A Respected Hi-Fi Brand Just Released a Turntable That’s Unexpectedly Affordable

Fosi Audio is well-known for its budget-friendly yet high-quality amplifiers, DACs, and other desktop hi-fi components. And now, the burgeoning audio maker is joining the vinyl renaissance by releasing its first-ever turntable.

Meet the Fosi Audio Luna3.

According to the company’s press release, the Luna3 is “crafted for audiophiles, first-time vinyl listeners, and design-conscious users who value sound purity and elegant simplicity.”

Fosi Audio Luna3

Fosi Audio

Just the essentials

The Fosi Audio Luna3 is a belt-drive turntable with a minimalist design. It features a solid black plinth, high-mass acrylic platter, high-quality tonearm and comes with Audio-Technica VM95E cartridge.

The turntable comes with an orange platter mat, which you can add to match its other orange accents — such as the cartridge headshell and electronic speed change switch — and add a bit of flair to an otherwise bespoke design.

Fosi Audio

Fully manual

The Luna3 is a fully manual turntable designed to deliver an authentic old-school vinyl experience. You turn it on, place the stylus where you want on the record to start playing, then return the tonearm to when you’re done.

That said, the Luna3 does have one convenient modern feature: an auto-stop function. When the record ends, the turntable shuts off. This prevents damage to the stylus and/or record, in the event that you walk out of the room and forget it’s playing.

Fosi Audio

Upgrade path

Unlike a lot of other entry-level turntables, Fosi Audio has chosen to omit a lot of modern features. There’s no Bluetooth connectivity or USB output (for those who may want to digitize their vinyl collection).

There’s no built-in phono preamp, either, meaning you’ll have to use an external one or an integrated amplifier that has one. This gives you more flexibility to upgrade and build out your vinyl hi-fi system the way you want.

The cartridge is upgradable, too.

Fosi Audio

Custom sticker skins

One thing that is fun, unique and lets you add a bit of your own personality to the Luna3 … custom-printed sticker skins.

That’s right. When you order the Luna3, Fosi Audio gives you the option of submitting your own custom designs for either the platter or the plinth. It’ll then create and print them for you, so you make the turntable feel a bit more personal.

(Given the clean look of the Luna3, it’s an optional add-on that I’d probably skip, but to each their own.)

Fosi Audio

Direct-to-consumer

Also, unique — how the Luna3 is being sold.

Fosi Audio has launched a Kickstarter for the Luna3, which is both smart and frustrating. It allows the brand to gauge interest before production begins, but it also means that the turntable won’t be available as soon as you would probably like.

Once the Luna3 turntable officially launches — which is expected to be in October — Fosi Audio will have a direct-to-consumer business model, which should help keep the price down.

Fosi Audio

Price and availability

The Kickstarter for Fosi Audio’s Luna3 turntable is now live. It costs $350, but Early Bird backers of the campaign can save up to 25%, meaning it could cost them as little as $262.

For those early backers, the Luna3 is expected to start shipping in October.

Additionally, the Kickstarter allows you to order the Luna3 bundled with one of Fosi Audio’s phono preamplifiers, either the Box X2 or the Box X25. There is even an amplifier, phono preamp, and speaker kit, too, for those who want to go all-in on the brand.

Fosi Audio

Fosi Luna3

• Starts at $349

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