If I could afford, I’d purchase 100% Oswald Mills Audio gear

I’m an industrial designer. And, yes, beauty is totally in the eye of the beholder.

I think OMA audio stuff looks very interesting...meaning novel...but man, at those prices...I want the speaker frames/armatures to be single-piece cast-iron beauties...not riveted or bolted together 1/4" plate. You are paying a lot for a bit of novelty. Riveting and bolting together is so much more convenient and cost effective. The harder you look at OMA details, the more it starts to let you down....especially at those prices.

Here’s a high end furniture maker: BDDW.
Now I think these turntables are much cooler. But that’s also just the industrial designer in me getting stroked by the novelty of it.

https://www.dwell.com/article/bddws-handmade-record-players-76591ef0

Then there’s Fern and Robey
https://www.fernandroby.com/products/audio

Also lifestyle focused. Very nice eye-candy from a design perspective.
But as much as the designer in me loves this novelty, I prefer my audio equipment to deal with the audio first. And of course, I’m not rich enough to get any of this high end stuff.

The mass market stuff requires it to appeal to a wider audience. That’s why mid-priced premium stuff generally looks good. Same with cars. Go to the extreme high-end and stuff looks border-line gaudy. It’s ’perceived-value’ for someone with a lot of money. That’s the nature of the beast.

As much as I love the look of belt drives more. The trained designer in me bought a Technics 1200G. Yes, there are much cooler looking turntables out there...but man, it delivers a lot for the price and I will go with dated yet classic approach if it delivers big time. That is beauty to me. But it’s also the most I could afford to buy as well.

Most of the modern turntables that I like are based on vintage drives and vintage looking design, here is another example. I admire new designers who can make a beautiful things in a traditional way. This is from Italy.

They are all very expensive.

@ Chakster,

Yes those are very nice!

So many strong opinions based on very little experience.  Interesting.  It seems that those who have experience with OMA products have a very positive opinion overall.  Any naysayers?  Mikey Fremer reviewed their SUT manufactured by Consolidated of Berlin in Stereophile and gave it high praise.  I bought one, silver wire version, paid something north of $5K for it, which is admittedly steep, but consider it one of the best SUTs, if not the very best, in my experience.  I have no experience with other OMA products and agree that the turntable reviewed in the current Stereophile is not pretty, but I'd sure like to hear it.  I am sure that it sounds really good. 

three_easy_payments

Slightly off topic but not really - as the point is that we should never categorize our audio hobby as an investment in anything but our enjoyment value.

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Well now that you bring it up. I'm quite the opposite. One way or the other what I have, has to be sold or my kids have to sell it. Most of my old Mac gear has gone up 5-10 fold at least, the same with the Thoren 121s and 124s.

Were they an investment? The answer is yes. 

BUT

I stumbled into it when I sold out and went overseas in the 70s. I tripled my money. I bought overseas and doubled my money again here in the states with Accuphase gear.

I didn't mean to. I just did..

It's not that I don't like the gear mentioned in the thread, I love it.

I say buy one of each, it's your money. I like the horns for sure, if not to just look at.. The TT and actual gear??? Really you like the way it looks?

The Mona Lisa is pretty homely, ay? My mother would have said "Back that one in, son", "from the front, it's an assault". Crocheting away another bed spread

Regards