Audio Technica Hotaru turntable spins records on levitating platform, glows in palette of colors

Audio Technica is a trusted name when it comes to turntables for audiophiles who don’t compromise on design, functionality or audio quality. The revived Sound Burger turntable and the transparent AT LP2022 turntable to mark their 60^th anniversary are prime examples. The Japanese audio equipment expert leaves nothing to chance, while offering high quality audio products that punch way above their weight, at the most affordable prices.

Now they want to ride the wave of levitating gadgets, given their aesthetic appeal and musical advantages. At the Milan Design Week in Italy, Audio Technica unveiled Hotaru turntable that levitates in mid-air, and has a visual play of colors to go with your favorite musical tunes. These attributes are true to its name Hotaru which means firefly in Japanese.

Designer: Audio Technica

The limited-edition record player is designed keeping in mind modern interiors, delivering more than just high-fidelity sound for music lovers to enjoy. It delivers a multisensory experience for not only music affectionates but everyone who appreciates the good things in life. Only limited to 10,000 units, the turntable can be reserved until 30 May, with full payment of $9,999 to be done by August, and shipping starting a bit later on in October. That’s a long time to wait but there’s also the exclusivity and anticipation when it will finally adorn your living room.

Floating base and platter of the turntable is made out of precision crafted acrylic to give the color lighting effect capable of producing 20 color shades a vibrant glow. The turntable can be operated with three different color modes – a Basic one where you choose a single color, Graditation wherein the colors smoothly transition randomly, and the Link mode in which the colors sync to the music tonality or beats.

The levitating function comes courtesy of the magnetically-suspended platter section that’s repelled by the lower speaker section. This not only looks visually enchanting but also isolates the audio from any sound degrading vibrations that are associated with the connected mechanism. According to the press release, the cartridge functions at its fullest, and the stylus traces the record groove accurately for a crystal-clear audio signal processing. You can also attach the turntable to a hi-fi system to have more thump and clarity in sound.

The Hotaru turntable comes with a speaker system having 2.5-inch full rage speakers and dual 0.75-inch tweeters, producing a frequency range of 60Hz to 20kHz. Casing of the speaker unit is made out of high-quality aluminum placed on solid brass supports. Coming on to the platter, it is driven by a DC servo motor that feeds the sub platter courtesy of the concealed belt. The static balanced carbon tonearm is mounted on the sub-platter that has a specially crafted VM cartridge and headshell. Audio Technica says that the whole system has a “rich and refined feel while also rending sound with unparalleled clarity and dynamic expression.”