Laser Turntables: Reinventing a Classic

A laser turntable is a modern device that can be used to read classic vinyl records. Rather than using a needle, as conventional record players do, a laser turntable shoots a laser light beam at the vinyl surface to read the grooves within the record. In this way, a record can be played over and over without ever coming into contact with the reading surface. As a result, damage to the record is minimized.

In 1983, Robert S. Reis first developed the laser turntable. After refining it more over the next three years, a prototype was presented. Though there were many who found the idea of a turntable that was wear free attractive, its high price and the fresh competition from the compact disc made the laser turntable a non-starter for music lovers.

Laser turntables can play any type of record of any size at any speed. More than twelve thousand turntables have been sold, in the ten years they have been in the market. The maximum of these sales has been in Japan, because they are a nation that loves buying gadgets to entertain themselves.

Today, the laser turntable still holds promise for record-lovers who want to enjoy classic music in its original format. Because the light beam focuses on the record surface at a level above the depth of scratches, even worn or damaged records can sound like new. On the other hand, the laser beam is very sensitive to dirt or dust particles on the surface of the record, and will add these imperfections to the sound playback.

As another bonus, the laser light beam is estimated to have a lifespan of approximately ten thousand hours. This is significantly higher than the estimated five hundred hour life of a diamond stylus, or the fifty hour life of a sapphire stylus that are used in conventional turntable record players.

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