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The perfect 1980s gift for fans of Meat Loaf, Bon Jovi or Patti Smith, the Sound Burger was a bright-red portable plastic record player that came in a clam-shell design and with the advisory sticker, “Do not move while playing!”
Created in 1982 in a doomed attempt to head off the inexorable rise of shiny new CDs, the vinyl player — “Today’s high-tech takeaway. Amazing looks… even more amazing sound!” — was soon consigned to the “Where are they now?” files.
A fixture of hi-fi nerds’ weirdest-products-ever lists since, the Sound Burger has recently enjoyed a minor comeback. A 3D-printing template is available online, while eBay sellers have been flipping original units of the £89.95 (including VAT) for more than £500.
Now, its maker, the Japanese audio brand Audio-Technica, has reissued the Sound Burger. Updates include the addition of Bluetooth, a 21st-century cartridge and stylus and a rechargeable battery.
“With the rising demand for vinyl players, it seemed the perfect time to rerelease it,” Yu Kambe, Audio-Technica’s product manager, tells Esquire. “The older generation can get that nostalgic feeling. For the younger generation, they have something they can take to their friends’ houses and enjoy streaming analogue sound.”
Perhaps Burna Boy, Fred Again or, for the full retro experience, “Livin’ on a Prayer”?
audio-technica.com£199