Jan 18 2009No, Absolutely Not: A $64,000 Turntable
We've already featured $19,000 and $300,000 turntables here on Geekologie, but what about something for the average guy -- you know, a mid-range record player? Enter the Angelis Labor Gabrielle Turntable.
The Gabriel is made from aluminum, bronze and stainless steel and can be customized with up to four arms. Each arm is made in a Modena, Italy, factory that also builds Ferrari parts. A one-armed model costs about $27,000, while a four-armed version runs for $64,000, including installation.
Why would anyone want four arms on their record player? Different pickup cartridges produce different types of sound, and some audiophiles like to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges."When I look at it," said Placido Pappalardo, co-owner of maker Angelis Labor, "the only word that comes to mind is love."
Really, Placido, love? I was maybe thinking spaceship or PEW PEW, but certainly not love. Unless, of course, you meant LOVE love, in which case, I'd hit that shit like a Laserdisc player.
Hit the jump for a bunch of closeups.
The best turntable $64,000 can buy? [cnn]
Thanks to Ben and Dan, who don't need record players because the government sends music directly into their brains.
Reader Comments
1. Jubtastic1 - January 18, 2009 4:54 PM
Looks kinda steampunky
2. Jubtastic1 - January 18, 2009 4:55 PM
sorry, I meant FRIST!!!
3. Duke - January 18, 2009 5:01 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max and Baja sell their Max's grandpas car to buy new art supplies . So after selling the car to the french mafia, an ancient Chinese master appears and says that the only way to buy a new paintbrush is to eat a bucket of chicken for the KFC on third street.
Keep in mind this was 2 in the morning and KFC was closed.
4. gizmoduck - January 18, 2009 5:07 PM
answer me this riddle
what's a bell that doesn't ring but makes an angel sing?
5. richo - January 18, 2009 5:08 PM
thats all well and good, but if the record is scratched you're out of luck.
go mp3 the sound quality is superior in every way...
4 1/2 inches will do the trick but a 12 inches is just that much more special.
6. The 13th Brother - January 18, 2009 5:20 PM
well it looks better than the $300k one
7. Daisy (TRO) - January 18, 2009 5:21 PM
FAKE!!!!
This is a complete photoshop job. You can tell its a fake because the shadow's are all wrong.
This is exactly like that scene in the movie Never Back Down where Max had to take the bosses wife out to dinner while he was away. After dinner she steals drugs out of his coat pocket and overdoses. Max has to take her to his dealer's house, and shoot her in the heart with a huge needle.
Later she tells Max a really bad joke.
8. The 13th Brother - January 18, 2009 5:22 PM
well it looks better than the $300k one
9. Foobar - January 18, 2009 5:24 PM
For that amount of money it better come with a penny to put on top of the needle
10. Adzmodeus - January 18, 2009 5:31 PM
Looks like something out of a steam punk spaceship.
11. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - January 18, 2009 5:41 PM
@4: Taco Bell
12. formerly SPELLINGNAZI© - January 18, 2009 5:46 PM
Actually, if you are referring to the riddle in "Legend", then the answer is bluebells.
(I still prefer Taco Bell)
13. bR1an - January 18, 2009 6:19 PM
In the rarified air that is the world of high end audiophile turntables, this is a bargain. eg: Clearaudio Statement, Goldmund Reference II.
14. Sam - January 18, 2009 7:17 PM
This looks like a slightly more "bling" version of the stuff on recordplayer.com ... I'm sticking to brushed steel :-)
15. Thumperchica - January 18, 2009 7:58 PM
ketchup. get it? ketchup?
16. blp - January 18, 2009 9:36 PM
I want a laserdisc player! Never had one and although they're obsolete I want for nostalgic value.
17. hgonc2 - January 18, 2009 10:25 PM
...and it only plays 45's?????
18. Vautikos - January 19, 2009 3:23 AM
64 G's and it's a goddamn belt-drive. f*** I hate Italy.
19. Anita Bath - January 19, 2009 10:29 AM
Ahahaha, but it's all hand-machined—and very beautifully, too. I guess if I had $64K I may just pay some angels to sing directly in my ears, but the sound quality on these is way superior to anything other than a live performance (@5: the quality on MP3 is better?! you been smoking taco bell?!). Now, anyone for a bit of the old Ludwig Van?
20. Anita Bath - January 19, 2009 10:30 AM
@15: Fox Force Five!
21. LSDiesel - January 19, 2009 10:49 AM
I agree with the steampunk comments, because that's what I thought it was at first glance too. Then I realized it was GHETTO steampunk.
22. Pat - January 19, 2009 10:56 AM
Intergalactic planetary, planetary intergalactic!
23. Douche McAllister - January 19, 2009 11:16 AM
No way I would pay that much for a f***ing belt drive turntable. Gimme some direct drive Numarks and we can talk.
24. bar room hero - January 19, 2009 11:20 AM
I am happy with my Technics 1200...
25. known - January 19, 2009 11:20 AM
Hrm - If they mount this thing on a steampunky scion with a 50 cal machine gun, then maaaaybe
#12: Good choice, I prefer taco bell too.
#15: That poor little slow tomato
26. DreamFolder - January 19, 2009 11:23 AM
I'm pretty sure I could just buy four good turntables and a Mercedes and never be able to tell the difference in sound. But the comment that MP3's are better in every way makes me assume that #5 is joking, since we all know that the clipping required to compress the data to digital sacrifices the audio quality. Though, with an MP3 you never get skips or pops... some of my favorite parts of my albums. sskrrk... sskrrk... sskrrk... sskrrk
27. Mcfeely Smackup - January 19, 2009 11:56 AM
Ok, I grew up in the age of the pre-digital analog audiophile, and I've NEVER heard of someone changing cartridges to suit the genre of music.
that is 100% made up bullshit to try to explain why a turntable needs 4 tonearms.
And as to the statement that MP3's sound better than vinyl, that's obviously a broad blanket statement, but in many ways undeniably true. In analog recordings there's no way to divorce the music from the recording medium, which will always impart noise (vinyl has the WORST signal to noise ratio of any analog format) to the performance. Digital is transparent. As long as the digital recording is produced competently, it's infinitely superior to analog.
28. Mcfeely Smackup - January 19, 2009 12:00 PM
"17. hgonc2 - January 18, 2009 10:25 PM
...and it only plays 45's?????"
I just noticed that in the pictures and was about to comment on it. WTF? Even if that's a removable spindle, the turntable itself is only sized for 45's. An LP would hang several inches in the air, which is going to distort the hell out of it.
This isn't a musical device. This is a piece of animatronic art built by someone who doesn't understand records in the slightest.
29. LSDiesel - January 19, 2009 12:04 PM
I have to agree with Mcfeely. It looks cool, but that's about it.
30. truk - January 19, 2009 12:37 PM
I wish I knew someone that had one of these... I'd break it just to watch them cry
31. Hawk - January 19, 2009 1:33 PM
Best polished turd EVER!
What kind of f***tard would pay money for that? I'm seeing more and more bullshit techno trash on the internet every day. Are there that many dumbasses with money out there?
32. richo - January 19, 2009 3:46 PM
from @5 to @19/anita bath, hand machined? Did your parents drop you as a small child? Also don't you appreciate the value of sarcasm?
Thankyou @ 26/dreamfolder it appears some people appreciate a lazy attempt at humor
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34. jarjarbinx - January 19, 2009 11:47 PM
THIS IS A WHITE MANS TUNRTABLE. NO BARACK OOGABOOGAS ALLOWED.
35. Tenchi059 - January 20, 2009 9:22 AM
Who would have thought that my town would have sooner or later been named in our Favourite Blog...
Actually I live in Modena and prefer Ferrari, Lambos, Zondas and Ducati, all assembled within a maximum range of a few km from my house, and all tested in the neighborhood (but that's pure music, gentlemen, pure music I say).
This... this is pretty much useless.