[Rob Instigator]

LAS VEGAS, Nevada (CNN) -- Attention audiophiles, old-school vinyl listeners and the very rich: Do we have a piece of stereo equipment for you.

 

Angelis Labor's Gabriel turntable is made from bronze and steel and can be customized with up to four arms.



It's called the Gabriel Turntable, and you won't find it at Wal-Mart. Crafted in limited editions by an Italian company that will engrave each buyer's name on it, the Gabriel is to a Kenner Close 'N Play what a Ferrari is to a Yugo.



"When I look at it," said Placido Pappalardo, co-owner of maker Angelis Labor, "the only word that comes to mind is love."
Angelis Labor executives proudly unveiled their turntable last week at the International Consumer Electronics Show, where its retro appearance and mechanical design set it apart from the cacophony of digital gadgets on display. That, and the price: up to $64,000, depending on which model is ordered.
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.
"It is a thing of beauty," said Jonathan Valin, executive editor of The Absolute Sound magazine, who saw the turntable in Las Vegas but didn't get to hear it. "Whether it is a world-class turntable, I don't know."
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.
The Gabriel is a magnetic suspension turntable, meaning that calibrated magnets are used to lift the platter a few millimeters above its bearings. This helps reduce vibration, which can affect sound quality.
"It's as if the whole turntable is floating in air," Pappalardo said.
The entire device rests on a custom-built, vibration-dampening table. It takes half a day for an Angelis Labor technician to set the whole thing up and calibrate the turntable.
The Gabriel is not yet in stores. Angelis Labor is now seeking a distributor to sell the turntable through specialty audio retailers who can demonstrate it personally for customers. Unlike most manufacturers, the company has no interest in selling it on the Web.
"We will never allow anybody to sell our products on the Internet," said Pappalardo, perhaps the only business executive at CES this year to make such a statement.
The Gabriel is not the only four-armed record player on the market. Nor is it the most expensive: the German-made, 770-pound Clearaudio Statement turntable costs twice as much.
But with vinyl making a comeback, the Gabriel may appeal to audiophiles who believe that listening to old records on a high-end player is like going back in time.
"They're not just eye candy. They actually sound better," said Valin, who prefers analog sound to the digital sound produced by CDs and MP3 files.




But even Valin wonders what kind of person would pay $64,000 for a turntable.
"You'd have to be very wealthy, very much into vinyl or very crazy," he said. "Or all three."

[mangajunky]

I think I'd value a Kenner Close N Play pretty highly if I had one.

[Rob Instigator]

If I was a wealthy man, the one super luxury I would truly want is a fabulous sound system in my home. Not a fancy car, not a giant mansion, or all that shit, but a fabulous system, ready to handle anything, cassettes, LP's, CD's, digital files, even 8 tracks, (just in case!)

a turntable like this would be ideal! I love them. so nice. as it is I am fine with the Pioneer I have, paid $90

[Toilet & Bowels]

i think if money is no object then there's a variety of similarly priced turntables, CD players, speakers, etc...

[Phlegmscope]

The fucker who can afford those probably listens to Kenny G with them.

[mangajunky]

Originally Posted by Phlegmscope

The fucker who can afford those probably listens to Kenny G with them.

Actually, I bet he or she listens to Jazz or Classical...and probably vintage vinyl too.

[Rob Instigator]

I would not necessarily get the most expensive turntable out ther4e, but it would be dope to have something top-shelf.

[tesla69]

<<some audiophiles like to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges>>

the rich think about things differently than we do.

sometimes it seems better too

[Rob Instigator]

I play my record with a sewing needle and a paper cone, like in Mr Wizard!

Like the ANTI-LATHE!

 

[!@#$%!]

Originally Posted by Phlegmscope

The fucker who can afford those probably listens to Kenny G with them.

haa haaa haaa
hhhaaa ahaaaaaaa


i bet you it's true

and more

 

[ZEROpumpkins]

Holy shit cheese alamangos!

[afterthefact]

Originally Posted by Rob Instigator

I play my record with a sewing needle and a paper cone, like in Mr Wizard!

Like the ANTI-LATHE!

 

I wanted to rep you for the Mr. Wizard reference, but I'm not allowed.

[Glice]

Originally Posted by tesla69

<<some audiophiles like to match their record players' arms to different genres of music without going through the hassle of swapping cartridges>>

the rich think about things differently than we do.

sometimes it seems better too

Dude, didn't you get the memo? Everyone on this forum is rich beyond serfs' wildest dreams. I'm gonna call a moderator on your poor/ pretending to be poor ass.

[demonrail666]

WHAT? Tesla is POOR?

How the fuck did he get past security?

[Glice]

It's this whole boho chic thing - unfortunately, sometimes people look like they've spent a lot of money to look like shit when, in fact, they just look like shit. I blame Paris (the place, not the person - she's a daaahrling).

[demonrail666]

Yeah, no need to panic though. i just got security to hack Tesla's bank details. He's rich enough not to pose any kind of a threat

Regarding the boho chic thing, yeah. And have you noticed how expensive a decent pork pie hat is these days. Saying that, have you noticed how expensive a decent pork pie is these days. I bame Sainsbury (the supermarket not the Earl).

[Glice]

Hacking bank details? Well, far be it from me to relay the edicts of polite society darling, but isn't that a bit...illuminati? I'm sure you're joshing me, but you do know that everyone's a member of the Elders of Zion these days?

Anyway, I'm off to have a simply smashing fisting. Golly!

[jon boy]

i am sure some trust fund kid like that crypto thingy or some other cretin will get one of these and then put it on a shelf of other expensive things.