SOUND & VISION

Magnetic Presence: Klaudio’s Magnezar and the Redefinition of the Turntable

In an era dominated by algorithmic convenience and lossless streaming, Klaudio has dared to ask a question that seems almost heretical: what if the most advanced turntable in the world wasn’t just a nostalgic object, but a magnetically elevated, liquid-stabilised marvel that outperforms its digital counterparts?

Meet the Magnezar. Not a deck, not a platter on a motor, but a levitating disc of resonance-free ambition. A statement piece, not just in aesthetic, but in engineering poetry.

Levitation – not imitation

Turntable design has traditionally tiptoed around vibration. Rubber feet, plinth mass, belt drives, isolation platforms. Klaudio has turned the whole equation upside-down, or more accurately, floated it above the problem. The Magnezar’s 44-pound (20 kg) platter levitates 3–5 millimetres off its base using an arrangement of permanent magnets. There are no thrust bearings. No mechanical wear. No contact. It floats. Always. Even when the system is powered down. In practice, this means an eerie stillness: no mechanical hum, no torque-driven tremble. Instead, the vinyl floats in a sort of audio zen – it’s a sonic transcendence.

Motor skills: The art of direct drive

Forget what you know about direct drive. This isn’t a DJ battle rig with torque-happy stops and starts. The Magnezar’s 45-pole brushless motor is an in-house marvel, achieving less than 0.05% wow and flutter, and a speed accuracy of ±0.001 RPM. It’s smoother than most belt systems, but far more responsive. It accelerates to stable speed in four seconds. When it stops, it does so silently, with electromagnetic braking that feels more like a magnetic sigh.

The result? A soundstage with uncanny stability. Piano notes shimmer without warble. Vocals hang in space. And the quiet between tracks? Positively galactic.

Liquid restraint: The inner chamber

Inside the platter lies an acoustic alchemy: a liquid-damping reservoir. Acting as an internal shock absorber, it’s the kind of detail that wouldn’t exist in anything less than an obsessive design. Reports suggest this contributes to an additional 0.01% reduction in wow and flutter. Marginal gains? Perhaps. But for those who demand perfection, it’s an intoxicating idea – music swimming over a fluid centre, levitated on fields of invisible force.

Lock and glow: Automated clamping reimagined

Let’s talk clamps. Traditional spindle clamps are functional at best, fiddly at worst. Klaudio’s solution is something out of a sci-fi audio salon: an automated dual-action clamp that simultaneously grips the spindle and applies pressure around the outer perimeter. Once secure, a soft glow confirms the record is stabilised. No more warped edges fluttering in your periphery. Just confidence in contact, and reassurance in resonance.

It’s also modular: users can opt for the full auto-clamp model. For collectors, this flexibility is key.

Twin arms, singular vision

The Magnezar is dual-tonearm compatible – a nod to both versatility and fanaticism. It supports Klaudio’s own tangential laser-guided tonearm, complete with automated overhang alignment, alongside a more traditional pivot arm. That’s two perspectives on playback: one clinical, one romantic. Audiophiles can indulge both moods without switching systems.

The Gravity of Excellence

This isn’t just a turntable. It’s an orbital declaration that analogue playback can still surpass its digital rivals. Not through nostalgia, but through uncompromising technical artistry. With a chassis weight nearing 121 pounds (55 kg), the Magnezar is not meant to be moved. It’s meant to be admired, like a sculpture or satellite.

And perhaps that’s the point. This is a machine that reminds us that music – true, moving, unfiltered music – is not background. It’s the centre of gravity.

Further information: https://klaudio.com/

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