New Horizon 129 dark walnut

Made in Italy by a manufacturer founded in 2016, this turntable adopts the mechanical choices that define the brand’s signature, in a format that remains affordable. It extends the 121 model by carrying over its philosophy, and for the occasion receives a new tonearm designed in-house. The promise is simple: quick setup, hassle-free use, and music above all else.

A clean line in a dark wood finish

The chassis is a simple rectangle, save for one detail that makes it recognizable: a half-moon cutout on the front face, shared across the manufacturer’s entire range. It is cut from a 25 mm medium-density fiberboard panel, a dense material made of compressed wood and resin. The choice follows a precise logic: to hold the mechanical parts firmly and resist the transmission of vibrations, where solid wood would prove less consistent. A dark wood veneer dresses it in a warm and understated shade.

The platter, in 12 mm crystal methacrylate and weighing 1.05 kg, is laser-cut and then finished on a lathe. Its mass helps disperse vibrational energy, and its transparency brings visual contrast to the chassis’s understated design. Three dedicated feet support the whole and limit vibrations coming up from the furniture. The turntable measures 450 mm wide by 365 mm deep, with a height of just over 100 mm and a total weight of 5.6 kg. A methacrylate dust cover protects it between listening sessions.

The inverted bearing and rotational consistency

The part New Horizon talks about most is the spindle on which the platter rotates. Its structure is inverted and made up of three parts: a chrome-plated steel column supports a steel ball immersed in an oil bath, while an aluminum cap receives the platter. Friction remains minimal and rotation silent. The benefit is concrete: less mechanical noise produced at the contact point means fewer unwanted disturbances likely to travel up to the stylus tip, which should only pick up the groove.

A motor kept away from the platter

The synchronous motor operates on 24 V AC. Its speed depends on the mains frequency and not on its voltage, which keeps it stable even when the electrical network varies. Combined with high torque and an internal rotation speed of 500 revolutions per minute, it maintains consistent platter speed.

What remains is to prevent this motor from contaminating the rest of the turntable, since it is the main source of vibrations. New Horizon suspends it on steel springs calibrated to the weight of the motor and its pulley, which blocks the transmission of oscillations to the chassis. Drive is provided by a one-piece molded silicone belt, thin enough to decouple the platter from motor vibrations. The turntable plays records at 33 and 45 rpm, with the change from one speed to the other done mechanically.

The NH91 tonearm and Audio Technica cartridge

The 129 introduced the NH91 tonearm, a straight 230 mm tube combining nylon and aluminum, hand-assembled in Italy. Its rigidity helps the cartridge extract the signal from the groove without adding resonances of its own.

At the front is mounted an Audio Technica AT91R moving magnet cartridge (dual magnet technology), fitted with a 0.6 mil conical stylus on a carbon cantilever. It is set at around 2 g tracking force, within a range of 1.5 to 2.5 g, for an output voltage of 3.5 mV. The conical stylus is an entry-level choice: it tracks the groove with less finesse than an elliptical profile and channel separation remains modest, at around 18 dB. The standard half-inch mount and replaceable stylus (ATN91R reference) leave the door open to a more ambitious cartridge in the future.

Connection to the system and startup

At the rear, a sturdy plate houses gold-plated RCA outputs and a separate ground terminal. New Horizon has provided effective internal shielding, so the ground wire is not always necessary. The phono cable is detachable, which makes replacing it with a higher-quality model easier.

Like any turntable with a moving magnet cartridge, the 129 needs a phono input: either one on an amplifier that has one, or a separate phono preamplifier. Once that point is taken care of, startup comes down to placing the platter, fitting the belt, balancing the tonearm, and adjusting the anti-skating, using the supplied counterweights.

Technical Specifications

Main Components

• Platter: 12 mm methacrylate, 1.05 kg
• Chassis: 25 mm medium-density fiberboard (MDF) (wood pulp and resin)
• Arm: NH91 230 mm (nylon and aluminum)
• Belt drive
• Speeds: 33 1/3, 45 RPM
• Gold-plated RCA connectors with separate ground terminal

Audio Technica AT91R Cartridge

• Type: moving magnet (MM) dual magnet
• Stylus tip: 0.6 mil conical, carbon
• Cantilever: aluminum rod
• Weight: 5.0 g
• Standard half-inch mount

Electrical Specifications

• Frequency response: 20 to 20,000 Hz
• Output voltage: 3.5 mV (1 kHz, 5 cm/s)
• Recommended load impedance: 47,000 Ω
• Coil impedance: 2.8 kΩ (1 kHz)
• DC resistance: 410 Ω
• Coil inductance: 400 mH (1 kHz)
• Recommended load capacitance: 100 to 200 pF

Performance

• Channel separation: 18 dB (at 1 kHz)
• Channel balance: 2.5 dB (1 kHz)
• Vertical tracking angle: 20°
• Tracking force: 1.5 to 2.5 g (2.0 g recommended)
• Static compliance: 20 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne
• Dynamic compliance: 6.5 × 10⁻⁶ cm/dyne (100 Hz)

Dimensions and Replacement

• Dimensions (H × W × D): 17.0 × 16.8 × 31.0 mm
• Replacement stylus: ATN91R

Physical Specifications

• Dimensions (W × H × D): 450 × 365 × 102 mm
• Total weight: 5.6 kg
• Methacrylate dust cover