Galder
An air-bearing turntable from Bergmann Audio that takes up to four tonearms, radial or linear-tracking, on a platter of machined aluminium.
- Designed by
- Johnnie Bergmann
- Made by
- Bergmann Audio
Pictures © Bergmann Audio, from bergmannaudio.com.
Why it is renowned
Michael Fremer saw the Galder at the High End show in Munich in 2016 and reviewed it with the Odin tonearm in Stereophile's Analog Corner.1 The Robb Report wrote about it in 2020, and Hifi.nl, Audio Gallery and Hifistatement reviewed it in 2023 and 2024.2
The story
The name comes from Norse mythology, where galder is the craft of magic songs and spells.3 Johnnie Bergmann, who makes everything in his workshop in Hobro, moved here from the acrylic platter of his first turntable, the Sindre, to a platter of machined aluminium; and unlike the Sindre, the Galder can be bought without a tonearm.1
The 11.8 kg platter floats on a thin cushion of air, centred by a steel spindle in a low-friction polymer bearing.3 The plinth and motor base are each one piece of CNC-machined die-cast aluminium, powder coated, on a 10 mm aluminium bottom plate and three feet of aluminium and ceramic balls.3 A DC tacho motor under precision control drives the platter by belt, and the remote air supply also feeds an air-bearing tonearm and the vacuum that holds the record down.3
Sources
- Analog Corner #275: Bergmann Audio Galder turntable & Odin tonearm, Stereophile. stereophile.com, read 1 October 2026.
- Bergmann reviews and awards. bergmannaudio.com, read 1 October 2026.
- Galder Turntable, Bergmann Audio. bergmannaudio.com, read 1 October 2026.
Last checked 1 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.