Mag Lev is the zero gravity turntable of your sci-fi dreams

Well, this looks like a pretty stylish turnt–– WAIT, WHAT THE HELL?! IT’S FLOATING!!

Your eyes do not deceive you. The Mag Lev turntable is indeed pretty stylish, and it is indeed floating – or at least, its platter is floating. That’s the circular bit you put the record on, by the way.

I know what the platter is, smart guy. But how is it floating AND spinning AND staying in the right place all at the same time?

Magic – or rather, magnets. The turntable’s patented and unique drive system, powered by electromagnets, not only keeps the platter in the air but twirls it steadily and precisely. When not in use the platter is held up by “legs”, which retract when you start it spinning.

It’s a semi-automatic setup with the tone arm too, which drops at the press of a button and lifts of its own accord when the record is finished. And check out that orange light under the spinning, levitating platter would you? How cool is that?

OK, sure – but what if your street gets a power cut when you’re in the middle of Highway 61 Revisited? That platter’s going to drop like a stone onto the rest of the gear!

Don’t fret, the makers have thought this through. In the event of the power supply being removed, the Mag Lev engages an emergency back-up battery to quickly and safely return the platter to its perch. No smashed turntable.

And the price for all this next-level tech?

When the Mag Lev is launched (which won’t be for about a year from now: September 2017), it’ll set you back around US$1,400 (£1,150). But if you back the makers’ Kickstarter campaign by US$940 or more (around £770), you can “pre-order” yourself an early example – assuming the campaign hits its funding goal of $300,000. Take a look at it here.