. . . fascinating little 1980s record player from Sony .
Sony PS-Q3 ultra compact stereo turntable system
It's called the PS-Q3 and it features a unique clamshell design with no full-sized platter for the record to spin on, instead the platter is quite small in diameter, while the record is fixed by the heavy weight and a second one as part of the cover, playing records without cover is not possible
The unit houses the center and top quarter of the record and the looks of the photos, it can't be more than a 9" square.
It has a regular arm (pivoting on an axis) and plays both full size and 7" records at 33 and 45 rpm. You had trouble with playing maxi-singles (12 inches)... .
The turntable behaves more picky with records that are deformed (waves as result of sun or general heat), so where a regular player still works this one will have problems as the record itself will scratch along the housing
The Sony PS-Q3 is an ultra compact stereo turntable system with a dynamically balanced low mass sound arm and cartridge allowing the stylus to track with greater accuracy