sonoro PLATINUM SE – The new record player from sonoro

sonoro audio GmbH has been offering the sonoro PLATINUM record player for some time now. This is now getting a bigger brother, in the form of the new sonoro PLATINUM SE.

The new sonoro PLATINUM SE is already the second record player presented by the German company sonoro audio GmbH. This follows the sonoro PLATINUM, which is offered as a designated design solution and is intended to appeal to customers who are looking for an optimal complement to the likewise design-oriented all-in-one systems from sonoro audio GmbH.

At first glance, there is hardly any difference between the two drives, but the actual differences can be found in quite decisive details. The new sonoro PLATINUM SE will therefore not replace the sonoro PLATINUM, but will rather take its place above it in the sonoro audio GmbH product range.

sonoro PLATINUM SE – All the advantages of the sonoro PLATINUM, and a little more…

Thus, the manufacturer speaks of the new sonoro PLATINUM SE as a drive that offers all the advantages of the sonoro PLATNIUM, such as excellent versatility and outstanding compatibility, according to sonoro audio GmbH. In addition, however, some optimizations have been made that are supposed to improve the quality even more.

Manual record player with belt drive

Nothing has changed in the basic concept of the turntable, also the new sonoro PLATINUM SE presents itself as a manual record player, which relies on a belt drive, whereby here an optically regulated DC motor is used.

Heavier frame

With dimensions of 42 cm in width, 35.6 cm in depth, and 12.5 cm, the new sonoro PLATINUM SE weighs 6.3 kg instead of just 3.9 kg for its little brother sonoro PLATINUM. One of the reasons for this is the heavier platter of the new sonoro PLATINUM SE, which is designed to provide optimized damping of sound-damaging resonances and vibrations.

Resonance-damped turntable

Another new feature is that the turntable, which is made of aluminum, is now thicker and heavier; the manufacturer refers to it as a resonance-damped turntable weighing 1.5 kg for better stability. The new turntable also relies instead of a rubber pad on a recessed cork pad, which according to the manufacturer should protect more effectively against vibrations due to their special properties.

Optimized tonearm

The tonearm of the sonoro PLATINUM SE has also been improved. Compared to the sonoro PLATINUM, it now has an additional ball bearing, which, according to the manufacturer, should ensure even more precise, interference-free scanning of the groove of a record and thus a finer sound.

New pickup

While the sonoro PLATINUM uses an Ortofon 2M Red MM cartridge, the new sonoro PLATINUM SE features a Nagaoka MP-110 MM cartridge, which is fully assembled and adjusted at the factory so that the user can get started immediately after unpacking.

Integrated phono preamp with USB and Bluetooth

As before, the new sonoro PLATINUM SE also has an integrated phono preamplifier, making investment in an external solution obsolete. The sonoro PLATINUM SE can thus be connected directly to any audio system.

However, since an A/D converter and a Bluetooth module are also used here, you don’t have to rely on cables alone to connect to various audio systems, you can also do this “wirelessly”. Since the aptX codec is also supported, the signal is transmitted without lossy compression.

The direct use of a corresponding headphone is also possible, which is mentioned for the sake of completeness.

Another feature that is probably relevant for many users in this field is the USB port for direct connection to a PC or Mac. This makes it possible to digitize and archive records directly, if desired.

Prices and availability

The new sonoro PLATINUM SE is available now directly from sonoro audio GmbH in their web store. The price for this new drive is listed at € 799. Of course, the drive is available in two finishes, so the customer can choose between matte black as well as matte white. In both cases, a matching cover made of transparent acrylic is part of the scope of delivery.

Getting to the point

With the sonoro PLATINUM, sonoro audio GmbH already presented a record player that was clearly aimed at design-oriented customers, first and foremost its own customers, namely those who were looking for a suitable record player for an all-in-one audio system from sonoro audio GmbH. With the new sonoro PLATINUM SE, the company remains true to this concept, but focuses on improvements in detail, which are quite decisive for better sound, such as a more solid frame, a more elaborately damped, heavier turntable, and last but not least, a pickup optimized in detail. Nothing has changed in the integrated phono preamplifier, which comes with Bluetooth and USB, and thus offers especially beginners everything they want.