6. Lumley Heliosphere
£2,495
Like the Townshend Audio Rock 7, the Lumley Heliosphere is a low-cost alternative to an otherwise wallet-worrying product, in this case the £14k Lumley Stratosphere. It comes with a suitably similar minimalist design, the most notable feature of which is a 74mm deep acrylic platter on which your precious vinyl sits. The turntable doesn't come with a tonearm or cartridge as standard, so you'll also need to budget for these - contact UK distributor Metropolis Music for details.
7. EAT Forte
£12,400-£12,900 (depending on finish)
If you're serious about vinyl, then this is one serious turntable. Designed to eliminate practically all unwanted resonances, the EAT Forte combines a metal sand-filled MDF plinth with a completely separate motor assembly. Magnetic feet effectively decouple the whole thing from its surroundings, while a heavyweight semi-magnetic plinth and insulated tonearm take care of any other vibrations. Phew. All you need to add to get great sounds is a suitable cartridge.
8. DaVinci Audio Labs AAS Gabriel Master Reference
$48,500 (£31,890)
Vinyl wouldn't be vinyl if it didn't have a large dash of idiosyncrasy and eccentricity built-in - and the AAS Gabriel Master Reference turntable has both in equal measure. It comprises three main components, all of which sit on separate sub-plinths. These include a heavyweight aluminium platter that floats on an magnetic bearing; a separate motor drive and speed controller; and a sub-plinth for the optional $12k (£7,881) tonearm. Truly deep-pocketed audiophiles can also opt for up to three additional tonearm boards (with tonearms extra, natch) leaving you with the mind-boggling setup you see here. As you'd expect you also get a choice of luxury finishes including black, Ferrari Red and Lamborghini Orange. There's even a white version with a 24ct gold platter and knobs - one for the bankers then.
9. Continuum Caliburn
£115,000
The Continuum Caliburn is a money-no-object expression of the quest for audiophile perfection. Every component has been precision engineered to the highest standards to extract every note from your record's grooves. Its heavyweight magnesium alloy platter alone weighs 40kg, although when it spins its weight is reduced to a couple of kilos thanks to the Caliburn's magnetic bearing, which spins the platter in mid-air. Other goodies include a silent vacuum pump that maintains a vice-like grip on your records while they are spinning. At at this price, you'll be pleased to hear that a high quality tonearm and cartridge are thrown in.
10. Goldmund Reference II
$250,000 (£164,382)
Woah. You have a have lot of cash and love vinyl an awful lot to enter the rarified echelons of Goldmund Reference II ownership. For a start you don't really own the turntable at all. You pay a subscription to receive one of just give one of the five Reference II's made each year, with the current Mark II model available in a strictly limited edition of just 25 examples. We haven't got the space to put in all the Reference II's bells-and-whistles here - although words like brass, titanium and metacrylate spring to mind. Needless to say each Goldmund Reference II comes with its own team of engineers who'll deliver, install and setup the turntable for you. Oh, and the price doesn't include a cartridge or even a tonearm. Those cost extra.
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Now read How to pick the perfect pair of headphones
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