Great Slaw, Max is a really nice guy, and a very talented designer. He also makes cables, loudspeakers, a ribbon super-tweeter, and State-Of-The-Art isolation feet named Seismic Pods. Townshend products aren’t common or well known in the U.S., the company having a low profile and few dealers (same with EAR-Yoshino, also of British origin and sharing the same U.S. distributor).
The Mk.7 Rock was made in two versions, the original in a gloss finish, and the revised (Mk.7.1?) in matte. A Google search will reveal that the Rock is a well-kept secret, considered by those who’ve heard it as an absolute bargain, one of the world’s best turntables, and in some regards THE best.