Part of the allure of a turntable is picking up the headshell, feeling the weight of the tonearm, and aiming the stylus over the lead-in groove to start playing. But if you only fancy the sound of vinyl records and none of the ritual, or you simply desire a clean-looking turntable devoid of any visible hardware up top, then the PP-2 from Paris-based studio Waiting For Ideas should be right up your alley.
From the folks who brought you the PP-1 comes a brand-new take on the minim130alist, armless, upside-down record player.
While it may not look like it from the outside, the PP-2 turntable brings to the table some much-welcome upgrades. These include an Optical Stylus System.
While the physical diamond stylus still tracks the vinyl grooves from below, its micro-movements are read using a light beam and photodetector system rather than moving magnets or coils. This drastically reduces the moving mass of the stylus, promising more accurate groove tracking and cleaner sound reproduction. (It also offers an optional Shibata optical stylus variant, btw.)
Where the first-gen model only had a single 3.5 mm mini-jack output and a USB-C power port, the PP-2 adds dedicated RCA outputs in addition to the 3.5 mm mini-jack. This allows direct hookup to standard hi-fi integrated amplifiers or active speakers without extra dongles.
Moreover, it also boasts a built-in Harmony preamplifier designed to work with the optical stylus system.
The motor and drive system have been upgraded, too. Under the hood, it rocks an axial-flux direct-drive motor equipped with an optical speed-control system that monitors and adjusts rotational stability up to 1,000 times per second.
Aesthetically, it retains the same 35 by 35 cm (13.8 by 13.8 inches) footprint, looking pretty much like its predecessor. Though it does get a protective door to shield the stylus mechanism from dust when not in use.
However, with great upgrades comes a heftier price tag. We’re talking about a cool €8,900 for a unit, or about US$9,926 based on the current going rate.
Images: Waiting For Ideas.
Story via designboom.
