Young adults today probably don’t remember original vinyl records—scratchy needle drops, bouncy tone arms, and heat-warped discs. But gramophone records, a.k.a. vinyls, are making a global comeback. And that means the return of the turntable to play them on.
In the 1920s, vinyl records replaced phonograph cylinders. Those were Thomas Edison’s round recording tubes. Vinyls remained the leading form for recording and playing music until the 1980s.
Then digital media, namely compact discs, surpassed vinyls in popularity. Vinyls all but disappeared by 1991. However, some companies still made records for disc jockeys and sound snobs, called audiophiles.
Today, the biggest maker of quality turntables is SEV Litovel in the Czech Republic. SEV began in 1999. Its officials focus on quality components and reasonable cost so that they can compete with overseas makers. Demand is growing. SEV’s production increased fourfold between 2009 and 2016.
“I really can’t see the end (of the growth),” says Managing Director Jiri Mencl. The firm opened a new production site this year to try to meet the rising demand for turntables.
SEV’s superior quality and attitude toward work seems aligned with the principle of Ecclesiastes 9:10: “Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with your might.” Starting with its own design, the company makes almost all its own parts. Turntables are carefully assembled by hand in over 40 variations: S-shape, classic, and vertical. They come in many materials, colors, and designs. Prices range from as low as $200 to almost $10,000.
Austria’s Pro-Ject Audio Systems distributes SEV turntables under its Pro-Ject brand. Director Heinz Lichtenegger understands part of the secret behind the turntables’ revival. In a world of bullet trains, high-speed internet, and quick-cooking appliances, “People search for things that make their life more enjoyable, more slow,” he says.
“Turntable means you have to listen to the music relaxed,” Lichtenegger continues. “You have to take time for your music. You don’t click for the next song. You have to listen to the whole record. You have to clean the record. You have to care about your record.”
Lichtenegger also says of a record, “It’s a piece of art. . . . It’s affordable luxury.”
Ludek Motlicek sells Pro-Ject turntables in the Czech Republic. He and other audiophiles offer yet another reason for the comeback: sound quality. Vinyl records produce a sound that “digital sound cannot match.”
