Transrotor Tourbillon FMD Turntable

Complex. Elaborate. Extraordinary.

The name Tourbillon is no accident.

Transrotor draws its inspiration from the legendary tourbillon mechanisms of fine mechanical watches—extraordinary machines in which complexity exists in pursuit of precision.

The Tourbillon FMD applies that same philosophy to analog playback.

An immense 80 mm-thick acrylic platter sits above a substantial acrylic-and-aluminum structure. Below it, a solid aluminum block houses three motors, while Transrotor's Free Magnet Drive provides contactless magnetic coupling between the drive system and platter.

A weighted flywheel adds another element to the architecture, while support for as many as three tonearms transforms the Tourbillon into a platform capable of supporting an extraordinary analog collection.

At 43 kg—nearly 95 pounds—the Tourbillon FMD is not simply a turntable. It is a mechanical instrument built to be the centerpiece of a reference analog system.

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Inspired by Haute Horlogerie

The tourbillon was developed in watchmaking as an extraordinarily sophisticated mechanical solution in the pursuit of precision.

Transrotor deliberately borrows the name.

The connection makes sense the moment you look at the Tourbillon FMD. Motors, belts, acrylic, polished metal, magnetic coupling, a weighted flywheel and massive rotating components aren't hidden inside a conventional enclosure.

The mechanism is the design.

It is a celebration of precision engineering in much the same way that an exceptional mechanical watch allows you to appreciate the machine itself.

Transrotor's philosophy here isn't simplicity for simplicity's sake. It is sophisticated engineering made to serve precise analog playback.

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An 80 mm Acrylic Platter

The centerpiece of the Tourbillon is its enormous acrylic platter.

At eight centimeters thick, it represents Transrotor's mass-loaded approach taken to an entirely different level.

Rather than trying to make the rotating assembly exceptionally light, the Tourbillon uses substantial mass and rotational inertia as part of its mechanical architecture.

The platter is paired with a chrome record weight, creating the unmistakable polished-metal-and-clear-acrylic aesthetic that defines this turntable.

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Three Motors

Look beneath the platter and the Tourbillon becomes even more interesting.

Three motors are housed within the lower aluminum block.

Instead of treating the motor as an accessory positioned alongside the deck, Transrotor makes the multi-motor drive architecture an integral part of the Tourbillon's construction.

The system is also paired with a flywheel fitted with weights, another distinctive element of the Tourbillon's elaborate mechanical design.

For the appropriate power supply, Transrotor's Konstant FMD is capable of controlling between one and three motors and provides 33 and 45 rpm operation.

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Free Magnet Drive

At the heart of the Tourbillon is one of Transrotor's most sophisticated technologies: Free Magnet Drive, or FMD.

FMD provides a non-contact drive between the drive assembly and the platter.

Rather than directly coupling the platter mechanically to the driven portion of the system, rotational energy is transferred magnetically.

The objective is comprehensive mechanical decoupling—allowing the platter to rotate while isolating it from unwanted drive-system vibration. Transrotor specifically identifies FMD as fundamental to the Tourbillon's design.

At this level, FMD isn't an upgrade.

It's the architecture around which the Tourbillon was created.

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Up to Three Tonearms

A turntable at this level may serve a record collection containing everything from modern audiophile pressings to original mono recordings—and the Tourbillon is designed accordingly.

Up to three tonearms can be installed.

That opens the door to an exceptional analog setup.

A reference moving-coil cartridge could handle primary stereo playback. A second arm could carry a dedicated mono cartridge. A third could be configured around another cartridge, stylus profile, or tonearm combination for a particular portion of the collection.

Instead of forcing one cartridge to do everything, the Tourbillon can become the center of an entire analog playback library.

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The External Start Control

One of my favorite details isn't even the platter.

Transrotor gives the Tourbillon a large-format external aluminum start switch.

It's a small detail compared with the turntable's three motors and FMD architecture, but it's exactly the kind of tactile element that makes a product at this level feel special.

The German manufacturer description specifically calls attention to the physical experience of operating the Tourbillon through this substantial external aluminum control.

This is a turntable intended to make playing a record feel like an event.

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Built to Be Seen

The Tourbillon makes virtually no attempt to disguise what it is.

Clear acrylic exposes the architecture. Polished metal reflects the surrounding room. Motors, supports, belts, tonearm assemblies and the massive platter become part of the visual composition.

Despite the complexity, the design remains remarkably cohesive.

At 52 cm wide, 52 cm deep and 30 cm high, the Tourbillon occupies serious physical space. Its 43 kg / approximately 95 lb weight makes the supporting structure an important part of the installation.

Transrotor therefore offers a dedicated rack for the Tourbillon as an optional component.

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Key Features

• Reference-level Transrotor turntable
• Design inspired by mechanical tourbillon watch movements
• Acrylic and aluminum chassis
• Massive 80 mm-thick acrylic platter
• Three-motor drive architecture
• Motors housed within the lower aluminum block
• Transrotor Free Magnet Drive (FMD)
• Non-contact magnetic drive coupling
• Weighted flywheel
• Chrome record weight
• Support for up to three tonearms
• Large-format external aluminum start control
• Optional dedicated Transrotor rack
• 43 kg / approximately 95 lb total weight
• German-designed and manufactured high-end analog engineering

 

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Technical Specifications

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A Turntable for the Serious Record Collector

The Tourbillon makes the most sense when viewed as something larger than a record player.

It's the foundation of an analog collection.

Three tonearms allow radically different cartridge combinations. The FMD architecture and three-motor system establish the mechanical foundation. From there, the tonearms, cartridges, phono stages, isolation and surrounding system can be selected around the records the owner actually listens to.

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Experience the Transrotor Tourbillon FMD at The Grid HiFi

A turntable like the Tourbillon isn't something we believe should simply be taken out of a box and placed on a shelf.

At The Grid HiFi in Houston, we approach a reference analog system as a complete system—from the turntable and support structure to the tonearm, cartridge, phono stage and the components downstream.

With the Tourbillon's ability to support as many as three tonearms, we can design different playback configurations around your record collection, whether that means a reference stereo moving-coil cartridge, dedicated mono playback, or multiple cartridge and tonearm combinations.

Cartridge installation, alignment, tracking force, tonearm geometry, phono-stage matching, equipment isolation and final system setup all matter at this level.

The Tourbillon deserves to be configured as a complete analog instrument. That's exactly how we'll approach it at The Grid.

 

$59,995

Transrotor Tourbillon FMD

Your supplied U.S. price sheet lists the Konstant FMD power supply as included.

The tonearm and cartridge configuration should be selected separately.

Available Options