STOW, OH, January 9, 2018 — At CES 2018 Audio-Technica is introducing its new AT-LP7 Belt Drive Turntable, which is engineered to deliver a superior high-fidelity listening experience.
“For more than 50 years Audio-Technica has earned a reputation for excellence in vinyl playback for our high-quality cartridges, and our turntable business is built upon that success,” said Bob Peet, Audio-Technica U.S. Marketing Manager. “The AT-LP7 extends this heritage as the finest turntable the company has ever offered.” The AT-LP7 offers manual operation and is supplied with the VM520EB Dual Moving Magnet phono cartridge, built-in switchable phono/line preamp with selectable MM/MC (moving-magnet/moving-coil) capability, removable dust cover and accessories.
Recognizing the critical role the phono cartridge plays in reproducing high-fidelity audio from vinyl, the AT-LP7 is designed around Audio-Technica’s VM cartridge lineup, incorporating high-quality materials and skillful engineering to bring out the best in the VM line (as well as other manufacturers’ phono cartridges). The AT-LP7’s VM520EB cartridge employs Audio-Technica’s exclusive Dual Magnet design, where the magnets are precisely positioned to match the left and right channels of the record’s stereo groove walls. Consequently, the VM design provides exceptional channel separation, stereo imaging, frequency response and tracking of the record groove.
The AT-LP7 provides 33-1/3 and 45 RPM speeds and its belt drive ensures quiet, stable playback and isolation from motor and mechanical noise. Its anti-resonance platter is made from 20 mm-thick polyoxymethylene, a stiff, low friction thermoplastic that provides excellent dimensional stability, and is driven by a speed sensor-monitored motor that ensures continuously accurate platter rotation. The turntable chassis is constructed from 40 mm-thick MDF, to inhibit internal vibration and acoustical feedback.
The VM520EB cartridge features a 0.3 x 0.7 mil bonded elliptical stylus and comes pre-mounted on a lightweight, removable AT-HS10 headshell. The turntable’s J-shaped tonearm is designed to minimize tracking error and incorporates design elements of the classic original Audio-Technica tonearms of the 1960s and 1970s. The tonearm utilizes a metallic gimbal suspension system and precision bearings to reduce tracking error, and provides for adjustment of tracking force, anti-skating and tonearm height. If desired, the VM520EB’s stylus can be replaced with any of the six other styli available in the VM line, which gives listeners an easy means of upgrading the stylus without having to buy an entire new cartridge.
The AT-LP7 includes a built-in switchable MM/MC phono preamp, enabling the turntable to be used with a wide variety of phono cartridges and with music and home entertainment systems, powered speakers, and A/V receivers that do not have a dedicated phono input. The AT-LP7 is supplied with a removable dust cover, 45 RPM adapter and a connecting cable.
The Audio-Technica AT-LP7 Belt Drive Turntable will be available in March 2018 at an SRP of US$799.00.