Stereophile’s editorial assistant, Ariel Bitran, directed my attention to this USA Today article on an interesting turntable from U-Turn Audio, a company founded by three close friends—Ben Carter, Bob Hertig, and Peter Maltzan—all in their early 20s, who were tired of playing records on cheap USB turntables.
Their first model, the Orbit, forgoes modern-day conveniences like a USB output and built-in speakers, but concentrates on quality and longevity. Unlike the many inexpensive USB turntables prevalent today—models whose low-quality styli are potentially dangerous to your precious LPs—the Orbit appears to use an Ortofon phono cartridge (perhaps an OM5E?), similar to the ones found on entry-level Regas and Pro-Jects.
Judging from the photos alone, the Orbit is a serious turntable. If all goes as planned, the ’table will be available this fall.
The price? Just $150!
I’ll be keeping my eyes on this one.
