'Genie' turntable has a zen philosophy

(Credit: Tech Digest)

As long as we're on the subject of vinyl, it's interesting to note how the designs of modern-day turntables seem to gravitate toward the extremes. At one end there's the impossibly complicated and, at the other, the absolute minimalist. On the latter front, the "Genie 2" from Henley Designs seems to take the spartan approach to an extreme.

It has many qualifications that audiophiles should appreciate, according to Tech Digest, such as a high-torque motor and a peripheral drive to improve stability. But it's hard to imagine where else anything other components are housed in this stripped-down player. In fact, looking at something like the quarter-ton, $150,000 "Transrotor," one wonders how the two can provide the same basic function.

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This isn't the first table to take this approach, nor I suspect will it be the last.

BTW, this table is NOT made by Henley, only distributed by them. It's by Pro-Ject, a company that makes really good gear at fair prices. I use a couple of their moving coil phono amps for several years now and have zero qualms over their level of quality and performance.