As we’ve mentioned a few times, sales of vinyl records have been on the increase for a few years now. If you’re looking for something rather special to spin your records on, but missed out on Brian Eno’s limited runs, Audio Technica could have the answer.
Displayed at Milan Design Week recently, the Hotaru (or ホタル to use its native name, which translates to firefly) turntable looks like a very similar beast to Eno’s Turntable II from 2024 – but is a little less limited and comes in at a fraction of the cost.
It’s still by no means budget-friendly, retailing at a penny under US$10k for each of the thousand units planned, but offers the same kind of illuminated playback vibe. The circular plinth appears to float above a speaker base that hosts controls, and is made from a translucent material (perhaps acrylic) that allows the lighting within to dance to the sounds coming from the vinyl spinning on the equally visual platter.
Audio Technica
The floating aesthetic is not just for show, Audio Technica says that “magnets in both the upper turntable and lower speaker section of Hotaru repel one another, causing the turntable section to float, thus isolating it from sound-degrading vibrations.”
The light show is made up of 20 color shades, and there’s a choice of three lighting modes. Basic sees the hue remain constant during playback. Gradation transitions through the shades one after the other. And Link responds to “the character of the music.”
The VM cartridge at the end of the straight tonearm “accurately captures every nuance” and sends the signal to the integrated amplifier for output through the built-in speakers – though nitty gritty details of the system itself are somewhat lacking.
Audio Technica
The Hotaru is up for pre-order now, though anyone interested is currently being asked to register for a reservation opportunity. Assuming you’re accepted for the purchase procedure from August, Audio Technica then expects you to cough up $9,999.99 for the privilege of owning one. Shipping is expected to start from October.
If you’re not too bothered about claiming limited-edition bragging rights, or just have something better to spend such a huge amount of cash on, you can still rock Audio Technica’s superb design magic for a couple of hundred bucks by ordering a Sound Burger.
Product page: Hotaru