Audio-Technica Introduces New Top-of-the-Line AT-LP8X Turntable

The market for vinyl continues to expand and manufacturers want to keep up with demand for new turntables to play those records. Established in 1962 in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, by Hideo Matsushita as a phonograph cartridge manufacturer, Audio-Technica continues to be a respected name in this space with a range of reliable and affordable products. What Audio-Technica needed was a new top-of-the-line turntable to complete its portfolio. Enter the Audio-Technica AT-LP8X Semi-Automatic Direct Drive Turntable. The AT-LP8X is Audio-Technica's new flagship turntable and its first-ever semi-automatic model. It is designed to deliver exceptional vinyl record playback, with features including a VM95 Series cartridge (included), adjustable VTA (vertical tracking angle), a newly-designed motor, and additional refinements.

In addition to play 33-1/3, 45 and 78-RPM records, the Audio-Technica AT-LP8X offers the convenience of semi-automatic operation, where the tonearm raises itself off the record and the motor stops at the end of a side. The AT-LP8X comes with a pre-mounted high-performance AT-VM95E Dual Magnet phono cartridge with an elliptical stylus, for superior resolution, stereo imaging, and tracking. The cartridge is pre-mounted on Audio-Technica’s new AT-L10 removable headshell (also available separately) for easy installation. The AT-VM95E is compatible with any VM95 Series replacement stylus.

The J-shaped aluminum tonearm is inspired by classic Audio-Technica designs and has adjustable VTA, enabling it to be optimized for virtually any phono cartridge. In addition, the AT-LP8X provides adjustments for anti-skating and tracking force, and comes with a sub-counterweight that enables the use of cartridges with a weight range from 14 to 23.5 grams.

The AT-LP8X incorporates a new low-torque direct drive DC motor, with a speed sensor system that ensures accurate speed stability. It features a 1-inch-thick (25 mm) rubber-damped, anti-resonance, die-cast aluminum platter and a rubber mat, the most substantial platter ever offered on an Audio-Technica turntable, for reduced resonance and more accurate and uncolored vinyl playback. It also features a new internal switching power supply that is optimized for audio use, ensuring minimum noise in the signal chain. 

The Audio-Technica AT-LP8X Semi-Automatic Direct Drive Turntable comes with a detachable RCA cable, removable hinged dust cover, and 45-RPM adapter and retails for USD $999.
www.audio-technica.com