I can’t believe I found another RGB gadget for my house, but this flashy turntable is awesome, affordable, automatic, and comes with some really neat touches.

New CoolGeek TS-01 launched on Kickstarter
Automatic turntable with bright lights inside the turntable
A retail price of $299, and it’s already fully funded

Like any good tech writer, RGB-tinted gadgets have infiltrated my house, but there’s one piece of kit that still doesn’t glow – or doesn’t shines, but a new Kickstarter project looks set to solve that problem.

I’m talking about the new CoolGeek TS-01 vinyl turntable, which you can discover on the crowdfunding site here. This appears to be the CoolGeek brand’s first project, but it has already surpassed its HK$100,000 (around $12,000, £9,000, AU$18,000) goal by at least 10 times.

The CoolGeek TS-01 has a retail price of $299, so it’s cheaper than some of our favorite affordable spinners, such as the Sony PS-LX5BT, and in classic Kickstarter fashion, it’s even cheaper if you pledge early.

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The “thing” about this deck – in my opinion, rather than CoolGeek – is that it comes with lighting effects that emanate from the board. The Kickstarter doesn’t specify whether these are automatic or customizable in an app, but the latter seems possible.

This is because the speaker supports Bluetooth 5.3 output as well as RCA, so it could theoretically connect to an app.

It’s all about ease of use

(Image credit: CoolGeekl)

Judging by the Kickstarer page, CoolGeek has a different idea on the platinum’s selling points.

The page lists the turntable’s automatic status as a toss-up, with an included remote allowing you to control the turntable without having to get up and control the arm (apart from, presumably, changing records every 20 minutes in the time-honored tradition).

It’s also a slim creation, with a 28mm profile for the body, not including the dust cover or platter.

The tonearm is carbon fiber but there are no words on the cartridge, although it appears to have an Audio-Technica logo in the photos. The Kickstarter page’s focus on ease of use and price suggests to me that this is an entry-level turntable rather than one aimed at audiophiles.

But given that some of the best turntables are the ones that are easiest to use, that’s only a good thing. Their complex configuration may put off potential record player owners, so a build like this could overcome some obstacles. The RGB is just a nice added touch.

The Kickstarter campaign runs until May 10, and CoolGeek says shipping will begin in early July, with units taking up to a month to arrive depending on where you live.