Ariston

Ariston Origins

Ariston is a turntable manufacturer that has its roots in Scotland. The company was founded by Hamish Robertson, who designed the Ariston RD11 turntable, one of the company’s notable models. According to some sources, there was a legal dispute between Ariston and Linn Products, another British hi-fi company, over the similarity of their turntable designs. After this dispute, both companies continued to produce excellent record players independently.

Hamish Robertson, the original owner of Ariston, passed away due to heart failure after a heavy drinking bout. Peter Dunlop later purchased the company from Robertson and continued its operations. Dunlop eventually sold Ariston to John Carrick, who later started producing Systemdek turntables. The Systemdek brand is now defunct, but Audio Note still uses its design.

Ariston’s product range included models such as the RD40, RD80, RD11, RD90, and Q-Deck. The company’s history is marked by its innovative designs and quality sound reproduction, even though it has since ceased production of high-end turntables and moved into other audio-related products.