No Cartridge, No Traditional Needle: This Turntable Plays Vinyl With Light
What if a turntable could play your favorite vinyl records without ever touching their grooves with a traditional needle? That’s the unusual idea behind the Waiting For Ideas PP-2, a high-end record player that uses an optical reading system instead of a conventional stylus. Its design is just as unconventional: records must be placed upside down because the playback mechanism is built inside the turntable’s housing.
Unveiled by Parisian design studio Waiting For Ideas, the PP-2 is based on Miniot’s optical playback technology, previously used in the company’s Wheel turntables. Rather than relying on a traditional cartridge and stylus, the system uses light to read the information encoded in the record grooves.
According to the manufacturer, this approach allows the PP-2 to track even the smallest details in a recording, preserving its microdynamics. The absence of magnets is also claimed to improve groove reading accuracy. However, these claims have not been independently verified, and it remains to be seen how much the technology affects actual listening.
An Optical Turntable With a Very Different Design
The PP-2’s unusual playback arrangement is immediately noticeable. Instead of placing a record on a conventional platter with the stylus positioned above it, the vinyl sits upside down, with the optical reading mechanism concealed inside the housing.
The record is driven by an axial-flux direct-drive motor, while an optical speed-control system monitors its rotation 1,000 times per second. This arrangement is designed to maintain accurate playback speed.
Another practical feature is the integrated phono preamplifier, which allows the PP-2 to connect directly to active speakers. Connectivity includes RCA and 3.5 mm outputs, while power is supplied through USB-C.
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A Solid Aluminum Body and an €8,900 Price Tag
The PP-2’s enclosure is machined from a solid block of anodized aluminum, giving the turntable a distinctly minimalist, high-end appearance. Its unusual construction and optical playback technology clearly set it apart from conventional vinyl players.
That distinction comes at a considerable price. Waiting For Ideas has priced the PP-2 at €8,900, making it an expensive proposition even in the high-end turntable market. For comparison, the company’s Miniot Wheel 3 costs approximately £2,900.
The PP-2 certainly offers a different approach to playing vinyl, but its most interesting claims still need to be tested. Until independent listening evaluations become available, it is difficult to say whether reading records with light delivers a meaningful sonic advantage over a well-designed conventional turntable.
