Platinum Audio and Sound Equipment Design · 2024
Transparent Turntable Wireless Vinyl Record Player
- A' Design Award 2024 Platinum Winner in Audio and Sound Equipment Design
- Awarded April 15, 2024
- CLIENT: Transparent
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 1,513,763
- Verification code 5B7D4084FE · Verify this award
About Transparent Turntable Wireless Vinyl Record Player
Transparent Turntable is a wireless vinyl record player made of aluminium and tempered glass. The belt driven system includes a built in phono stage and a pre-mounted Ortofon cartridge. A tempered glass dust cover with dampened hinges holds its position at any angle. The modular design allows the turntable to be taken apart with screws, so components can be replaced or upgraded. Long service life and easy repair are supported in order to reduce electronic waste. Bluetooth transmission connects the turntable to Transparent speakers and to speakers from other brands.
Within the contemporary discourse surrounding the revival of analog audio formats, Martin Willers's Transparent Turntable Wireless Vinyl Record Player emerges as a meditation on material presence and technological honesty, positioning the ritual of vinyl listening as both sensory experience and visual ceremony. The work participates in a broader design movement that celebrates transparency as metaphor, where seeing the mechanism becomes integral to appreciating its function, echoing traditions stretching from modernist architectural philosophy to contemporary consumer electronics. The compositional achievement rests in the careful calibration of visual weight, with the substantial glass panels appearing almost weightless while the concentrated white components create necessary visual anchors. Technically, the design demonstrates sophisticated understanding of proportion, the platter diameter relating harmoniously to the base dimensions, while the elevated dust cover introduces dynamic asymmetry without disrupting overall equilibrium. The six-pointed pattern embossed on the platter mat suggests a subtle geometric symbol, perhaps referencing the radiating grooves of the vinyl medium itself or invoking natural crystalline structures. The tonearm's articulated form introduces organic gesture into the predominantly geometric vocabulary, its curved profile and adjustable counterweight system communicating precision engineering through graceful silhouette. Thematically, the work explores tensions between visibility and mystery, technological progress and nostalgic ritual, mass production and crafted singularity. The decision to render functional components in unified white creates a contemplative quietude, removing visual noise to emphasize the essential act of needle meeting groove. One might consider how this object transforms the domestic environment, becoming a sculptural presence that commands attention even in silence, inviting the viewer to contemplate the relationship between beautiful objects and meaningful experiences they facilitate.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- The Transparent Turntable is meticulously crafted out of aluminium and tempered glass. It is a belt driven system with a built in phono stage, and a pre-mounted cartridge from Danish Ortofon. Just like all Transparent products it has a completely modular design. With the future in mind, it is made for flexibility, upgradability and repairability. Compatible with both Transparent speakers and other brands, it offers connectivity options like low-latency Bluetooth transmission.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- specifications:
— Built in preamp / RIAA equalizer
— Pre-mounted Ortofon OM5E Cartridge
— Pre-mounted Bluetooth 5.0 Module
dimensions & package:
- Dimensions: 410 x 121 x 321 mm (WxHxD)
- Net Weight: +/- 7 kg
- Accessories: 120cm RCA cable, 45RPM adapter, power cable.
- USB-A DC 5V power
- AC-power: 100~240V; 50/60Hz
technical properties:
- Speed: 33 1/3 & 45 rpm (with auto stop) - Principle: Belt transmission
- Anti-Skating for Tone arm
- Slide Switch for Pre-amplifier On/OFF selection for RCA jack output
- Speed variance: 33: ≤1% / 45: ≤1%
- Wow & Flutter: 33: 0.25% / 45: 0.25%
- Big Platter: 5 mm Matt ALU, φ 290mm - Small Platter: 15mm ALU, φ 179mm
- Signal to noise: ≥ 53dB at 1KHz, -10dB - Tonearm: ALU
- Effective arm length: 220 mm - Overhang: 19.5 mm
- Tonearm mass: 135 g (incl. cartridge, head shell, bearing, etc)
- Effective tonearm mass: 10 g
- Counterweight for mass: 69 g
- Tracking force range: 0 – 41.6mN (17.5 mN pre-adjusted)
- Outputs: RCA stereo, 3.5mm Phone Stereo - Tags
- Turntable, Vinyl, Wireless, Modular, Circular, Electronics, Scandinavian, Hifi, Audio
- Production Technology
- The Turntable comes with new technical innovations reducing ground loop noise and the included cartridge is an Ortofon OM 5e MM, which is regarded for well balanced sound.
All details are custom made and all “off the shelf” plastic details surrounding a tonearm have been removed.
Where we are used to finding a huge plastic beast of a lid, we find a tempered glass dust cover with dampened hinges that allows it to float in mid air wherever you release it. For the first time there is now a dust cover that you will actually want to use on your Turntable. - Design Challenge
- It has taken several years to apply Transparent’s modular design ethos to the Transparent Turntable. Just like the speakers, the Turntable boasts a modular architecture that allows for easy disassembly and component replacement. All parts can be taken apart by screws, for future upgrades or repairs. This forward-thinking approach not only promotes longevity but also aligns with their mission to reduce electronic waste and pay tribute to the design piece in your home.
- Project Duration
- Designed in house at Transparent Headquarters in Stockholm and launched in 2023.
- Operation Flow
- • Place your favorite vinyl record on the platter.
• Move the on/off switch to the on position.
• Double check that the speed RPM setting knob is at the 33 RPM position (this is the most common record speed).
• Unlatch the tonearm clip.
• Raise the tonearm by lifting the tonearm lifting lever.
Move the tonearm by pinching the tonearm grip and position the cartridge needle above the edge at the beginning of the record. By now the record should have started spinning.
• If there is dust or particles on your record, take this time to clean the record using the record brush. While the record is spinning and the tonearm is in up position, lower the brush onto
the left side of the record so it cleans all the tracks of the record simultaneously, there is no need to move the brush back and forth, just let it catch the debris as the record spins and then move it out from the record.
• Lower the tonearm by lowering the tonearm lever.
• You should now hear music. If needed, fine tune the speed using the pitch knob. Adjust the volume on your speaker and enjoy the moment.
• After the record is finished the motor will stop. When you are done playing, first lift the tonearm lever up. Grab the tonearm grip and move the tonearm back over its resting position. Lower the tonearm lifting lever. Latch the tonearm clip. Close the dust cover by the finger grip. - Research
- This is a direct response to a demand from our online community of music lovers. The Turntable is a harmonious addition to our existing lineup of speakers. It is designed to seamlessly integrate with our speakers providing a complete audio ecosystem that immerses you in music, connecting you intimately with your favorite artists and their creations. It enables a intentional ritual around music that can be lost with streaming services. The artists also loves record sales since the profit from one single record equals revenue from over 300 000 streams on a popular platform.
- Inspiration
- The design draws from Scandinavian simplicity, emphasizing durability, and the clear aesthetic represents transparency in both form and function. Technical inspiration was derived from advancements in wireless connectivity and sustainable material use, ensuring the turntable is both a visual and auditory centerpiece. This project embodies our response to contemporary demands for quality, sustainability, and a tactile music experience. A vinyl resurgence to celebrate intentional music listening.
- Image Credits
- Video Credits: Creative direction and brief: Magnus Wiberg, Leah Pamela Eid & Per Brickstad (Transparent) DOP: Lukas Bengtsson,
Still photographer: Erik Djurklou, Producer: Alfred Lauritzen,
Line producer: Clara Soledad Cabrera Moksnes, Editing & grade: Lukas Bengtsson (BLONDE) Sound design: Marcus Lindberg (SENSE SOUND) - Patents
- EU registered design no 015009233-0001
China design patent ZL202330225019.6
Transparent trademark is protected.