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Symbol Audio Modern Record Player Places Sound on a Pedestal

05.21.18 | By
Symbol Audio Modern Record Player Places Sound on a Pedestal

If one was to describe New York Hudson Valley based design studio, Symbol Audio’s body of work, it would be philosophically a recognition of yesterday executed technologically and aesthetically with the solutions of today. Their designs nod back to a time when audio systems married componetry with a decor-friendly aesthetic, equipped with features serving how we listen to music in the digital era. Ironically enough, this includes the popular resurgence of vinyl. Thus, their newly revealed Modern Record Player is an audiophile record player paired with wi-fi connectivity and storage solutions designed to hide away digital accessories.

A 2018 NYCxDESIGN Awards Finalist, the Modern Record Player is sure to remind design-versed minds of Dieter Rams’ iconic Braun SK55, especially in its all-white iteration. Sharing a vented speaker front design with controls filtered of excess ornamentation, Symbol Audio’s modern day version houses a custom-built class AB amplifier powering custom-engineered speakers and crossovers, each developed in partnership with Morel, a company with a storied history of its own. The turntable itself offers an acrylic platter floating upon a three-phase isolation system engineered to prevent unwanted vibration.

Paired with the optional custom designed stand, the Modern Record Player becomes an island unto itself, aesthetically and acoustically speaking.

The system’s connectivity options include line-out and wi-fi connections between componetry, with a concealed compartment to stow small wireless components from sight (e.g. Sonos, Airport Express) for a clean looking presence, sans unsightly cords and cables. Whether with or without the stand, the sheer size of the system makes the Modern Record Player a conversation piece sure to evoke conversations about audio design in an era of smaller systems.

The Symbol Audio Modern Record Player is available in anodized Jet Black or Glacier White, starting at $3,295 (the steel base will require an additional $500).

Gregory Han is a Senior Editor at Design Milk. A Los Angeles native with a profound love and curiosity for design, hiking, tide pools, and road trips, a selection of his adventures and musings can be found at gregoryhan.com.