CES 2013

Franc Kuzma's new Stabi M turntable, shown with his 4 Point tonearm, continues the designer's descent into blackness, physically and, it's assumed sonically. With the exception of his handsome Stabi XL and perhaps the smaller "pipe bomb" Stabi S turntable, both of which are finished in brass, the Slovenia-based designer has kept things dark and pebbly.

The superbly built and ultra-quiet Hannl line of record cleaning machines will once again be available in America, according to Advanced Multimedia France, representatives of which attended T.H.E. Show at the Flamingo Hotel.

Analogue Productions will soon reissue on double LP and SACD Roger Waters' epic, didactic Amused to Death, first released in 1992 in a very limited double LP edition. Anyone looking to purchase an original of the very limited first release could not have been amused by the going price of around $300 last time I checked.

My Sonic Labs distributor A.J. Conti showed me the box containing the brand new My Sonic Labs Signature Gold, the latest from Mr. Matsudira who also produces cartridges for Air-Tight and Kubotek.

I thought you might find interesting the AMG arm's unique bearing. At the very top you can see two cylindrical vertical posts. The protrusions atop them fit into the top of the tonearm housing and are secured to it.

The venerable Record Doctor record cleaning machine, which resembles a Nitty Gritty minus a record spinning motor has been out of production for a few years now but thanks to the vinyl resurrection (it's gone way beyond a revival don't you think?) it's being resuscitated with a hoped for price of around $200.

UK based Avid introduced at CES the new Ingenium line of turntables. The base price for the machined aluminum plinthed 'table is $1300. So equipped, it comes with an MDF platter and bearing used on the Avid Diva. $2300 with Project 9cc carbon fiber arm. There's a $3000 version with an SME M2-9 inch arm as well as a more expensive range that uses the Volvere's bearing and aluminum platter.