A quick spin through turntable history

Compact discs were once the wave of the future, but their sales have flagged whereas vinyl records have seen a resurgence, leaving pressing plants overbooked and struggling to keep up with demand. Sure, most people are getting their daily dose of beats from streaming-music services these days, but if you're looking for a rich analog sound with plenty of space for artwork and liner notes, vinyl's where it's at. Since the medium's attracted a new generation of listeners, we've decided to look back at some of the interesting players over the years. Some of which are as unique and varied as the music stamped into the vinyl.

[Image: Roy Harpaz industrial design]

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The big playback

Thomas Edison invented the phonograph in 1877 using tin foil as the recording medium. Alexander Graham Bell improved on that substrate when he introduced recordable wax cylinders. It wasn't until Emile Berliner developed flat discs nearly a decade later, however, that the "gramophone" (as it became known) grew in popularity.