In 2026, many of us listen to vinyl as a means of escaping the digital world.
But it turns out modern digital technology may be crucial to making it work.
If you're a music lover, chances are you've got a record player. These days, what was once the only way of consuming audio is now seen as a purists choice, sparking a newfound love for the format in the last few years.
But if you're thinking that listening to audio on vinyl is a pure, analogue pursuit, you might be misinformed. That's at least according to the US Business Development Manager for Technics, Bill Voss, who spoke on the topic in a recent podcast (shared by Headphonesty).
Fortunately for those who enjoy vinyl as a method of evading the digital world, the musical stage generally is still pure. But there is a digital piece lurking within the mechanism, meaning it's not a wholly analogue process.
“As much as we talk about our turntables, the backbone is digital technology in these turntables. The performance of that turntable is being governed by an incredibly advanced digital system where normally very limited versions of that were applied in earlier design," Voss told the Soundstage Audiophile podcast.
That concerns the motor within the modern turntable, which makes use of digital technology to keep timing accurate. A sensor is used to monitor the actual RPM of the platter, and make micro-adjustments to keep things as close to perfect as possible.
Personally, that doesn't bother me one bit. I'm a massive lover of all things analogue – what you might even call a hipster, complete with old Polaroid cameras, vinyl records, cassette tapes and more.
But I think there's a balance to be struck in the modern age, and this is one of those changes which is for the greater good. Ultimately, back in the day when this tech was just the standard, the aim was for a turntable which didn't drift. Now, we're just making use of the best of the modern age to ensure that happens.
