⭕ Rare beast, an EMT (Germany) 930st and EMT929 tonearm in stunning operational and cosmetic condition.

Some history.
Wilhelm Franz, a brilliant designer of professional audio equipment, inaugurated his firm ElectroMessTechnik Wilhelm Franz K.G. in Berlin in 1938 (good timing huh?). After the war Franz settled his manufacturing in Lahr and was commissioned by the Broadcasting Technique Institute to develop a meticulous and accurate phonographic device, releasing the EMT 927 in 1951, and then this, the incredible 930st (studio turntable) in 1956. Built around and within a huge steel frame was Franzs acoustically inert hammertone composite top, huge motor and idler-driven, heavy duty, rubber rimmed platter teamed with an exquisite wet bearing which Franz concluded was far better than laboratory grade. EMT only stopped making the 930st in 1985 when broadcasters had moved, to their and our sonic detriment, to CD as their main muscial source.

Legend has it that many 930 broacasting decks ran in studios virtually non-stop for this entire 30 year span - I cant think of any other turntable that could possibly hope to accomplish this and its testimony to the rigour of Franzs engineering as well as EMTs peerless build-quality. The 930 is gobsmacking, engineered and finished to the sort of standard youll likely never see anywhere else in audio. Wiring is colour coded and run in neat, bound groups along the frame channels, all of the switches are big, beautifully finished black Bakelite, and each of the the linkages and mechanisms is a triumph in its own right.

There are many, many features: near the front on the plinth rises a light turret with a lens which casts raking light across the records surface (via a spring button on the turrets side) to assist with cueing, while the perforated top platter rim shows the strobe light glowing orange from below. With the flick of a switch to the left of the disc, the top felted platter (and record) can be stopped dead, instantly decoupled, while the drive platter continues to spin unaffected underneath. Flick the switch back and the floating platter couples immediately. Its a waaaaaaaay faster momentum trick than even a Technics SL10 is capable of, and is obviously for broadcast use where stopping between tracks and/or instant cueing is paramount.

There are 3 speeds, 33.33, 45 and 78 and a mechanical brake actuated via a knurled knob below decks for any speed adjustment

The 930s engineering magic extends to the matching 929, 10 tonearm too; as well as its smooth and silent bearings theres a magnetic catch to hold the wand to its rest, a little hole at the rear of the deck for the optional antiskate weight to rise and fall through and micro adjustment of VTF via the selector atop the bearing housing. Bear in mind that the 929 arm has a diamond pin pattern and only likes EMT headshells (although there are adapters available online to circumvent this, as well as factory made EMT empty headshells which allow you to mount any cart you like). No cart is included , Ive used a TSD15 with it and the whole EMT setup was mesmerising, and synergistic by design.

Cosmetic condition is breathtaking, by far the best Ive seen. Virtually all surfaces are as good as new and even the under-platter, working areas are gleaming. This one has led an easy life.
Operationally, everything runs like a dream; the motor is super quiet and all the controls slot home with a very soft thunk. Its the sort of reassuring, rewarding tactility that, in my experience, only EMT possesses.
Anyway...

Included are the original Owners manuals (in German but containing an enormous amount of information, all circuit diagrams and lots of fun words like drehzahl-wahlschalter), a bottle of the correct EMT special bearing oil and a brand new (old stock never used) idler wheel, should you ever need it (the one currently fitted is still great). Included also is an excellent quality tonearm cable (correct old style 7-pin at the tonearm base and 2 x RCA plus ground lead at the preamp/amp end)
This does not include the optional 155st phono preamp; you simply run the tonearm directly into your preamp/amp phono stage. I (and many others) never felt the 155st did the rest of the TT justice and this cable allows you to use the preamp of your choice.

Serial number is 27XXX which dates it at early 1970s manufacture.
Its a 50Hz model and can be switched between 117, 200, 220 and 240v.

Dimensions are 50cm wide x 39cm deep x 28cm high and its extremely heavy.