Проигрыватели виниловых дисков — Einstein Audio Components THE AEROLITH

The Aerolith is a belt-drive turntable made in Bochum by Einstein Audio Components for its Monolith Series, which also includes the Megalith loudspeaker. It is listed at EUR 100,000. The design team was Volker Bohlmeier, who has spent fifty years servicing turntables, the engineer Rainer Holtmann for design and manufacturing, and the computer scientist Sebastian Schlitte for motor control. The name combines aero, air, and lith, stone, describing a stone suspended on air.

Key specs that matter

The Aerolith runs at 33 and 45 rpm. It stands on three feet with a two-stage air-based damping and decoupling system, protected by German Patent 10 2017 109 026, and high-density seals mean the air pressure only needs checking once a year. The motor turns slowly with a torque of 5 mN. The platter has an aluminium outer part with a stainless steel insert, milled and friction-locked, and it sits by suction on the inner platter. The main bearing is a ball bearing working on two levels, patent pending, maintenance-free and rated for loads up to 50 kg. The mat is high-purity graphite with a concave surface. An external motor controller measures speed with an optical pulse sensor. Mechanical parts carry a lifetime warranty. Einstein does not list the size or mass of the deck.

Engineering and use context

Vibration from the motor is decoupled in two stages. The spring-loaded pulley forms the first stage, and a thin flexible belt the second. The stainless steel insert adds mass at the rim of the platter, increasing the flywheel effect that keeps rotation steady. Supporting the bearing on two levels prevents horizontal deflection of the spindle. The speed controller does not run a continuous correction loop. Instead it recalibrates only when speed moves outside tolerance, compensating for belt and temperature variations without constant intervention. The concave graphite mat is non-static and supports the record across its surface when it is clamped. The tonearm board is adjustable and moves on a backlash-free roller guide of the kind used on CNC cross slides, which allows VTA to be set precisely, and an interchangeable sound module in different materials can be fitted to the board. An optional acoustic base, the Aerolith Foundation, adds a mechanical filter beneath the turntable.

Pairing

Einstein matches the Aerolith with its own The Tonearm and The Pick Up moving-coil cartridge, and it appears alongside the Megalith loudspeaker in the Monolith Series. The adjustable armboard accepts other tonearms.

Alternatives

The Einstein The Record Player is the smaller belt-drive turntable with a graphite platter and a floating sub-chassis, weighing 24 kg with its power supply.