Turntables — Klaudio Magnezar Turntable (Non-Clamping)

The Magnezar is a direct-drive turntable from Klaudio, an American company founded in 2013 as an offshoot of Koolance, which has made liquid cooling equipment since 2000. Klaudio first became known for ultrasonic record cleaners and a tangential tonearm. The Magnezar's platter floats entirely on permanent magnets with no mechanical thrust bearing. This Non-Clamping version leaves out the automatic record clamps of the full model.

Key specs that matter

The Magnezar plays records at 33, 45 and 78 rpm. Wow and flutter stays below 0.05%, speed accuracy is about 0.001% and motor torque is 2 Nm. The platter is 368 mm in diameter and 76 mm deep, and it weighs 13.2 kg. The deck measures 574 x 413 x 190 mm, with a total weight of 42.2 kg. The unit accepts 100 to 240 V AC and draws 1 A at most.

Engineering and use context

Klaudio developed its own 45-pole brushless motor and built it into the turntable, so the plinth acts as the stator and the platter as the rotor. Speed needs no user adjustment or calibration, and a single click starts or stops the platter. An electromagnetic brake brings it to rest within four seconds. Full magnetic levitation replaces the thrust bearing, normally the source of bearing noise in a turntable, and Klaudio says this is the first time levitation has been achieved at such a platter weight. The platter is hollow with an empty centre, which moves the mass out to the rim and gives it the inertia of a much heavier platter. A liquid inside the platter absorbs imbalances in the record and steadies its rotation, drawing on the parent company's work with fluids, and the platter area is illuminated. According to Klaudio, the levitation also lets a single vibration-absorbing cushion take the place of conventional cushioned feet. The chassis is aluminium. Klaudio's tangential tonearm and laser pod are sold separately, and a mount for a second tonearm allows two arms on the deck at once. The clamping version adds automatic spindle and peripheral clamps that flatten both the centre and the edge of the record. A prototype appeared at the Pacific Audio Fest in Seattle in 2022, and the Magnezar went on sale the following year. Klaudio gives it a three-year warranty.

Pairing

With the tangential arm fitted, the stylus keeps tangent to the groove across the whole side of a record. The second arm position can carry a mono or 78 rpm cartridge next to a stereo one. A separate phono stage is needed.

Alternatives

Klaudio's Magnezar Turntable (Auto-Clamping) is the same deck with automatic spindle and peripheral record clamping.