Turntables — Fuse Audio GLD

The GLD is a vertical turntable from Fuse Audio - the record stands upright and spins in full view instead of lying flat under a dust cover. It reached production after a crowdfunding campaign, was shown at CES 2025 and is sold as a complete system with built-in amplification, Bluetooth and a pair of external speakers, so the sight of the turning record is as much part of the concept as playback itself. It follows the Vert, the company's earlier vertical deck.

Key specs that matter

The belt-driven platter turns at 33, 45 and 78rpm and comes with a factory-fitted Fuse Audio tonearm carrying an Audio-Technica AT3600L moving-magnet cartridge with a diamond stylus. A built-in Class D amplifier delivers 36W RMS per channel to the two supplied speakers, each fitted with a 1-inch tweeter (8 ohms, 10W) and a 4-inch woofer (4 ohms, 30W). Bluetooth 5.3 works in both directions, and there are AUX and RCA line outputs as well. Power draw is 50W from an external 15V, 2.4A supply. The turntable unit measures about 36 x 21 x 37cm and weighs about 8kg, and each speaker is roughly 16 x 25 x 15.5cm.

Engineering and use context

Upright playback changes the way gravity acts on the stylus. On a conventional deck most of the tracking force comes from the weight of the arm resting on the groove, while a vertical deck has to create that force by balancing the arm against the face of the record. Fuse Audio spent more than six months reworking the tonearm to even out tracking force and altered the headshell angle for the AT3600L to keep playback stable. The cabinet is clad in real ash veneer with brushed aluminium trim in black or gold, styled in a mid-century modern manner. With 78rpm on board, shellac-era discs can be played once a suitable stylus is fitted, which is unusual among lifestyle turntables. Bluetooth output sends vinyl to wireless headphones or speakers, and Bluetooth input lets the system act as a streaming speaker when no record is on.

Pairing

Because amplification and a phono stage are built in, the supplied speakers connect straight to the deck and nothing else is required. The RCA line output can feed an existing hi-fi amplifier instead, and wireless speakers or headphones are covered over Bluetooth. A standalone version without speakers is also sold for owners who prefer to use their own powered speakers.

Alternatives

The Fuse Audio Vert is the company's earlier vertical turntable, applying the same upright-playback idea in a different cabinet.