Munich 2024

So many companies, so little time. The AP team didn’t get to spend as much time with everybody at High End Munich 2024 as we would have liked to, so we’ve been doing some post-show follow-ups to make sure we highlight as many cool companies, their turntables, and other analog gear seen at the show as possible.

One such company is Benny Audio, founded in 2017 and based in Gliwice, Poland. Their new Odyssey turntable, which was a prototype in 2023, was on display at the show and is now officially in production. Over the weekend, I reached out directly to Benny Audio head honcho Tomasz Franielczyk to get more information about it.

According to Franielczyk, the Odyssey table “is the result of over seven years of research and experience. It is a turntable built from scratch. The main objective was to create a turntable that would surpass its older brother [the Immersion II] in every aspect. The drive system, platter bearing, platters, plinth along with the base, and the 14-inch tonearm were all redesigned from the ground up.”

The Benny Audio Odyssey table boasts a triple-layer plinth. The upper platter is 300mm black Delrin (5kg), the mid-platter is 300mm stainless steel (8kg), and the lower platter is 200mm stainless steel (4kg). The plinth, crafted from sturdy aluminum and polyacetal, forms a foundation that is said to block unwanted vibrations, with the layer made from POM (polyoxymethylene) specifically intended to keep the bearing and the platters free from any vibration. The Odyssey table sits on a precision-crafted aluminum base, and it stands on anti-vibration feet with inverted porcelain cups.

The Odyssey’s main bearing features a hydrodynamic inverted sleeve, YG8 10mm sintered carbide ball, POM base, and aluminum body. At its core is a 15mm shaft made from hardened steel. Each bearing and shaft is manually polished. The top-fill oil system utilizes a high-viscosity synthetic oil, and the company recommends oil-refill service every three years.

The drive system is a powerful BLDC motor (3-phase, 8-pole, 20W), controlled by a Swiss-engineered driver and governed by Benny Audio’s own custom-programmed microcontroller. The drive includes an ultra-precise pulley, soft start and stop, continuous speed control via an open-loop system that monitors and adjusts the platter’s speed after each revolution, adaptive speed correction with a range of ±8 degrees, smooth torque adjustment, customizable backlighting, and a rotary switch.

The Odyssey’s 14in tonearm is designed to “perfectly complement” the cartridge. Up to three arms (8in to 14in) can be accommodated, and there are four arm-mounting points on the plinth. The 14in arm weighs 0.52kg, its effective mass ranges between 18g and 30g, and it can accommodate carbon fiber and/or titanium cartridges and headshells. The arm boasts silver monocrystalline wiring direct to the cart.

The Odyssey table’s dimensions are 400 x 242 x 400mm (w/h/d) and its weight is 59kg (without tonearm). Other features include a ULPS DC power supply with AC input voltage of 110V or 220V, DC output voltage of 12V (2-wire cable with GX16 plug).

Franielczyk adds that “all Odyssey turntables are custom-made to order” and that “turntable production takes up to three months after placing an order.” Furthermore, he tells AP that Benny Audio is “open for cooperation with potential dealers or distributors” outside of Poland.

Finally, the SRP for the Benny Audio Odyssey turntable — including the base, drive, tonearm, and power supply — is €24,000 (VAT excluded).

For more on Benny Audio, go here.