Hotaru blends sound and light to perfectly illuminate Audio-Technica’s - analog ~ naturally - philosophy. Unveiled for the first time at Milan Design Week in March 2025—the largest design festival in the world -Hotaru is limited to just 1,000 units globally. With an integrated amplifier and speakers, its magnetic repulsion-based floating platter suppresses vibrations, preserving the integrity of the sound. Through considered design decisions its speaker size has been maximised to fit its compact form, allowing Hotaru to deliver a powerful multi-sensory experience.
The moment the needle touches the record, the voyage begins. The floating record and reactive lights create a playful, sensory-infused occasion, painting a truly one-of-a-kind scene. The name Hotaru draws inspiration from the delicate glow of fireflies, beloved in Japanese culture. Echoing their fleeting beauty, this analogue experience captures unique, unrepeatable moments that leave an everlasting impression. Packaged in a faux-alabaster stone box, you’ll find the Hotaru within, wrapped in traditional Kyoto furoshiki cloth.
Multisensory Interior Design
Until recently, listening to music on vinyl was purely an audio decision, with little thought given to how a turntable worked within a space aesthetically. Increasingly, however, turntables have become considered elements of interior design, with more people appreciating the visual appeal of their audio equipment. “Hotaru” expands this trend by utilizing the music itself as a design element while simultaneously converting sound into light to create a unique ambiance. This multisensory design allows listeners to engage with the music – and the space – more deeply to form lasting memories of the entire environment.
Innovative Floating Structure
Audio-Technica got its start in 1962 as a manufacturer of high-quality, handcrafted phono cartridges, and over the years has introduced many innovative designs. The cartridge, through its stylus (or needle), picks up vibrations from a record groove and converts them into electrical signals that can be amplified by a sound system. But for a cartridge to function to its fullest, for its stylus to trace the record groove accurately and transmit a clean audio signal, the turntable must suppress external vibrations as much as possible. The innovative floating structure of “Hotaru” does this wonderfully, while also creating a stunning visual effect. Magnets in both the upper turntable and lower speaker sections of “Hotaru” repel one another, causing the turntable section to float, thus isolating it from sound-degrading vibrations.
Floating Platter That Redefines Space
Hotaru’s floating platter uses magnetic repulsion to suspend the turntable midair, minimising vibration transmission and enhancing playback accuracy. This innovative structure is as purposeful as it is beautiful—designed to deliver clarity in every detail.
Lighting System Where Light and Sound Merge “Hotaru” is equipped with a lighting system that blends sound from the record with light. The music played from the selected record triggers light reactions, creating a harmonious fusion from a color palette of 20 shades. There are three lighting modes to enjoy during playback: Basic Mode, where the color of the light remains constant; Gradation Mode, where light smoothly transitions from one color to the next; and Link Mode, where the light’s color changes in response to the character of the music. This fusion of light and sound offers a new, immersive analog music experience, engaging both visual and auditory senses like never before.
Where Function Meets Beauty
Hotaru features a high-quality aluminium case with integrated speaker and solid brass feet. The lightweight carbon fibre tonearm and the specifically made version of the AT-VM740xML cartridge pair together perfectly. The platter is driven via a concealed belt-driven sub-platter, which minimises the effect of motor vibrations while preserving both sonic performance and aesthetics.
The Meaning Behind the Name
At Audio-Technica, we believe that the analog practice of listening to records rewards those who take the time to fully engage with – and cherish – their music. We named this new turntable after the firefly because it illuminates the air with a similar magical glow, inviting listeners to soak up the fleeting experience. Also, as a Japanese audio manufacturer, we chose the “Hotaru” name to reflect the influence that the firefly has had on Japan's art and culture.
Over 60 Years of Analogue Expertise
Hotaru includes the microlinear AT-VM740xML cartridge -designed to reproduce even the most subtle nuances and made with a black finish to fit the turntable perfectly. Users who wish to tailor their listening pleasure and swap between a moving magnet (MM) and a moving coil (MC) cartridge, can achieve this via a switch located beneath the platter that changes the in-built phono stage.
In the Box:
- Turntable;
- Platter;
- Counterweight;
- Headshell with VM stereo cartridge (special specification);
- 45 RPM adapter;
- AC Adapter;
- Power cable;
- Manual.
