950

About the 950

The EMT 950 is a heavy, quartz-locked direct-drive professional broadcast turntable system with integral pre-amplifier and monitoring, weighing around 70-76 kg depending on version. It was EMT's first direct-drive turntable, designed for studio and broadcast use with console or free-standing mounting, and built on a double-chassis with integrated shock-absorber suspension to isolate it from vibration. The platter is approximately 13 inches (330 mm) in diameter and is engineered for very fast start/stop, reaching 33 1/3 rpm in about 0.2 seconds and stopping in roughly 0.1 s, with wow and flutter specified at about 0.05% and rumble better than 56-70 dB depending on weighting. The unit offers three speeds: 33 1/3, 45, and 78 rpm, with automatic 33/45 selection linked to the record adapter, and features advanced cueing functions including instant start, reverse run (reverse cueing), groove locate, and cue-to-point operation for precise on-air control. Control of the turntable is entirely by illuminated pushbuttons for start/stop, speed selection, reverse, mono/stereo, local/remote, tonearm lift, and stylus illumination. The tonearm supplied as standard is the EMT 929 broadcast arm, and the system is typically used with EMT's TSD-15 moving-coil broadcast cartridge or compatible moving-magnet cartridges; MC use requires the appropriate EMT step-up transformer/equalizer modules in the plug-in amplifier cards. The EMT 950 includes plug-in equalizer amplifiers with selectable curves (DIN, NAB, IEC, RIAA or flat) and studio-level balanced line outputs with maximum output up to about +22 dB (10 V), typically on balanced XLR connectors, plus facilities for local monitoring via a built-in loudspeaker, headphone output, and remote control connections, depending on version. The 950 was produced in at least two main mechanical versions: the standard/wide version with the main control panel to the left of the platter, and the '950 E' narrow-line version with controls along the front; both share the same core drive, arm, and amplifier design but differ in console width and available panel space for options such as cue speaker and additional controls. A specific broadcaster variant, the EMT 9 950 347 for the BBC, adds further front-panel facilities including dedicated headphone monitoring, muting and extra control hardware, while retaining the underlying EMT 950 drive and tonearm system. Overall, the EMT 950 is regarded as a flagship, no-compromise broadcast turntable whose robust construction, extremely low speed error, wow/flutter, and rumble made it a reference standard in European radio and television studios, and it remains highly valued among audiophiles and archivists when properly restored and set up.