CONSPICIOUS CONSUMPTION

"Vinyl has never sounded—or looked—so good. With music enthusiasts reverting to the authenticity of analog, these turntables spruce up the living room while doing justice to the record collection. The Montegiro Lusso looks every bit the work of art, with its silver and black stripes promising superior sound ($48,800; montegiro.de). Da Vinci Audio Labs created the AAS Gabriel, designed using the same process employed to cut the vinyl records it will play. The luxury edition is available in a 24-karat gold-and-white design ($46,600; www.da-vinci-audio.com). But the high note of turntables goes to The Reference II, by the Swiss manufacturer Goldmund. The 350-kilo turntable is delivered in five crates by three factory workers to ensure it is perfectly installed. Between 2008 and 2013 only five machines will be produced each year ($250,000; goldmund.com). With turntables like these, the days of digital music may be numbered." (Newsweek, 9 August) RD