Rotary operator and audio device

A rotary operator, comprising:

• a rotator comprising a movement path provided for an outer circumferential surface and inclined to a circumferential direction about a rotation axis, the rotator being configured to rotate about the rotation axis;
• and
• a contact piece configured to come into contact with the rotator, and move along the movement path in a direction along the rotation axis in association with rotation of the rotator, wherein
• rotation of the rotator in a first rotation direction about the rotation axis is restricted by the contact piece being at a first position when the rotator is rotated in the first rotation direction and reaches a predetermined position, and
• when rotating force in the first rotation direction applied to the rotator is reduced in a state where rotation of the rotator in the first rotation direction from the predetermined position is restricted, the contact piece returns to a second position to allow the rotation of the rotator in the first rotation direction from the predetermined position.