Bonn-based industrial designer Benjamin Großjohann loves vinyl records, and perhaps the realm of the mechanical even more so (he cites a love of BMX bikes as an overarching passion influencing his work). Together, these interests would feed a compulsion within the German designer to create a “beautiful product made of real metal” eventually resulting in an audio device “by collectors, for collectors” that’s so slim, you can literally toss it into a backpack: the Coturn CT-01 portable turntable.
The CT-01’s solid anodized aluminum body, integrated glass top, and sleek integrated tone arm tipped with an Audio-Technica Stylus AT 3600 needle, measuring a mere 12.5 x 5 x 1 inches when folded up into its travel form. Imagine a form factor similar to the largest iPad Pro, but a little chunkier and cut in half, and you’ve got something akin to the CT-01 in feel and heft.
Every Coturn record player is handcrafted in the specially equipped workshop in Bonn, with 3D-printed components and hand-assembled electronics coming together into a form factor that’s not pocketable, but also backpack-friendly in dimension.
The design’s niftiest feature is its retracting tone arm, a part that hides away flush along the rest of the turntable’s body. A simple press of the CT-01’s small indentation along its tone arm and the part springs back out with a graceful upward motion – ready to put needle onto record.
A glass touchscreen control display keeps the entire setup minimalist and modern, with a fully integrated preamp and USB-C rechargeable battery hidden within its oblong housing. The turntable operates up to 16 hours per charge, plenty for several listening session before requiring the USB-C recharge. Bluetooth aptX connectivity allows connectivity with wireless speakers; a headphone jack allows for more private listening sessions for one, while an RCA output makes analog speaker connections a possibility for those who prefer to keep it old school.
Großjohann says he relied upon the tried and true process of drawing sketches and building physical prototypes rather than solely relying upon 3D models to visualize, and then eventually realize, his CT-01 into existence.
“A turntable is one of the most complicated things you can build. Because everything comes together here: electronics, mechanics, and design – all these elements have to mesh,” says Großjohann. “Of course, I already have some ideas and experience, but actually I still lacked a degree in mechanical engineering.”
The Coturn CT-1 is available in a variety of colors, but the The COTURN X TA-KU edition in pink is the most rare, limited to 20 players worldwide and includes the Australian artist’s double LP SONGS TO COME HOME TO in white vinyl.
Industrial designer Benjamin Großjohann holding his creation, the Coturn CT-1 turntable.
The Coturn CT-01 turntable is available in blue, green, gray, black, and a very limited edition white edition, starting at $483 (available for pre-order domestically over at Turntable Lab).
