Turntables — Luphonic Model R3

The Model R3 is the entry-level turntable from Luphonic, a German maker of turntables and tonearms. It is a belt-driven subchassis design sold complete with a Luphonic K2 tonearm, and at launch the price was GBP 4,750. The standard finish is a white chassis paired with a black platter.

Key specs that matter

Luphonic makes the chassis of Corian, a solid surface material, laid up in a resonance-optimised sandwich. The platter is made of the same material and is 24 mm tall. Rotation comes from a belt turned by a synchronous motor, while integrated motor control keeps speed steady. The two speeds, 33 1/3 and 45 rpm, are selected electronically, and a potentiometer allows fine adjustment of each. Buyers choose between the K2-9 tonearm, 241 mm in effective length, and the newer, longer K2-12. The deck measures 510 mm wide, 370 mm deep and 150 mm high and weighs 15.2 kg. The feet are adjustable in height for levelling.

Engineering and use context

Luphonic builds the R3 as a five-layer stack, with three slices of Corian separated by two layers of cellular rubber, so each rigid layer is isolated from the next. The company chose Corian for its high density and low tendency to resonate. The K2 arms are gimbal-mounted and use low-resonance carbon arm tubes with several adjustments for fitting a cartridge. The tonearm base can be rotated, which lets the deck accept arms with pivot-to-spindle distances between 200 mm and 300 mm, set using a template. Third-party tonearms can also be installed if their mounting is adapted to the base, so an owner can change arms later without replacing the whole turntable. The rotating base also means the arm board does not have to be swapped when moving between arm lengths. The K2 arms are also sold separately by Luphonic as a standalone tonearm product. Luphonic does not state a numeric speed accuracy figure for the R3.

Pairing

The R3 is sold without a cartridge, so the owner needs to add one that suits the chosen K2 arm length, and a phono stage matching that cartridge, MM or MC as the case may be. The wide footprint calls for a rack shelf or wall bracket large enough to hold it with room for the lid-free platter and arm to clear.

Alternatives

The Luphonic H2 sits above the R3 in the Luphonic turntable catalogue, which also lists the H1 and R2.