Revolutionizing Vinyl: The Rise of Carbon Fiber Turntables

Today, digital streaming dominates music consumption, while physical formats like cassette, mini‑disc, DVD‑audio and even the once‑dominant CD have largely faded. Yet vinyl is defying the trend, reporting a 30% sales jump in 2020.

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Design Innovation with Carbon Fiber

Wilson Benesch is a family‑owned British brand that specialises in high‑tech home audio. Their first turntable, launched in 1989, incorporated carbon‑fiber composites at a time when the material was rare in consumer gear. That pioneering move set a new performance benchmark and has guided every product that followed.

Craig Milnes, co‑owner and Design Director, explains: "Consumers often view carbon‑fiber as a surface finish. At Wilson Benesch we engineer complex hybrid structures that deliver measurable performance gains over conventional materials, giving us a clear edge."

Christina Milnes, co‑owner and Managing Director, adds: "In 2021, product design is more critical than ever. Our consumers are highly informed and demand authenticity. That’s why we continue to push the boundaries of design and materials."

With advanced material science comes the need for state‑of‑the‑art manufacturing. Wilson Benesch runs a CNC Machine Suite and a Carbon‑Fiber Composite Suite that produce 90% of its inventory in‑house. New product launches now rely on cutting‑edge technologies to meet the highest standards of quality and speed.

Working with Markforged

Wilson Benesch’s forthcoming GMT ONE System™ turntable, set to launch in 2022, is the culmination of a decade‑long development cycle. Throughout this journey, the company identified Markforged as the leader in additive manufacturing, and its Digital Forge platform unlocked unprecedented design freedom.

Using AI‑driven 3‑D printing, Wilson Benesch now fabricates intricate components that were impossible to produce with traditional methods. Carbon‑fiber reinforcement within nylon structures delivers optimal stiffness, damping, and weight reduction.

The GMT ONE System turntable carries a six‑figure retail price and targets the most discerning audiophiles who demand flawless build quality. Markforged’s technology enables Wilson Benesch to meet that expectation.

"Without Markforged, some of our latest products wouldn’t exist," says Craig Milnes. "The GMT ONE is the most ambitious project we’ve ever undertaken. Their platform lets us create high‑performance structures rapidly—what once took weeks of CNC machining can now be produced in hours."

Learn More About Markforged 3D Printing Technologies

• Carbon Fiber 3D Printing: An Introductory Guide
• Address More Manufacturing Challenges with Composite and Metal 3D Printing