Apollo

About the Apollo

The Maplenoll Apollo turntable, built in the late 1980s and early 1990s, was the flagship model of Maplenoll. It features a massive 75 lb rotating platter supported by a high-pressure, low-flow captured air bearing system that floats the platter with minimal friction. The vertical bearing uses a locator pin embedded in a Teflon/Delrin bushing to handle minimal side loads from belt tension. The platter can be stopped and restarted quickly without turning off the motor, allowing record changes with the platter spinning. The turntable includes a vacuum hold system and on-the-fly vertical tracking angle (VTA) adjustment. The original pump is a super quiet unit rated at 40 PCI, often based on a refrigeration compressor. The Apollo is known for its exceptional soundstage, imaging focus, precision, purity, and a very low noise floor, delivering a holographic and highly detailed musical experience. It was originally The tonearm design was influenced by Dr. Lew Eckhart's air bearing arm invention. The Apollo is heavy and often housed in a custom heavy stand or granite plinth, making it a substantial and rare collector's item today.