CES 2008

I have seen few turntables, no any mechanical devices more likely to induce flat-out gadget lust than the $150,000 Transrotor Artus. It has a magnetically coupled drive assembly, which means no points of contact between motor and platter. It's machined from solid billets of high-grade aluminum, finished to an impeccable sheen. Its deck is gimbal-mounted to freakishly huge counterweights for absolute level and stability (think gyroscope here). Its power supply uses something called "Konstant M3," which I gather is pretty special, but my limited German and the Transrotor rep's far less limited English prevented me from determining in what way.

All I know is that when he switched it on and the drive's outrider counterweights started spinning and the platter started moving, I was quite simply mesmerized. It reminded me of Harrison's H1 chronometer in the Royal observatory.

At $150,000, it appears that you can purchase cool.