the original Totem rr231 back in 1971, he was already thinking outside the box, literally and figuratively. In contrast to the turntable designs of that period, Bellini included speakers to create a fully integrated and independent audio system. But rather than just create a set of separate pieces, the designer created a single piece that embraced minimalism ahead of current design trends.
In its “dormant” state, the Totem rr231 deceptively looks like a simple white cube with seems that run across its width and down the middle. Those seams, however, give way to two speakers, each with a two-and-a-half-way system, that swing out like the wings of a futuristic machine. Those speakers can actually be separated from the main body and positioned in other parts of the room to fill it with your favorite tunes.
The rest of the box houses the ProJect turntable and a set of buttons and dials that match the minimalist aesthetic of the Totem rr231. Unlike the original, this modern-day version naturally embraces current audio technologies, including Bluetooth connection for streaming from mobile devices. In more ways than one, Brionvega’s recreation blends the past and the present in a deceptively simple design.
Admittedly, the Brionvega Totem rr231 requires a bit more physical work to use, especially if you keep it closed in its box form. Of course, that has the benefit of having a minimalist piece of art in the room at no extra cost, but that user participation in opening the box also creates a sort of “ritual” that makes the act of listening to music more personal and, in a way, more human.
