The old record players played a stack of records automatically. I had a 45 rpm record player in my hot rod that played a stack too , only skipped on big bumps. Later on I got a Thorens player with a Rabco arm which was some improvement. The first time I heard a c.d. I sold the record player and never looked back. Nowadays I have a high end SACD one bit player. In my opinion no record can hold a candle to it. I don't get the record thing but whatever floats your boat.
Why hasnt a turntable manufacturer produced a table with automatic tonearm return/shutoff?
I'm listening to my old Technics 1700 turntable, which has the tonearm return/ shutoff mechanism. It's one of the reasons I don't upgrade. The idea that you have to get up to retrieve the cartridge and turn off the machine makes little sense when the technology has been there for years. I know the issue of the mechanism introducing sound into the table, but it seems to me that the mechanism can be isolated and kept off until the record ends. What gives?