Luxman PD-151 MKII Turntable 
 
Preserving the fragile beauty of analog music reproduction.
 
From WhatHi-Fi?:
This MKII version includes a number of upgrades. There’s a new brushless DC motor designed to enable controlled, precise drive for the turntable and a new S-shaped tonearm (known as the LTA-309). Records sit on a 4kg aluminium platter which has a large moment of inertia (MOI) to promote smooth and stable rotation.

Both the drive motor and power transformer have had internal damping material applied to reduce any interference with the audio signals going though the deck, while the underslung structure which sees heavy components attached to the underside of the turntable’s 10mm aluminium top panel to help with rigidity and vibration damping. The Luxman PD-151 MKII turntable goes on sale in September and will cost £5,000, which includes tonearm and dustcover.
 
Audiophiles love the warmth, organic texture and uncanny beauty of analog music reproduction.But that beauty is notoriously fragile. Even slight variations in platter speed can blur the musical pitch, placing the sound behind an unnatural veil. And when music lovers turn up the volume, the phono cartridge can pick up even subtle chassis vibration and resonance – distortions the cartridge cannot distinguish from the desired tracking of the record groove. At LUXMAN, they understand. And they built that understanding into the PD-151 analog player, a more accessible alternative to their highly regarded PD-171A / AL. From the 10 mm thick aluminum top plate to the high-torque motor, the ultra-wide drive belt and the 4.0 kg platter, every aspect of the PD-151 pursues just one purpose. To do full justice to the ineffable beauty of analog sound.
 
Proprietary high-torque brushless DC motor
The purity of musical pitch depends entirely on the stability of platter rotation. That’s why LUXMAN engineers went to extraordinary lengths. They start with their unique sine wave/Pulse Width Modulation power supply, which provides ultra-stable direct current to their proprietary DC brushless motor. The result of years of development, this high-torque motor incorporates low-noise acoustic bearings and an optimized number of coil turns. The drive system monitors and maintains speed with their Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) feedback control loop. Proportional means quick achievement of target speed. Integral means fast correction of minor errors. And differential means control over rapid fluctuations. For added precision, the motor drives the outside flange of the platter through an uncommonly wide belt.
 
Single point cross tonearm
The tonearm incorporates the classic single point cross suspension bearing for ultra-smooth motion. Static balance accommodates different cartridge-headshell combinations. Note : the cartridge is not included.
 
Underslung chassis fights vibration
LUXMAN engineered an underslung, suspended structure with components mounted under the 10 mm thick aluminum upper chassis. This achieves high rigidity while suppressing vibration.
 
Transformer and motorisolation damping
LUXMAN understands that even the player’s internal components can cause distortion-inducing vibration. That’s why the PD-151 isolates the chassis from the motor and power transformer with advanced rubber damping mounts. Sight unseen, these mounts help enable music reproduction of the highest order.
 
Separate 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm pitch adjustments
You can fine-tune the musical pitch of play-back with separate front panel adjustments for 33-1/3, 45 and 78 rpm. An LED indicator flashes green when the pitch is flat, flashes blue when it’s sharp, and lights solid green when the PD-151 is precisely on-pitch.
 
4.0 kg machined aluminum platter and stainless steel spindle
After going to extremes on the power supply, drive motor and belt, LUXMAN engineers were determined to optimize the last guarantor of stable speed: the platter itself. The 4.0 kg platter acts as a flywheel with extremely high moment of inertia, 21.9N-cm2, to suppress even minuscule speed variations. A platter this heavy requires bearings capable of sustaining extremely high pressure. LUXMAN engineers specified polyether ether ketone (PEEK) thrust bearings and a brass radial bearing filled with organic molybdenum oil for effortlessly smooth rotation and long life. These exhaustive measures require time, attention and cost. But they pay off in exceptionally stable platter rotation. Conservatively rated, wow & flutter is less than 0.04%, weighted RMS. In this way, the PD-151 delivers music with uncommon clarity, faithfully reproducing the original.
 
10mm thick aluminum top plate
Their latest design, mounting the three major elements of a turntable - tone arm, motor and platter, onto a hair-line finished 10mm thick top panel, aims to achieve beauty, simplicity and functionality. The matt black lower chassis creates a bold, yet sensitive contrast.
 
Heavy-duty insulator feet
A player this massive requires specially engineered feet. They created large insulators from rubber carefully selected for superb damping across all operating temperatures. Each insulator offers 8 mm of independent height adjustment.
 
Headshell
They make the supplied headshell from magnesium alloy for reduced weight and high strength.
 
Phono cable
As you would expect, the supplied DIN-RCA output cable uses audiophile grade Oxygen Free Copper.