Simon Yorke Introduces a 45rpm-only Record Player!

Turntable manufacturer Simon Yorke just announced the limited edition S45 record player designed exclusively to play 45s and only 45s. As the press release says, the S45 "...will not play 12” long-playing records, compact discs or oven-ready pizzas, just singles."

The great-looking player, complete with an installed MM cartridge, will be strictly limited to 100 pieces, each signed and numbered by Simon Yorke and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

Price is 2500 Euro (excluding sales taxes and shipping costs).

COMMENTS
Jim Tavegia's picture

This is truly why the "high-end" industry is mocked. If Simon was smart marketing man he would have made a one-speed,  33.3 player like this that could play real lps so middle income audiophiles could own his nice products. He will have no problems selling the other 99 to the moguls on wall street to give to their grandchildren for next Christmas. Geez. Another head-shaker.  Sometimes making things just because you can is NOT a good idea. He probably had fun anyway. 

Michael Fremer's picture

....... 

mraudioguru's picture

...with Jim above.  At current exchange rates, the USD retail price would be around $3415 for a really small record player that only plays 45s...geez.

otaku2's picture

If it were 1/10 that price I would have to seriously lust after it.

volvic's picture

sort of pretty and vulgar all rolled in one.  

mwaehner's picture

"We can forgive a man for making a useful thing as long as he does not admire it. The only excuse for making a useless thing is that one admires it intensely."
I think it's a beautiful useless thing. I am happy this exists even if I will never want to own it. Though if he made it a changer maybe I'd have to reconsider.

atomlow's picture

and I laughed when I first saw it not realizing what it was. I knew it was a record player because it says that on the side, but I thought it was a turntable that played 12" records only at 45rpm. Then I realized oh wait that thing is small and meant to play 7" records. Pretty Cool! I can see this to be somewhat appealing if you only play 45s and I think this guy fits the description, not that he'd pay that much for a turntable. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbYUJUTtyhI - Some might be classifying this guy as a hipster I suppose... I doubt you'll find his record collection in a record shop anytime soon.

If I had too much money I'd be buying one. 

drumarty's picture

This should be outsourced to China. It would retail for $59 & then we can all have one!

mauidj's picture

...if I had the money I'd buy it in a heartbeat!

anomaly7's picture

Okay, as a practical purchase this won't even make the list. As a fun purchase, it's up towards the top. Not at the top of my list, but for those with more dough then they need to worry about, why not? It takes up less space than a Juke Box, and screams (in a small voice) of conspicuous consumption.

dbowker3d's picture

I dunno, I'm not a hater of it, but I really can't see the need- not by a long shot. Want a snazzy way to play your terribly pressed, extra thin little 45rpm singles? OK, go get some machined add-on adapter for your spindle for $75 if you must, but any decent table out there has no problem at all playing 45rpm. We're not talking playing 78s, which need a special cartridge or something; these are plain old 45 singles! 

If a company wanted to make this on a lark, basically just for showroom fun, I'd say "Great!" It's definitely sort of fun and funny. But it also would sit nicely next to those $10k iPhone solid gold cases that you can buy for your $200 phone.

MichaelTrei's picture

The uber rare Technics SL-700.

gorkuz's picture

So why did he exclude frozen pizzas? I am intrigued by the idea of hearing the sonic flavor differences between Pepperoni and Sausage, or Mushrooms and plain Cheese. I suppose Sicilian may require a major VTA adjustment, but it would be interesting to discover if it is voiced with a "Godfather" accent...Cheesy of Yorke to be so exclusionary!

And there is no provision for the convenient addition of the obligatory 1960 minted nickel for VTF adjustment, either. For that kind of money, this should have been there.

Jody's picture

... and no cueing mechanism?

JeremyJustice's picture

Can I afford it, NO, do I think it is F'n AWESOME, hell yes!! 

 

I think i just found my next DIY project, gonna have to build me one of those!

thomoz's picture

I don't shake my head in disgust when I pull up next to a $140,000 car (which is easy to do here in Atlanta). I figure: that guy couldn't find anything else he wanted for that price.

Hackmartian's picture

Yes, this is a little ridiculous, but I think it's brilliantly cheeky. Personally, I have a collectin of old soul 45s that I cherish and barely play them because of the inconvenience. If this was sitting next to my VPI, I'd be spinning them all night long. I do wish it was half the price, though.

Lothar's picture

Well, the price...maybe, but considering I have 2,500+ original 50s/60s/70s 45s I might find it pretty practical.

What a lot of people don't realise is more often than not the original hit 45 rpm mix is the mix you heard first and is unique to the 45 it came out on. Mastered 'hot' the original 45 often has impact and punch that's lost even on the contemporary LP the song might have ended up on. Maybe not always 'audiophile', but sometimes fantastic and fun.

If that table has its alignment geometry set up for 45s (which by definition are almost all inner groove), that might be a pretty cool device if you have lots of 45s.

But, even if you could afford it, like a mono cartridge it doesn't make sense unless you have a significant number of records that fit the bill.

Still, I'd sure be interested to hear what the thing would do with my favorite 60s 45s.

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