Thanks again for the great reviews. You butchered the name of T+A MP 3100 HV. The two-stage, single-ended Voyager is all-solid-state, using JFETs for active RIAA equalization. Not too expensive, Nothing in the 500 to 1000$ range SACD player, although this Arcam might interest you. As reviewed by HR, fitted with Jelco's knife-bearing TK-850L tonearm and optional DIN-to-RCA cable, and upgraded with eight inertia-enhancing brass platter weights and a glossy wood finish ($9345 total), the Blackbird ingratiated itself in no time: "I admired the Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird the minute I set it up. HR concluded that the DS003 and the more expensive energizer "specialized in producing a vivid clarity framed in a beguiling chiaroscuro" coupled with "super-silky silences" and "taut, tuneful, textured bass." For the Mk.II version, the basic formula remainsZu strips away the Denon's plastic housing and repackages its motor and output-pin block in a precision-machined aluminum bodybut here the body has been reshaped to make better contact with the motor and better resist the buildup of sound-sullying resonances. A fine phono preamp, albeit one that does not offer terribly high value for the money. For $29,000, SAT offers a 12" version, the LM-12, although designer Gomez still suggests that, all else being equal, 9" arms offer superior performance. Auditioned the KEF R3s, Polk Legend L200s and the KEF LS 50 Metas a few days ago with 5 tracks of my choosing and thus far my rank ordering of these speakers is as noted. A 24V, low-vibration synchronous motor is individually tuned to its outboard drive electronics; this propels the platter via two drive belts that are precision-molded from a very high-tech polymer. The fully automatic Vinyl Cleaner uses ultrasound-induced cavitation to clean records, much as an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner does for jewels. The manufacturer recommends loading the cartridge at 400800 ohms and setting the tracking force between 1.9gm and 2.1gm. The new SA-1.2 reflects a number of refinements: improved bearings, greater effective length (9.4" vs 9"), and slightly higher offset angle. In examining the new Planar 3, HR noted that his review sample did indeed run a bit fast, and he wondered whether some measure of the "'pacey,' boogie-down Rega sound" has to do with a combination of that and a microscopic "doubling" effect from the player's lively plinth. To view the Sorane ZA-12 is to think: Why hasn't anyone thought of this before? The Hana ML boasts a Delrin body topped with a brass cap, the latter with threaded inserts for the mounting bolts; an aluminum pipe cantilever; an alnico magnet; and a nude Microline stylus. HR's closing thoughts: "I could dream away my sunset years listening only with the Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue: It does everything I desire." AD shared SM's enthusiasm: "It's not just that I can't imagine $445 buying more happiness; I can't imagine so modest an investment in money and effort buying more music." He added that "no one will be disappointed by the Windfeld Ti's reproduction of space." Loaded at 200 ohms, the Starling's sound was sweet and smooth. Earlier this century, fans of Ortofon's SPU pickups were saddened when the company ceased building their historically long-lived A-style SPUs: the stubby, squarish ones in which the distance from stylus tip to mounting socket is a relatively short 30mmthis in contrast to the longer, sleeker, G-style pickup heads, which endure. Its compliance, though unspecified, was observed by AD to be very lowrecommended downforce is 3.24gmand its output is a mere 0.25mV. Of the Miyajima monos Mikey has heard, the Infinity Mono struck him as "the line's fastest and most linear and neutral sounding." The Sakura handheld static-discharge eliminator ($350) is a variant of the Furutech deStat SNH-2, and the SFM-2 stylus-force gauge ($480) and CRE-2 Cartridge Exciter ($399) are variants of similar products from Air Tight. (Vol.43 No.1 WWW), Sutherland Engineering Duo: $4000 AD also praised it for allowing instruments and voices a realistic sense of wholeness, and for reproducing music with colorbut not gross colorations. (Vol.41 No.1), Klaudio KD-ARM-AG12: $11,999.99 (for 12" arm) Personally, I found the Metas a bit bright and their bass response was the most lacking - not surprising given the size of the speaker cabinet.
Acoustic Signature Ascona Mk.2, Analogueworks TT-Zero, Brinkmann Bardo, Pear Audio Blue Kid Thomas, VPI HRX not auditioned in a long time. Herb Reichert wrote about the Hana SL almost immediately after reviewing a slew of $5000+ cartridges, and observed that switching to the $750 Hana "did not feel like a depressing step down." (A higher-output version, the Hana EH, is available for the same price but has not yet been tested.)
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Ti 's reproduction of stereophile recommended phono cartridges. cavitation to clean records, much as an ultrasonic jewelry Cleaner does for.... Thanks but for whatever reason, I cant find AR stereophile recommended phono cartridges REF 6SE preamp here Miyajima Labs Saboten $! 3100 HV, said MF Cleaner uses ultrasound-induced cavitation to clean records, much an. 24 ohms, respectivelyand the hyperelliptical stylus tracks at 2.02.2gm, is available for the buck elliptical stylus!(Vol.42 No.11), Grandinote Celio: $8750 (Vol.41 No.4 WWW), London Maroon: $995 $$$ WebPhono Cartridges Audio Technica - AT95E Special Edition Black MM Cartridge (Generic Packaging) Audio Technica - AT95E Special Edition Black MM Cartridge (Generic Packaging) Phono Cartridges Now $45.00 Was $60.00 Save $15.00 (25%) Questions and Answers Quantity: Add to Wish List Availability: In Stock This item is in stock and ready to ship. (Vol.17 No.5, Vol.19 No.6), WallyTractor Universal: $395 Designed and built by Yoshio Matsudaira of My Sonic Lab, the Stage 1030 is that company's top-of-the-line phono transformer, and is designed for the My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent Ex moving-coil cartridge (or any other MC with an internal resistance of 15 ohms). I also received what felt like infinite amounts of micro-level information." (Vol.42 No.3), Grado Lineage Series Aeon3: $6000 We haven't auditioned it in a long time, but special pleading from Mikey keeps it listed: "A superb product that has stood the test of time." Build quality, MF noted, was "as high as you'd expect for that kind of money." Referring to the $26,000, Class Arated Ypsilon VPS-100, HR wrote: "Could the Ypsilon make me cry 86.7 times easier? AD asked, "Is there a place in the market for a $10,000, Siberia-made phono cartridge?" AD wrote that the Wood A sounded "tactile, dynamic, meaty, and colorful, with a great sense of scale," and that it "excelled at conveying instrumental and vocal textures." The creators of the Fuugaits name is Japanese for "elegance with flair"were inspired by the classic Miyabi cartridges designed and built by Haruo Takeda, now retired. (Vol.38 No.11), Graham Engineering Phantom III: $7900 (10 inch length) (Vol.41 No.3), Koetsu Rosewood Standard: $3995 . Upon auditioning the new Lambda version, in which "the tapered dampers of the original cartridges are separated into flat, elastomer damping discs, while an additional support 'pillow' has been added to serve as the cantilever preload element," MF wrote that it "sounds like an entirely new cartridge," possessing a "quality of top-to-bottom, luxurious textural suppleness, sustain, timbral generosity, and midband warmth, while losing none of the speed, slam, and detail retrieval for which the Atlas SL (and the brand in general) is best known." Recommended downforce is 2.4gm. (This, he suggests, is good.) (Vol.42 No.12, Vol.43 No.2 WWW), Van den Hul The Grail SE+: $21,500 However, while the Fozgometer provides useful measurements for cartridges with similar channel-separation numbers, it can lead to unusual and undesirable results with cartridges that have high levels of interchannel crosstalk disparity, cautioned MF. Superb transient articulation and dynamics. (Vol.40 No.9 WWW), Sutherland Engineering Little Loco: $3800 Is that, in fact, the indisputable truth? According to AD, "a good plinth can enhance nearly every aspect of a turntable's performance," and the Woodsong Audio plinth for the Garrard 301 motor unit is a very good plinth indeed. According to HR, the UltraDeck, when used with MoFi's top-of-the-line moving-magnet cartridge, the MasterTracker (a $2198 package; the MasterTracker is sold separately for $699), didn't provide the "deep 'black' backgrounds or enormous sound spaces" of the considerably more expensive AMG Giro G9 player, "but it did present me with an infectious, easy-flowing, liquid vitality." Downside: if you like to leave your platter spinning, you'll have to stop it each time, or find another steady surface upon which to perform the operation." EMT HSD 006: $1860 position.". HR found that this moving magnet initially failed to satisfybut after 12 hours of continuous play, the CF3600LE sounded quiet, lushly detailed, and engaging, especially on female vocals. Stereophile might mention that devices are connected by a balanced line, but they never mention whether the balanced line is at "consumer" level (~2V) or standard professional level (+10dBu). Its spherical stylus is made with a full 25?m radiushence the model designationthus restricting the CG 25DI's use to records mastered with a true mono cutter head. HR has logged literally hundreds of hours with his LCR Mk.III review sample, both on its own for use with MM cartridges, and, for MC cartridges, in tandem with Lounge Audio's Copla, a JFET-powered step-up device that does the same job as a phono transformer, only electronically. In Mikey's system, the RM-Kanda Hayabusa was "more linear and honest than flashy or wow-inducing," and its top-to-bottom response featured "well-controlled, unbloated bass, a smooth, full-bodied midrange, and satisfying top-end extension and air." 100 West Fourth Street. (Vol.43 No.9 WWW), Woodsong Audio Eddy-Brake Disc: $140 (Vol.41 No.2), Zu DL-103 Mk.II: $499$1099 $$$
HR said the Sentec EQ11, used with the Miyajima Spirit Mono cartridge, "can show you a lot of what you still haven't heard from your old records. After cleaning a record, AD noted clearer instrumental voices and greater low-level detail. Drop is an online only operation, sells for $220 + shipping & tax. . Though the Denon offered excellent bass depth and impact, with an overall exciting and "pleasantly forward" sound, its high-frequency response peak made bright recordings "a bit more forward than ideal." Thanks but for whatever reason, I cant find AR new REF 6SE preamp here. Point-and-cup bearings provide vertical movement, with ball-and race bearings in the lateral plane; all feel both frictionless and robust. Its build quality and engineering make it worthy of placement in that category even if the sonic performance is a notch below the absolute best." He concluded: "[If you] can afford it, you'll definitely want to add the Madake to your arsenal." The Ultra tonearm has a 10" aluminum armtube, Cardas wiring, and a gimbaled bearing. (Vol.37 No.12), Miyajima Labs Saboten: $2475 SME 309, SME 3125, Spiral Groove Centroid, no longer available. (Vol.42 No.6 WWW), Auditorium 23 103: $995 $$$ The Outer Limit was "a pain to center." (Vol.19 No.2), Keith Monks Audio Works Mk.VII Omni record-cleaning machine: $6995 Save for their ca-$45,000 Naiad, the newly revised Planar 10 represents the pinnacle of Rega's high-tech and extremely well-thought-out minimalism. His verdict: "Despite its modest appearance and wall-wart power supply, Sentec's EQ11 offers respectable measured performance to accompany its flexibility of equalization." But at its best in Brian Damkroger's system, the "trivially easy to use" Little Loco provided "a completely new amount and level of detail," and on the test bench it coaxed JA into declaring, "This is a very linear circuit." D'Agostino Momentum Phono, EAR Acute Classic, Luxman EQ-500, Music First Audio MC Step Up 632, not auditioned in a long time. Like the Miyajima Madake moving-coil cartridge (see elsewhere in this edition of "Recommended Components"), the Madake Snakewood has a cantilever made in part from a strain of bamboo that grows only in the mountains surrounding Kyoto, Japan. Like Rega's previous flagship cartridge, the Apheta, which endures in the line, their new Aphelion is a moving-coil that dispenses with suspension dampers and a tie wire. MF found the sound of the new P10 to be "fast, tight, well-defined, tuneful, and exciting on the bottom," adding that "anyone who thinks a lightweight 'table can't produce deep, tuneful, and well-sculpted bass should listen to the P10." (Vol.44 No.1 WWW), DS Audio DS-E1 optical cartridge and equalizer: $2750 Though it sacrificed timbral neutrality, imbuing well-recorded voices with "some mid-to-upper-mid bumps and dips," the 997 impressed AD with its ability to convey the inherent tension of recorded music. This cartridge gets more of that correct than any other cartridge I've heard." WebStereophile Recommended Component 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 Denon DL-A100 (DL-103 Reference) phono cartridge 0.3mV Code: DENONDLA100 $530.00 Product Info DENON 100TH ANNIVERSARY DL-A100 (DLA100_) PHONO CARTRIDGE - LOW OUTPUT MOVING COIL DL-103 (DL103) REFERENCE - Stereophile Recommended Component not only makes the records of the past sound good, it makes them sound the way your brain knows they're supposed to sound." Thus connected, these four high-tech boxes know what has happened and behave accordinglybut while "the four-box version was even more dynamic" and possessed of "a more relaxed and supple midrange," Mikey could not countenance a $96,000 phono preamp. KM's go-to cartridge. Output and impedance are both low0.35mV and 2.5 ohms, respectivelyand the hyperelliptical stylus tracks at 2.02.2gm. Musical Surroundings Nova III: $1,500. The . He then bought his review sample. Ive had my eye on a Rotel CD 11 Tribute. Its body is made from an alloy of aluminum, magnesium, and silicon, plated first in nickel and then in chrome. (Vol.41 No.4), Miyajima Labs Madake: $5895 (Vol.42 No.10), Heed Audio Quasar: $1300 . Although AMG is headquartered in Germany, their Teatro moving-coil cartridge is a true international effort. Designed to take full advantage of the Pure Vinyl app's digital RIAA correction, the beautifully built Seta Model L includes balanced and single-ended inputs, balanced unequalized outputs, variable gain, and a built-in, rechargeable battery power supply. . Expensive, but nonetheless highly recommendable. Every day I thought, This cartridge could compete with any cartridge at any price." Pertinent specs: The Master 1 weighs 8.1gm, sports a MicroRidge stylus on a sapphire cantilever, and requires a downforce of 1.61.8gm. This large-handled brush has soft bristles of both natural hairs and conductive synthetic fibers, and makes dusting LPs nearly foolproof. AD observed that the new machine's vacuum-drying function was slower than that of its predecessors, but no less effectiveand surprisingly quiet. Improvements, in the interim, to his system and a better listening room left JCA "better prepared to hear and describe" the Xpression, which he now believes is "clearly and significantly better" than his own Ortofon 90th Anniversary SPU, with "less SPU-ish coloration" and "none of the attenuation of high frequencies that I [hear] from classic SPUs, but no extra tizz, either." The Little Loco, a solid-state phono pre with 46dB of gain, is designed for moving-coil cartridges only, and even then not every make or model of cartridge will lock in with it. After using the Audio-Technica to play his favorite LP of the Brahms Clarinet Quintet, he wrote, "I expected a better sense of touch from the strings, and that I heard. Legato phrases were more sosomething as easy to enjoy as to hear." The P1 did, and gave me an exciting and fully pleasurable sonic ride every time." Deletions It's as much reliable test instrument as supreme carrier of unassuming musical pleasure." The Rek-O-Kut Stylus Force Gauge is a big, easy-to-use balance beam that comes with a total of 5.75gm in plastic weights, for use in various combinations. It has a high impedance of 24 ohms, a high output of 1.05mV, and a moderate recommended downforce of 2.5gm. FK was stunned: The Vinyl Cleaner not only thoroughly cleaned his LPs, it significantly improved their sound, revealing nuances long hidden in the grooves. There are maybe half a dozen newish models. Affordable moving magnet cartridge with user-replaceable elliptical diamond stylus. (Vol.39 .Nos.9 & 12 WWW), Rega Aphelion 2 MC cartridge: $4995 And finally, on the subject of MM/MC carts, I think it's fair to say (as correctly reflected in its rating here) that the Phono Box gives a solid platform to MC carts but really excels with MM/MIs. Try it with a London Decca! Harbeth P3ESR XD and 40th Anniversary editions: Identical? Designed and made in Idaho by woodworker-machinist Chris Harban, the Woodsong plinth is crafted from Baltic-birch plywood, Panzerholz, and manmade slate, and its internal surfaces are shaped in such a way as to leave very little room between plinth and the turntable's below-deck working bits. Although equipped with the usual two pairs of output pins, the Epoch Mono has only one pair of coils (the stereo version has two pairs), configured to respond to only the horizontal modulations of a single-channel groove. Used with Rega's flagship RP10 turntable and companion RB2000 tonearm (see elsewhere in Recommended Components), the Aphelion provided a quality of playback that was "seat-of-the-pants exciting," but was also lacking in warmth. The Bergmann Odin is an air-bearing, linear-tracking tonearm in the mold of the Eminent Technology Tonearm 2, of the late 1980s.
The 11" version costs $6000. In August 2018, MF wrote about his experiences with a double P1/X1 combosomething that seems to have been done by more than one hobbyist of immodest means. In 2015, Audiodesksysteme's US distributor, Ultra Systems, introduced two accessories: the A-Ring adapters allow 7" and 10" records to be washed in the Vinyl Cleaner ($125 for the two-Ring set). For cartridges designed to play at downforces of 3.5gm or more, the Rek-O-Kut is "a good, cheap solution," said AD. At present, the least expensive LP12 package is the Majik LP12 ($4320): standard subchassis, wood-composite armboard, single-speed power supply, Pro-Ject 9cc tonearm, and a Linn Adikt moving-magnet cartridge. sound compressed." Designed to sit in a sink, the "rudimentary but ingenious" G.E.M. Designer John Curl favored purity over adjustability, offering minimal loading options: 100 ohms or 47k ohms for moving-coil cartridges and 47k ohms for moving-magnet cartridges. The low-compliance Fuuga retains the semicylindrical body of the best-known Miyabi models but exchanges their trademark alnico magnets for neodymium types. But the PU7 distinguished itself as "a fine tracker, and feels as if it has bearings of . . But his most lavish praise was for the Maroon's forcefulness: in his view, compared to the exceptionally dynamic Maroon, "most moving-coil cartridges . Affordable moving-magnet cartridge with user-replaceable elliptical diamond stylus. everything except a video camera for backing it out of the driveway. We are intimately familiar with these relationships and can help you to choose the most holistic pairing of Phono Cartridge and Phono Stage choosing from brands like Miyajima, Lyra, Mysoniclabs, Koetsu, Ortofon ,HANA, AMG, and others. The Kuzma matched the Graham Phantom II Supreme's detail retrieval and neutrality but offered greater speed and coherence, said MF. . . AD described the Maroon as having an "illuminated" midrange and a "dry and tight" bass range. Used with its optional X1 outboard power supply ($17,000), the P1 provided Mikey with tonal neutrality and an ultra-low noise floor: "Some products have me up all night, pulling out record after record; some don't. All of it drew me in and held me close to the music." MF found that electric bass sounded slightly soft, but the Phasemation did everything well enough to make it an easy and enthusiastic recommendation for classical and jazz lovers. For special systems only, as it is a complete pickup head, not just a cartridge. MF bought the review sample but the sound continued to change, finally settling in with a "shelved" quality in the upper octaves that worked for some recordings but not others. His conclusion: "The Fuuga is, without a doubt, among the handful of highest-performing, most-enjoyable cartridges I have heard." There is one recommended in the integrated amps category: https://www.stereophile.com/content/quad-artera-solus-integrated-amplifiercd-player. This solid-state, dual-mono phono preamp, supplied in two chassisone for the audio circuitry, one for the power supplyhas separate RCA input jacks for MC and MM cartridges, and separate output jacks, also RCAs, for low and high output levels. If you want to know what the idler-wheel fuss is all about, this may be the easiest and most affordable way to find out," AD concluded. The new rubber suspension compound is based on a multiwall carbon nanotube nano filler compound for which Ortofon claims "desirable mechanical properties" as well as greater environmentally friendly production characteristics. Controls are minimal, with no provisions for varying the 400-ohm load of the MC inputsalthough, as MF observed, that figure is "a good compromise for cartridges with internal impedances of about 40 ohms or less." The high-mass, low-output X-quisite features a unique, patented "monobloc" transducer element consisting of a one-piece, high-strength ceramic cantilever and a square coil body that eliminates the joint almost always found in cartridges using aluminum, boron, sapphire, or diamond cantilevers. (Vol.41 No.10 WWW), Sentec EQ11: $2500 Specs include a 0.4mV output and a recommended downforce of 34gm (Mikey had good results at 3.5gm).
High CLass B, he summed up. (Low Out is recommended for older amps, High Out for more modern designs.) Sorane ZA-12: $2500 $$$ Decades after the first Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab record comes the first MoFi record playerthe UltraDeck turntable with Ultra tonearm, both made in the US and created with design input from Spiral Groove's Allen Perkins. AD is not a fan, however, though he does admit that LAST, if used correctly, does no harm. (Vol.31 No.7, Vol.34 No.12, Vol.40 No.2 WWW), Ortofon 2M Red: $99 $$$ With a Grado Aeon3 phono cartridge, the J.Sikora sounded conspicuously unmechanical, unnervingly dark, superquiet, noticeably dynamic, and unbelievably microdetailed, wrote HR. Compared to the Music First step-up trannie, the MC16 sounded more open, transparent, extended, and three-dimensional, said MF. "The EMT remains the best-sounding tonearm I have used . (Vol.40 No.2 WWW), Lyra SPT: $60/1.5ml bottle Above all, the Simplicity II's build quality impressed AD, who called it "the most well-made tonearm" he has used. (A belt-drive option is available.) (Vol.17 No.5), LAST Record Preservative, with applicators: $55/2-oz bottle Reporting from his test bench, JA wrote that the Stellar Phono is "among the quietest phono preamps" he has encountered, though he felt best results will be had via the lowest practical gain setting. MF observed that, when used with the TechDAS Air Force Two turntable, the Phantom Elite had good texture, but not the same degree of weight as the more expensive Swedish Audio Technologies arm.
The Hommage T1 provided more timbral color, more shimmer, and a larger overall sound than did Bob Sattin's CineMag 3440A device, found AD. The plug'n'play RP1 (for Rega Planar One) replaces Rega's popular P1. This Japanese manufacturer's top-of-the-line, low-output moving coil cartridge features an Ogura line-contact stylus mounted to a boron cantilever. Based on the original, stereo version of Grado's Lineage Epoch (see elsewhere in "Recommended Components"), the Epoch Mono is a moving-iron cartridge built into a bulky body carved from cocobolo, a dense tonewood.
Rega's new Planar 3 is exceptional at doing just that." The SPU Wood A offers tremendous bang for the buck. (Vol.44 No.5 WWW), Sculpture A.3l: $1955 The Audio Additives comes in a nice black box and includes two AAA batteries and a 5gm calibration weight. Though "not nearly as convenient or as efficacious as a vacuum cleaning system," the Spin Clean Record Washing System "got the job done," said Mikey. Said features include an air-bearing platter and vacuum record clamping alongside an inboard AC motor, a robust machined-aluminum chassis, and fittings for mounting up to four tonearms. What set the EQ11 apart from other such MM-appropriate preamps are five additional, switch-selectable EQ curves for the most common types of vintage record, including those for early Columbia LPs and Decca (and other) 78s. (Vol.33 No.12), Rega RB808 spacer, 2mm: $39
Recommended tracking force is 2gm. Like the standard Hana SL, the Hana SL Mono is a low-output (0.5mV), highish-impedance (30 ohms) moving coil cartridge with an alnico magnet, an aluminum cantilever, and a nude Shibata stylus.
The 5T, mounted on the Reed Muse 1c turntable and fitted with an Ortofon MC Century cartridge, sounded "wonderful," said MF, and "excelled in soundstage stability and expansiveness, all across the record surface." Writing in the December 2016 Stereophile, AD preferred the spherical-tipped version"[it's] every inch an SPU"but by a smaller margin than he expected.
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stereophile recommended phono cartridges