I posted this in The Lounge a couple days ago on that iTunes thread, thought it would be more appropriate here:
Forgot about this, it's genius:
(the laser turntable)
I remember reading the booklet years ago from one of those early CDs where it said 'The Compact Disc combines laser optics with digital sound' and I thought, well what if they used laser optics on records? At an audiophile shop I visited I asked the guy about this and he laughed and said "It would be like reading the Grand Canyon!" (reading the record groove with a laser) I looked it up online and sure enough someone manufactured a laser turntable. It was 20 grand 10 years ago. Now it can be had for the bargain basement price of 10 grand. But you can play your records over and over again with no wear and tear and superior sound quality than needles.
Quote:
Analog vs. Digital
Many believe that vinyl, under proper conditions, is THE most stable storage medium for music - ANALOG music! It has endured longer than any of the modern digital alternatives thus far, and this standard is raised seemingly every year with the inception of new technologies. The convenience that digital media affords us can never make up for the distortion and lost quality inherent in digitalization. Each musical format has its own unique value, so it is difficult to debate which one is superior. However, analog music is in greater danger of distortion from a needle - damage that is permanent and irrepairable to the source medium. Fortunately, ELP has the solution to eliminate ALL damage from wear and stylus contact!
No Needle, No Wear...
Record enthusiasts often dream of playing their records without damaging them. ELP has made that dream a reality and revolutionized record playback. Since 1989, ELP has encountered resistance to the Laser Turntable (LT) namely because it is believed that:
Vinyl Records will be replaced entirely by CDs
Mass production of the LT is not available (meaning cost reduction is not possible)
Based on these reasons, all other companies have not pursued the technology behind the Laser Turntable. ELP continues to manufacture and sell the Laser Turntable because we strongly believe that analog music aficionados will appreciate this unique way to revitalize and preserve their vinyl collection for years to come. Current record owners wholeheartedly refuse to believe that their vinyl is obsolete, even if their needles are slowly and inevitably making it so! There is no reason for vinyl to be obsolete; it's the most stable music medium ever, and it's analog!
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If it is the most stable music medium ever, and has sound quality that can't be matched or improved upon, then why am I not surprised that major record companies and electronics companies didn't invest in research and development of a laser turntable? It fucks up the planned obsolescence business model that guarantees huge profits.
New, improved, better sounding digital! Buy our new discs and new players! Yay! But not better than analog sourced brand new clean vinyl on a laser turntable.
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