Multi-Speed Turntables Spartanburg SC

For the serious vintage music listener there is no turntable out there I know of with the speed flexibility to accommodate for the many different types of records made over time.

Published on August 01, 2010

Esoteric Sound Rek-O-Kut Rondine 3 Turntable
SRP: $1300

Multi-speed turntable adjustable from 16-90 rpm with +/- 15% pitch adjust; DC motor; hinged dust cover, 17" transcription playback with ability to play vertical cut discs; removable spindle for eccentric records; 12 fixed speeds (16.67, 22.5, 33.33, 39.13, 45, 68.5, 71.29, 76.59, 78.26, 80, 85, 90 rpm); belt drive; Delrin platter (3.75 pounds); rated wow & flutter .09% max; four included Vibrapod feet; strobe disc; 25 pounds; 6.5" H x 18.5" W x 15" D; one-year warranty.  Tonearm: S-shaped aluminum and magnesium; 0-3 grams tracking force; 11 Hz arm resonance; 23 grams effective arm mass; removable headshell.  

Esoteric Sound
1608 Hemstock Ave.
Wheaton, IL 60189
630-933-9801
http://www.esotericsound.com/turntable1.htm

Associated Equipment

Setup and Impressions

In the early days of my retail career (in the 90s) I would occasionally have customers interested in variable speed turntables that could play 78 rpm records.  In those days I remember a leaflet that Esoteric put out listing their various Technics modded 78 rpm players.  It's only fitting that I've finally received one of their players for review.  This, however, is not simply an upgraded Technics.

When I first pulled the Rondine out of the box I thought that the table looked a little bit homebrewed.  The arm looks like one manufactured from Jelco (similar to the Sumiko MMT and the arms from Audioquest).  The control box is metal and mounted underneath the plinth.  The screws that protrude from it will scratch the platform surface unless the supplied Vibrapod feet are utilized.  These just sit under the pillars at each corner of the table, so placement is a bit delicate as there is no way to level the table.  The plinth is fairly heavy and vinyl-covered, but the cutout for the motor is not fully hidden by the platter.  The spindle comes off which seems like an advantage, but it would occasionally also come off when I just lifted the record off the platter.

The headshell is detachable, which is advantageous for those who will be using a variety of cartridges. ...