In case you haven’t heard, vinyl is in the midst of a big comeback. And you might be surprised to learn it’s not just the hipster and DJ crowd responsible for its resurgence. Vinyl records, both used and new, are experiencing some healthy sales online and in local record shops, and the people who are buying them are just like you and me. What newcomers to the classic music medium may be unaware of, however, is that there’s always been a an underground group of audiophile elite – call them the 1 percent of audiophiles – who never gave up on vinyl. In fact, they may never have loved anything else.
To call these people eccentric might be a bit of an understatement. These are enthusiasts who spend most of their time in their wood-paneled libraries, sipping expensive whiskey and listening to records on insanely expensive turntables through equally opulent tube pre-amps and headphones that cost more than your car. But before we go too far calling their priorities into question, let’s give them thanks, because if it weren’t for them, nobody would make turntables as outrageous as these. Enjoy our pick of the most out-of-this-world turntables ever made.