ON TEST
22 Australian Hi-Fi http://www.aushifi.com
Mag-Lev Audio ML1 Turntable
My one disappointment about the Mag-
Lev Audio ML1’s visual presentation was its
turntable slip mat. It’s a very thin, insubstan-
tial piece of light-weight felt that’s not at all
in keeping with the high quality fit ‘n finish
of the other fittings.
IMPORTANT!
ReAd The MANuAl!
While it is always advisable to read the
Owner’s Manual carefully before installing any
turntable (because many of them require spe-
cial techniques to be used during assembly),
it is absolutely essential to do so before
unpacking and installing the Mag-Lev Audio
ML1, because there’s a lot that could go
wrong if you’re not careful, mostly because
of the powerful magnetic fields required in
order to suspend the very heavy platter in
mid-air.
In fact there are so many warnings in Mag-
Lev’s Owner’s Manual that I was getting a tad
worried about my own personal safety!
By way of example, the Owner’s Manual
states that children are not permitted to
use the turntable ‘due to risk of damage to
hands, fingers and other body parts.’ Nor is any
person fitted with a heart pacemaker or heart
defibrillator permitted to use this turntable.
In fact, if you have a heart pacemaker or
defibrillator, the manual advises that you
should not even come within one metre of
the Mag-Lev turntable because it says the
magnetic fields generated in the base of the
unit and in the platter are strong enough that
they could cause these devices to switch to
their ‘test mode’ which would result in their
improper operation. The manual also warns
that because the neodymium magnets used
in the Mag-Lev are fragile, they can be broken
or damaged if they’re dropped, and most
particularly if the magnets ‘crash together’.
Anyone who’s tried to pull two neodymium
magnets apart will realise how powerful they
are—even the small ones I have used for pet
projects were so powerful that I couldn’t pull
them apart with my fingers... I needed to use
tools or first slide them sideways to gain lev-
erage. I would emphasise that it is absolutely
essential to keep both the Mag-Lev turntable
itself—and most especially the platter!—at
least one metre away from any metallic
(ferrous) object.
But what about those powerful magnetic
fields themselves? Could they present a prob-
lem for a fit and healthy adult without any
metallic surgical implants of any sort?
Mag-Lev Audio’s Owner’s Manual has a
warning that has a bet both ways on the safe-
ty of powerful magnetic field by first saying
that: ‘based on current knowledge, magnetic
fields from permanent magnets do not have a
measureable positive or negative effect on people.
It is not likely that permanent magnets present a
health risk.’ However the company then goes
on to offer further, and somewhat contradic-
tory advice: ‘However, it is not possible to beBut what about those powerful magnetic fields
themselves? Could they present a problem for a fit and
healthy adult without any metallic surgical implants?completely sure. For your safety, avoid constant
contact with the magnets (and) make sure you to
keep strong magnets at least one metre from your
body.’ I suspect this last part of the statement
is to encourage you to operate the turntable
at arm’s length (literally!).
Of course there are other physical objects
that depend on magnetism to work that you
need to keep well away from the Mag-Lev
ML-1, such as credit cards, keyless door entry
cards, hard drives, any products containing
hard drives (laptops, computers, NAS drives
etc), mechanical watches, and so on. Mag-Lev
Audio also recommends you make sure that
hearing aids, TV sets and loudspeakers are
kept at a goodly distance from the Mag-Lev
Audio ML1. One object the company does
not mention, and one which is something
that quite a few audiophiles might own, is
open reel tapes.