Romanel, Switzerland – Wednesday 24th November 2021. The Swiss company announces it is celebrating its 70th anniversary in style with a limited edition turntable. The Reference Anniversary turntable is the product of a years long, major research and development project that has been kept under wraps until this past summer.
In 1951, our founder Stefan Kudelski invented the first portable recorder, simply called the Nagra I. Nagra comes from a Polish word that means “it is recording”. The Nagra I was followed by an impressive trail of game-changing products that revolutionized the face of sound recording. Its impact has been tremendous in the field of art, science, ethnology. It changed the way we capture sound and brought a soundtrack to the world, making recordings where before nothing was ever captured.
Nagra recorders have been used to record sound all around the world and even beyond, with NASA in the Apollo space program. This long tradition of excellence has been perpetuated for generations. And since 1998, Nagra has been synonymous with sound reproduction at home for demanding music and Hi- Fi lovers.
To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Nagra I, the company designed a very special product that sets new standards in black disk reproduction.
The Nagra I and Nagra II made use of a Thorens spring winding mechanism to rotate the reels and the capstan. Electronics were used for signal recording and playback in this ground-breaking portable recorder. So Nagra early recorders share a common root with turntables. During the golden age of analog, the idea to make a Nagra turntable was often discussed. Stefan Kudelski even filed a patent in 1972 for a special tonearm tracking system.
While often contemplated, it was not until four years ago that the design and engineering of a turntable befitting the name Nagra began. Working as a team, Nagra’s staff of extremely talented designers and engineers relentlessly pursued perfection in the fields of applied physics, mechanical and electronic engineering, as well as material science. Four years later, after hundreds upon hundreds of scientific team hours, accompanied by exhaustive listening tests, the result is a turntable which extends the current edge of the arts. It is a first step in a return to our legacy of analog mechanical reproduction and will be followed by more projects to be announced in 2022.
The Reference Anniversary turntable is an analog product governed by immutable laws of physics and mechanics, very much like Nagra legendary reel to reel recorders. As such, it is not subject to the rapidly progressing and ever-changing developments of the digital domain. This means that the Anniversary turntable will remain technologically relevant for generations. For many it will be a last turntable purchase and a product which is proudly passed down from generation to generation, just like many Nagra III recorders from the 50’s, which are still in active use today, the Nagra Reference Anniversary turntable is a product for life.
Offered as a very limited edition of 70 units, each of which includes “in home” set up and dial-in by Nagra factory specialists, invitation to visit Nagra factory for a VIP tour and exclusive accessories.
The main features of the Nagra Reference Anniversary turntable are:
- Massive and precise dual motor drive system
- Belt transmission inspired by the legendary Nagra IV series of reel to reel
- Exclusive aerospace material platter
- Non-resonant chassis
- Floating mechanical and hydraulic suspension
- Watchmaker style caliber with special finishes
- “Skeleton” watch style transparent methacrylate top surface revealing the drive system’s workings and watchmaker finishes
- Pure copper record weight
- Dual concentric carbon fiber tonearm
- Uni-pivot tonearm with unique geometrical bearing shape
- Unique no-contact magnetic anti-skating
- Camera lens-like “on the fly” adjustable VTA
- Custom silver monocrystal tonearm wiring
- External and internal super-cap modules
- Full chassis power supply as found in the HD range
- Personalized engraved name plate including number within the 70 unit number sequence
The Reference Anniversary turntable was designed as a system. This means that the turntable and its tonearm were designed to work from the “ground up” as a unified playback system. Careful consideration was given to the development of a tonearm with performance capabilities commensurate with the turntable itself.
Dimensions:
W x D = 661 mm x 451 mm (26 inches x 17.7 inches)
Weight = ~80 kg (~176 lbs.)
Contact
Kerry St. James, Sales & Marketing Manager EMEA, [email protected]
About ATS - Audio Technology Switzerland
Founded in 1951 by Stefan Kudelski, NAGRA has been designing some of the most influencing equipment in the audio industry. From the Oscar ® Award winning NAGRA professional tape recorders to the rewarded NAGRA HD electronics, the company has continuously perpetuated the utmost excellence in electronics design and manufacturing. In 2012, Audio Technology Switzerland S.A. formerly Nagra Audio division was created. Still largely owned by the Kudelski family, Audio Technology Switzerland designs, manufactures and market NAGRA professional, high-end audio and security products. It continues the tradition of sophistication and originality that has established the prestige of the NAGRA brand all around the world for 70 years.
