I wonder if they can match the quality of the original at any sort of reasonable price. Hope so.
I don't think they are close to the visual appeal of the original though - the big shiny on/off switch has no relation to anything else on the plinth (if the ugly cork mat didn't overlap the platter, the shiny edge would match, but no, it is invisible) and is in the wrong place. It would look better symetrically placed in the corner, rather than where the original rectangular slide switch was (and its location reflected its rectangularity in a rectangular top plate, so the location was pleasing). The shiny switch and the enormous shiny badge unbalance the look of the table - the badge should be smaller and on the other side, as it was on the original. And the arm rest/lock - hideous refugee from some 80s Japanese table - please! Ditto the headshell - at least get something that fits the aesthetic of the arm, or make the arm more modern, with whatever aesthetic they want. But don't graft a curvy swiss cheese holey headshell on a dour rectanglar and cylindrical arm.
I recognize that these are all cosmetic comments and may seem carping, especially in light of the obvious issues of a lack of a hinged dustcover and antiskating. But turntables are more interactive than most components, and not stabbing you in the eye every time you approach is an important merit.
Given the number of used tables out there (and the astonishing durability of them), they need to provide some improvement over the original if they are to make it. In this regard, the blue tooth capability may be the most important part of the package.
Later edit: I would guess the lack of cuing would be a problem for a lot of potential buyers - even AR, with the XB, realized its importance to marketing, if not to actual use.
