Heavy metal

Acoustic Signature's mighty Invictus turntable certainly fits the description of a statement product - it weighs a hernia-inducing 143kg (315lbs), should ideally sit on its custom-built 168kg (370lbs) stand and costs an eye-watering S$210,000 for the entire rig (potential buyers beware - best to check the load bearing tolerance of your listening room's floor, just in case).

Designed and built in Germany, it's an engineering marvel which places incredible mass as its prime objective, the idea being that when playing back records, killing vibration is key and the best way to do this is by making the equipment as rigid and heavy as possible.

In the Invictus' case, the six-motor, four-tonearm design doesn't just eliminate external vibration - you can beat as hard as you can on the rack or stomp on the floor in front of it and playback doesn't miss a beat - it also offers freedom from "self-noise" - the resonance of its own constituent parts.