This Audiophile Turntable Is the Culmination of 60 Years of Japanese Hi-Fi Excellence

The famed Japanese hi-fi brand is calling it its “finest turntable yet.”

Clear acrylic turntable with silver control box on a wooden table in front of a wooden shelf filled with vinyl records.

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By Tucker Bowe

Published January 4, 2026

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Updated January 6, 2026

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This year, Audio-Technica introduced the Hotaru, a $10,000 turntable with an absolutely incredible floating design (thanks to well-placed magnets) that also glows in the dark.

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But, believe it or not, that’s not what the famed Japanese hi-fi maker is calling its “finest turntable yet.” That goes to its AT-LPA2.

Audio-Technica AT-LPA2 turntable — Audio-Techica’s AT-LPA2 is made almost completely out of transparent acrylic, which is a common material used in hi-fi as it has anti-resonance properties.

It’s a fully manual, belt-drive turntable with an avant-garde, transparent design; both the plinth and platter are acrylic, so when you’re playing a record, it gives the illusion of the record floating in midair.

Audio-Technica is best known for its relatively affordable turntables, ranging between $200 and $500, but the AT-LPA2 bucks the trend and targets a more serious audiophile crowd.

It’s a high-end turntable with premium components. It’s decked out with a carbon fiber tonearm and Audio-Technica’s AT-OC9XEN moving-coil cartridge, which sells for $400 on its own.

Clear acrylic turntable with silver tonearm and a silver audio control box on a wooden cabinet. — According to the brand, the cartridge is “designed to capture every nuance of your records with stunning clarity.”

The AT-LPA2’s design aims to prevent vibrations. The power and control units are located in a separate box away from the turntable. Even the acrylic body, which is a highly dense material with anti-resonance properties, aims to ensure the audio signal is as pure as possible.