Rock Turntable Past
In the April 2025 edition of Soundstage online magazine, Jonathan Gorse unearths the captivating story of the Townshend Rock turntable’s development, from its inception at Cranfield University to its rise as a commercial icon, in a three-part series that illuminates a hidden corner of audio history. Gorse explores how the Rock, originally a university prototype, caught the attention of Max Townshend, who saw its immense potential. While Townshend did not design the turntable, he played a pivotal role in refining it, taking the concept from an academic experiment into a bulletproof, affordable product that has delivered millions of hours of vinyl playback to enthusiasts worldwide.
The article highlights the turntable’s unconventional features, such as its lightweight plinth and front-end damping trough, which required users to take a moment to position the trough over the record—a small trade-off for a sound quality Gorse describes as revolutionary, delivering mastertape-like clarity. This innovation changed the way vinyl was enjoyed for those willing to embrace its unique design, setting the Rock apart in an era when vinyl’s relevance was often questioned. Gorse details how Townshend’s vision made the Rock accessible through models like the Rock III and the later Rock 7, balancing affordability with high-end performance and earning it a cult following among audiophiles.
Through interviews with engineers, early adopters, and industry insiders who witnessed the Rock’s journey, Gorse reveals the challenges and triumphs of bringing such an ahead-of-its-time product to market. The series leaves no stone unturned, showcasing how the turntable rocked the audio world with its lasting impact. Readers can find further details on Soundstage online, with publication updates available at townshendaudiofiles.com as soon as they’re released, celebrating a legacy that continues to resonate in hi-fi culture.
At Townshend Audio, we found it a genuine pleasure to take our demonstration Red Rock to Jonathan, allowing him to experience its unique sound firsthand. We sincerely thank him for his meticulous attention to detail in crafting a piece that needed to be written at least once, ensuring the Rock’s remarkable story is preserved for future generations of audio enthusiasts.
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Toni Natalucci and Jonathan Gorse
Toni Natalucci and Jonathan Gorse examine the Townshend Rock MKII
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