Your thoughts on the ELP Laser Turntable

moboman · « **on:** 18 Nov 2006, 03:03 pm »

What are your thoughts on the laser turntable? It's only 15k.

ELPLaser Turntable

Listens2tubes · « **Reply #1 on:** 18 Nov 2006, 06:55 pm »

While I believe in good record and stylus care as safeguards against record wear, it would be interesting to hear or read a review. Either way if you are near Los Angeles why not check it out.

Wayner · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Nov 2006, 08:30 pm »

I believe the ELP TT was reviewed in Stereopile a while ago. It had one issue as I recall. If the records were dirty, the laser reader picked that up as surface noise, what else of course.

A problem that was cured by cleaning the record. Other then that Stereopile gave them 2 thumbs up, but then they give everyone 2 thumbs up.

W

avahifi · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Nov 2006, 08:33 pm »

Sorry, I cannot comment on this turntable as I have never seen or heard one. Awfully expensive!

Frank

Parnelli777 · « **Reply #4 on:** 19 Nov 2006, 03:35 pm »

You might want to see this:

http://www.smartdev.com/LT/laserturntable.html

Brian Cheney · « **Reply #5 on:** 19 Nov 2006, 06:41 pm »

At the invitation of the then US importer we used the ELP laser turntable in our CES booth during the 2004 show.

I did not care for its sound (which reminded me of cassette or early digital)or operation (all but clean, new records were unplayable). The rep came
by and removed the unit after the first day.

I recommend the ELP only for playing discs too valuable or fragile for normal playback with cartridge and stylus.

smccull · « **Reply #6 on:** 19 Nov 2006, 06:55 pm »

I listened to one at the 2005 RMAF and didn't care for it at all. Ran out of the room almost immediately. It sounded thin, brittle and analytical to me, which are polar opposite from the qualities I look for in analogue.

moboman · « **Reply #7 on:** 20 Nov 2006, 05:57 am »

Thanks for replying, I was wondering if the sound made by it was the same as a needle. When I saw this I first wondered why other companies are not making something like this because one proof vinyl is coming back is that the Barenaked Ladies new cd was released on lp.

Quote from: avahifi on 18 Nov 2006, 08:33 pm

Sorry, I cannot comment on this turntable as I have never seen or heard one. Awfully expensive!

Frank

I guess there would be no real point in buying one if there was not going to be a longhorn mod for it.

dB Cooper · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 07:14 am »

The release of a new record here and there on LP doesn't mean vinyl is coming back, at least not in mass market terms. The entry-level turntables sold by major CE retailers are garbage, and sound like garbage.
The public cares about convenience more than quality (which is not to take sides in the analog vs digital debate) and has been dumbed down to the point where the average consumer cannot figure out how to install and set up a cartridge (which is why the entry level el cheapo plastic turntables all have p-mount carts). Don't hold your breath waiting for this to change.
As for the laser turntable, if the link in the earlier post doesn't scare you off, nothing will. This concept (optical play of LPs) has been in development by one entity or another since before the introduction of the compact disc in the early 80s. It was an attempt to stave off digital. That fight is clearly over. The price of this machine will buy a helluva lotta source material.

richidoo · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 01:49 pm »

dB,
The dummies are growing up now and moving out of their "music" loving 20's phase into parent and mortgage phase. LPs are indeed growing in sales very rapidly with major labels releasing projects on LP as well as dance music labels and audiophile labels increasing releases of new material and rereleases on LP. Vinyl plants are few but very busy. As in 1980 there are cheap turntables that sound OK, but not great, and there are $500 tables which sound decent. Nothing has changed there. I don't beleive the average consumer is choosing LP for the sonic virtues, because without some money invested in their system they won't hear any advantage over CD. But young people do think LPs are cool, and if enough on the fringe are choosing it as a statement, you know what can happen if it catches on with the less progressive youths! A real live FAD!! When that happens, noticing the sonic attributes might have a chance. The end result, I fear would just be portable digital player mfgs simply adding a software filter option to make iPod "sound like LP"...

I have never heard the ELP, but I remember the Stereophile review being not so glowing, and a big emotional over-reaction by the manufacturer printed in the mfg comments section. Maybe TAS?

I did hear the strain gauge cartridge/decoder at "Soundsmith(?)" room at RMAF. I thought it sounded incredible, obviously better than any other cartridge at the show, but hotel rooms are not the place to audition such subtleties!

Rich

dB Cooper · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 03:02 pm »

I would like to see a vinyl resurgence. And I take no position in the analog/digital debate- I have heard great (and terrible) sound from both.

nathanm · « **Reply #11 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 03:58 pm »

Vinyl itself really sucks. What I and possibly many others are in love with has to do with nostalgia, ritual, aesthetics, old recording equipment and techniques. Analog sound is what we like, but the vinyl medium is half-ass at best. There's no way in hell a record is gonna sound better than analog tape. If there was a means to mass-distribute analog signals without generation loss it would be great, but clearly digital mediums have taken up the fight there.

It might seem ridiculous, but I think they should sell these pricey DVD-As and SACDs in 12" sleeves with lyrics in 10-12pt type instead of 2pt! I would buy the shit out of that. Hell, make the discs 12" like Laserdiscs. Geez, imagine how much data a 12" sized DVD could hold! Since these mediums will never catch on in the mainstream why not go full bore retro\nostalgia? Excessive, wasteful packaging is still pretty popular for many products, (e.g. certain light bulbs, inkjet printer ink) why not for something collectible like albums that you're NOT gonna throw away?

Psychicanimal · « **Reply #12 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 04:09 pm »

Unlike most consumer electronics, the LT will not see drastic reductions in price, as experienced with products developed for mass production. Each Laser Turntable is hand crafted by skilled engineers using very specific and complex machines.

aa

SET Man · « **Reply #13 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 09:31 pm »

Hey!

Ahhhh..... playing your LPs with laser

I've heard this at the T.H.E Show in NYC 2004 I think. I was in that room for quite sometime because I was fascinated by it. Well, I didn't bring any LP with me that day but from what I've heard from the demo. Ooooh.... you could even skip the track just like CDP! But.... It was nothing special about the sound of the system as a whole.

There were other room with the regular turntable and needle that sound better I feel

As for the technology. From what I know it had been around for a while. The idea of using laser for this went back to the late '70s to early '80s.

You know if it wasn't because of the introduction of the CD in the early '80s. Who know? They could be selling one side by side with the traditional TT we have today. And we could be buying laser TT for about the same price of a good entry level TT today.

Well, at $15K now it ain't cheap

As for the sound that is another story. But I think it definitely deserved it existence. Did you know? That the Liberary of Congress use this Laser TT... I don't know how many machines they have. But they using them to play all those records in their collection. Not a bad idea if you want to play a let's say last copy know to exist of something.

Well, I guess they could also use regular TT and needle to make a copy than use the copy

Take care,
Buddy

Bemopti123 · « **Reply #14 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 10:42 pm »

Do not want to hijack this thread, but if I were to bankroll a 15K turntable, which can be obtained cheaper according to some accounts floating in the NET....I would tend to simply go for a super analogue set up which is actually cheaper than the ELP turntable, sounds more real and do not worry too much about wear and tear of old vinyl. The fact is that some vinyl has been around for more than 80, some even up to 100 years, and they still are well kept. When can we say that about a CD, or any of the more "convenient" media out there?

We only live once and why not go for the real thing. Perhaps I do not know what would draw someone to the ELP, but unless you are a audiophile who is going to set up a vinyl museum, is there a point into purchasing a overpriced piece of technology with very spotty representation and reproduction?

Some of the turntables that come to my mind.....

Happy listening

avahifi · « **Reply #15 on:** 21 Nov 2006, 10:56 pm »

Just because I am allowing this thread to run on here does not imply that I sanction any of these goofy grossly overpriced turntable designs. I don't.

Me - I am running a 25 year old HK T30 belt drive turntable and arm with the main bearing running in Moble One synthetic oil, the arm bearings in 1000 centistroke liquid silicon, a Tri-Pad record mad, and with my custom made external 12V DC power supply to eliminate all AC hum fields from the unit and provide excellent speed stability. It is quiet, stable, and works great with a Longhorn Grado. I use it for phono preamp design, and if you have heard one of my current phono preamp sections, you would not throw rocks at the turntable. The whole setup cost about $150 years ago.

Frank Van Alstine

PrecisionAV · « **Reply #16 on:** 28 May 2015, 06:57 pm »

I am very interested in the idea of laser record playing. It seems like a great idea at a lot less money than the high end turntables I see at RMAF. I am a newbie and posting to find out if anyone actually has one and their thoughts about it's sound and the surface noise issues. It would be really great if a way of scanning the groove and playing with a virtual needle could be done by a regular printer/scanner. Any thoughts or links? Thanks, Paul

orthobiz · « **Reply #17 on:** 29 May 2015, 08:33 pm »

Also, IIRC, there was an issue where the importer (who also sells the Loricraft) disavowed all involvement with the ELP company a few years back. This new link may represent a reintroduction into the states, I'm pretty sure it was unavailable until recently. And it doesn't play colored or picture disks.

Meanwhile, even if the record is valuable, I don't see playing it as a cause of significant wear or degradation. Some of my college records still play very very well!

Paul

*Scotty* · « **Reply #18 on:** 29 May 2015, 10:04 pm »

There's nothing inherently wrong with the concept, only the implementation of the technology appears to be flawed. The signal can stay in the analog domain the entire time with out encountering any of the many mechanical resonance problems that have to be dealt with when a phono cartridge is used to track a record groove.
That being said, I sure don't want one as I don't have the chops to redesign the thing.
Scotty

dB Cooper · « **Reply #19 on:** 30 May 2015, 12:41 am »

Apparently one inherent problem is that because there is no physical tracking stylus (which pushes at least some debris out of the way), all attempts at reading LP's optically have resulted in decks that play every single speck of dust on the record, thereby defeating much of the purpose. This can be corrected (at least somewhat) in the digital domain, but the conundrum that raises for vinylphiles is obvious.