The ELP Laser Turntable

I know this may sound like a commercial, but I must tell you about a true audiophile's dream. ELP, a Japanese company, has developed a laser turntable that has no tonearm or stylus. Instead, it uses five laser beams to play your old, 45 and 33 rpm, vinyl records and even your older 10-inch, 78 rpm, shellac discs if you happen to have any. This revolutionary piece of equipment will never damage or wear out any of your records as even the most expensive, traditional, turntables do. One thousand plays later your precious 12-inchers will sound exactly the same as they did when they were first played on this unique unit unless you happen to damage one of them. Unfortunately, there is a MAJOR drawback. ELP, begins pricing at $19,000 because each turntable is custom made.

This stylish machine is 100% analog. Company founder, Sanju Chiba, believes "Analog music is more natural... it is the sound of the master tape" so there's no digital technology involved.

According to ELP's website, "The system employs five separate laser beams: two to track the grooves, two to read the stereo information, and one to maintain the height relative to the record surface."  The lasers also allow the turntable to play warped records because there is no tonearm or stylus that can be bounced around while they are playing.

One criticism of the unit is that the lasers are so sensitive that they pick up everything, so it is essential that your records be cleaned with Discwasher or a similar product before each playing.  

Just like most CD players, the record plays inside the turntable drawer so listeners who love to watch it spin (me) will be disappointed. (Hey, nothing is perfect). Also, a remote control is included that allows you to play any track while the LED screen shows you either the elapsed time or the remaining time of the album.

This component is far out of my price range. I'm sure it's true about almost everybody who will read this, but it sure is a fascinating piece of equipment to dream about.

Here's a detailed review from Decoded Magazine posted in 2025.