Skip to main content

Technics turns out a turntable designed to be an audiophile's dream

IFA 2024
This story is part of our coverage of IFA Berlin 2024

Popular audio brand Technics announced a special reissue of its classic SP-10 turntable in the form of the Technics SP-10R, a new product that the company is calling its “most premium analog, direct-drive turntable to date.”

The beautiful silver turntable will feature a heavy 7-kilogram platter made of brass, and features an external power supply to minimize internal hum and vibration. Perhaps the biggest feature of the new table is a reworked coreless direct-drive motor that gets rid of slight rotational irregularities found in earlier Technics models. When done correctly, direct-drive turntables can have advantages over belt-driven models — namely an improved signal-to-noise ratio, meaning you’ll hear more music and less hum.

Recommended Videos

This is especially true on the new SP-10R: The new motor means that it offers listeners an exceptionally low wow & flutter (unevenness of rotation) rate of .015 percent, which is even lower than many audiophiles expect to find in a good turntable, and it also offers a dramatically low signal-to-noise ratio of 92db — a number the company claims is the best in the world.

It makes sense that the company would debut its latest developments in direct-drive technology on a new version of the SP-10; The original iteration of the SP-10, released in 1970, was the first turntable ever to feature a direct-drive motor. That table and its successor, the SP-10MK2, are still considered to be among the best turntables you can buy.

Though a prototype of the new SP-10R turntable has already hit the show floor at the IFA conference in Berlin, consumers will have a relatively long time to mull whether or not they want to pick up the new deck. The commercial launch of the Technics SP-10R has been set for summer of 2018, with components beyond the direct-drive motor and platter having not yet been announced. Pricing has yet to be announced, but will likely reflect the fact that the company considers this to be among the best turntables ever made.

Even with a very high price point, the new SP-10R models will likely sell very well in the audiophile world, where many listeners are heavily driven to find the quietest and most beautiful audio equipment ever made, even when that involves a prohibitive price tag.

Parker Hall
Former Senior Writer, Home Theater/Music
Parker Hall is a writer and musician from Portland, OR. He is a graduate of the Oberlin Conservatory of Music in Oberlin…
The Beats Pill — our favorite Bluetooth speaker — at lowest price for Prime Day
The 2024 model of Beats Pill Bluetooth speaker on a table near a pool.

Are you planning to shop for Bluetooth speaker deals this Prime Day? You're should go for the Beats Pill, which is again available for its lowest-ever price of $98 from Amazon for the shopping event. The 35% discount on its original price of $150 will let you save $52, but you have to act fast. That's because we're pretty sure that stocks are already flying off the shelves for this amazing audio accessory, so before they're all gone, secure your own by pushing forward with your purchase immediately.

Buy Now

Read more
Our best budget headphones are even more affordable for Prime Day at 20% off
Side view of the 1More SonoFlow.

Amazon's Prime Day is finally here, bringing with it huge discounts for headphone deals. For a budget-friendly option that's even more affordable for the shopping event, check out the 1More SonoFlow. From their sticker price of $75, they're down to only $60 for $15 in savings, but there's no time to waste if you're interested because the offer may not last until the end of Prime Day. Push through with your purchase as soon as possible to get these headphones at 20% off.

Buy Now

Read more
Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker is 44% off for Prime Day, but not for long
The Marshall Middleton Bluetooth speaker on a bookshelf.

Bluetooth speaker deals are always popular during Amazon's Prime Day, and this year is no exception. We've found a lot of interesting offers, and this one is among our favorites -- the Marshall Middleton at 44% off, slashing its price to just $180 from $320 originally. We're not sure if this offer will stay online until the end of the shopping event, so if you want to take advantage of this $140 discount, you're going to have to complete your purchase as soon as you can.

$180 at Amazon

Read more