Waiting For Ideas PP-2 - Vinyl Turntable with Optical Cartridge

Parisian design studio Waiting For Ideas has released the second generation of its unusual player Waiting For Ideas PP-2. The model externally repeats last year's PP-1 - we have a square aluminum plate without a tonearm, on which the record is placed with the working side down. But the circuitry of the turntable has been significantly redesigned - an optical reading system and a new engine have been used.

The Waiting For Ideas PP-2 mechanism is hidden inside the case; the record track is read from the bottom. The vibrations of the diamond needle are converted into a signal not by a magnet and coils, but by a light beam and a photodetector. The optical reading path remains completely analog; this technology has been used for a long time - in our case we are talking about the circuit of the Dutch company Miniot. The optical sensor has less moving mass, so the stylus tracks groove modulation more accurately and better conveys microdynamics. Optionally, you can further improve the sound quality by choosing a version with a Shibata sharpened stylus.

Waiting For Ideas PP-2 uses Harmony's proprietary analog preamplifier. Commutation include a pair of RCA and a 3.5 mm mini-jack - so the player can be connected to both the linear input of the amplifier and directly to active speakers. The USB-C interface is used for power.

The disk is rotated by a direct drive motor with an axial magnetic flux, the speed is set automatically by a plate recognition sensor (33 or 45 rpm). Speed ​​adjustment during rotation is performed by an optical system with a sampling rate of 1000 times per second. Among the practical improvements, it is worth noting a new curtain that covers the stylus from dust when the player is not in use.

Waiting For Ideas PP-2 can already be ordered from the studio for 8900 euros. Each copy is assembled to order, production time is from three to four weeks.