Apple’s former chief design officer, Jony Ive, is getting in on the vinyl increase together with his newest undertaking, a $60,000 turntable.
Ive’s design agency, LoveFrom, collaborated with Linn, an audio firm, to create a new mannequin of the Sondek LP12 turntable for its fiftieth anniversary. The agency will solely be producing 250 fashions of the Linn Sondek LP12-50 that can be out there whereas provides final from August 2023 to March 2024.
With as we speak’s common turntable costing wherever from $150 to $1,000, the value tag connected to the anniversary version of the LP12 raises the query of what’s so particular about this product to make it value the associated fee.
On the entire, not a lot in regards to the much-beloved turntable has modified – its look has largely stayed the identical except for barely rounded corners and an aluminum energy button took the place of the plastic rocker. Except for a further change of the hinge which extra simply retains the mud cowl open at any angle, Ive didn’t change a lot else, owing to the concern that it could have an effect on the sound high quality.
Ive informed FastCompany that LoveFrom “noticed quite a few areas the place there may very well be small enhancements and mild evolutions of the present design.” He added, “When it’s such a broadly acknowledged and revered icon, and parts of the design are acquainted, it doesn’t essentially imply they’re optimum. Significantly when you’ve merchandise that do assume that standing of turning into iconic, and have that form of cultural resonance, it’s straightforward to imagine that they’re past enchancment. And this can be a notably difficult design drawback to respectfully consider the product.”
Ive clarified that the value was set by Linn, telling the outlet that LoveFrom created the LP12-50 professional bono and didn’t signal a contract or monetary settlement with Linn.
“You’ll be able to think about the keenness,” Linn’s CEO Gilad Tiefenbrun informed FastCompany in reference to his preliminary dialog with Ive.
