'The serious audiophile Record Store Day deck': this elite new turntable unnerves me almost as much as it piques my interest

• TechDas has just unveiled its Air Force IV elite turntable
• The tech involved? It vacuum-clamps your vinyl to make it float on air
• …and it has nothing to do with Nike trainers or the US President's airplane

Some brands just know how to time a turntable release for maximum exposure alongside Record Store Day, don't they?

The TechDas Air Force IV (it's nothing to do with the US President's transport, or Nike trainers) is an exacting deck for the seriously committed audiophile — I'd even go so far as to say it takes the act of spinning plates to surgical levels of precision.

Why? Because alongside the ability to install up to three tonearms and cartridges to it at any given time (the audiophile knows that tracking weights, the arc of the arm and the thickness of that tiny diamond-tipped stylus all make a difference) this turntable harnesses the power of air to elevate sound quality.

The Air Force IV, uses a silent electric pump to float its high-mass, one-piece platter on a high-pressure "air bearing". That's right: with the Air Force IV, your vinyl is actually vacuum-clamped perfectly flat. Thought playing a record was as simple as placing it on the platter and gently lowering the needle? Think again…

So exacting it's almost scary

The Japanese turntable specialist tells me that the new Air Force IV slots in directly above the "entry-level" Air Force V Premium in the current TechDas turntable hierarchy.

Okay, but at £19,998 (it has officially landed in the UK now, having been unveiled at last year's High End Munich show), which is roughly $27,000 or AU$38,000, it's about as far from entry-level as my poor gray matter can handle.

But just for clarity on TechDas' turntable catalog, in ascending order, next would come the Air Force III Premium, Air Force III Premium S, Air Force One, Air Force One Premium and mighty Air Force Zero, the latter costing just shy of $500,000 or £400,000, depending on which tonearm you opt for.

The Air Force IV (the price of which suddenly seems relatively reasonable) incorporates key features from the company’s top-tier turntables, chief of which is TechDas' calling card air-bearing system. As well as vacuum-clamping your vinyl to ensure it stays exactingly level while spinning, this isolates the 9kg rotating platter to boast an "extraordinarily low noise floor."

Elsewhere, the Air Force IV's 21.5kg one-piece aluminum alloy chassis sits on four suspension feet with the same "specialised damping materials" used in the company's far pricier Air Force III Premium S.

Look, the idea of turntable boasting such formidable abilities (and aesthetics, honestly) sitting casually in my home without harvesting my kidneys while I sleep is a hard one for my imagination to ignore. But for this level of sonic performance, you'd better believe I'd try.

The best turntables for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best turntables
1. Best overall:
Pro-Ject Debut Carbon Evo
2. Best cheap beginner deck:
House of Marley Revolution
3. Best budget Bluetooth deck:
Audio-Technica AT-LP70XBT
4. Best premium Bluetooth deck:
Cambridge Audio Alva TT V2

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