ELP Laser Turntable & Trickle Down


ELP LASER TURNTABLE as most vinyl fans know is a turntable that uses a laser instead of a more conventional stylus. I read reviews on the audio critic site and out of the two reviewers the one who had a very high end table and arm combo,chose the ELP laser table this conventional combo. I am wondering why this technology has not trickled down the way Cd has with companies paving the way for cheaper machines and improving over time while becoming cheaper as the technology matures?
schipo
I owned an ELP for a couple years and corresponded much with Mr. Chiba, President of ELP. The laser turntable is a very complicated device with 5 lasers, optical read heads, and high speed servos. He told me there are only a couple companies on the planet who can make these items.

Donald North
I spoke to the friend yesterday who owns the ELP I have alluded to earlier and asked him for his evaluation thus far. He said, and this is almost verbatim, that the table is a "...god hifi table but does not compare to a high quality audiophile conventional unit...". He believes the table lacks refinment in both the input and output stages and that he is currently involved in designing an upgraded output stage and is in continual contact with the power(s) that be at ELP Japan and it is being done with their full knowledge and blessing with an eye for incorporating it into production models at a future date. He also said that there is an East coast distributor and West coast distributor, that he couldn't recall the names but that the West coast guy is a brick and mortar store in San Rafael, Ca. He further mentioned that stateside service is eminent through the West coast distributor...good news, indeed.

Finally, let me clarify that the gentleman I'm alluding to is a household name to anyone well versed in the audio game and has been selling a line of products at least nationally, for years now, that are known to help "purify" the audio signal. His US distributor is Laufertek, I believe.