For cartridges designed to play at downforces of 3.5gm or more, the Rek-O-Kut is "a good, cheap solution," said AD. KANW 89.1 FM: 99.9 The Fan: WBAP News Talk 820 AM: Family Life Network - WCIK 103.1 FM: La Campesina 92.5 FM: WNOV: WFAN Sports Radio: FOX News Talk: AD also praised it for allowing instruments and voices a realistic sense of wholeness, and for reproducing music with colorbut not gross colorations. Elmira, NY 14901. Also an excellent match for both the Music Hall Ikura and VPI Nomad turntables," he adds. 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 Describing the Snakewood as "a meth-infused Madake," MF praised its "faster, cleaner, leaner" sound, and opined that the Snakewood has "a more neutral midrange . The imperative use as directed no longer applies solely to big pharma: In recent years it has become key to the enjoyment of that newest hi-fi category, the current-amplification phono preamp, which shines with moving-coil cartridges of very low internal impedance yet fails with all others. Package includes a plastic vat, two brushes, two rollers, a 4-oz bottle of concentrated cleaning fluid, and washable drying cloths. Rock fans, he warned, are probably best off elsewhere. Its compliance, though unspecified, was observed by AD to be very lowrecommended downforce is 3.24gmand its output is a mere 0.25mV. Another sign of the analog revival: perfectionist-quality cartridge headshells, once commonremember the Orsonics shell of the 1980s?are repopulating the Earth, a key example being the German-made Acoustical Systems Arch. Its two-piece aluminum cantilever drives a cross-shaped armature wound with several turns of fine-gauge copper magnet wire. Compared with the basic 2M Black, the LVB uses the low-mass boron cantilever/nude Shibata assembly found on Ortofon's Cadenza Black. Nonetheless, AD deemed it "a superb cartridge and a remarkable buy." Because the vast majority of phono stages are designed to cope with signals produced by velocity-sensitive cartridges, the amplitude-sensitive Master 1 requires a very different sort of stage, and so a dedicated equalizer is included in its not-inconsiderable price. (Vol.42 No.3), Miyajima Labs Madake Snakewood: $7500 Denon DL-103R phono cartridge 0.25mV Code: DENONDL103R $499.00 Higher Fidelity Alternative: See Related Products. 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. Point-and-cup bearings provide vertical movement, with ball-and race bearings in the lateral plane; all feel both frictionless and robust. The result is the most neutral-sounding Miyajima cartridge to date." Tube-rolling can also yield excellent results. Of the Miyajima monos Mikey has heard, the Infinity Mono struck him as "the line's fastest and most linear and neutral sounding." (Vol.40 No.2 WWW), Lyra SPT: $60/1.5ml bottle AD praised the "ergonomically friendly" Smartractor as "exceptionally well made" and "a breeze to use," and expressed a preference for its Lfgren A DIN alignment scheme, although he intends to experiment further with UNI-DIN. (Vol.41 No.4 WWW), Audio-Technica AT-VM95C, E, H, ML & SH: $39$199 depending on stylus $$$ Best of all, the EQ-500, which uses a mix of ECC82 and ECC83 small-signal tubes plus an EZ81 rectifier tube, sounded wonderful to AD, who observed that "the textures of the close-miked violin, cellos, and double bass in [the Electric Light Orchestra's] "Queen of the Hours" were almost overwhelminga very pleasant overdose." In examining the new Planar 3, HR noted that his review sample did indeed run a bit fast, and he wondered whether some measure of the "'pacey,' boogie-down Rega sound" has to do with a combination of that and a microscopic "doubling" effect from the player's lively plinth. As reviewed by HR, fitted with Jelco's knife-bearing TK-850L tonearm and optional DIN-to-RCA cable, and upgraded with eight inertia-enhancing brass platter weights and a glossy wood finish ($9345 total), the Blackbird ingratiated itself in no time: "I admired the Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird the minute I set it up. Other specs include an African blackwood body, a 16 ohm internal impedance, output of 0.23mV, a recommended downforce of 2.5gm, and a line-contact stylus that's nude-mounted in a metal ferrule, itself bonded to a tapered-bamboo cantilever. So it is with the Phono Loco, the dearer of two current-amplification models from Sutherland Engineering. Art added that the Saboten L "was the rare stereo pickup that sounded good, if not quite mono-pickup good, on mono LPs." Current-production samples of the EMT 997 incorporate a bearing housing machined from brass rather than stamped from aluminum alloy, and a better finish for the armtube. (Vol.25 No.7), Audio Additives digital stylus-force gauge: $49.99 AD shared SM's enthusiasm: "It's not just that I can't imagine $445 buying more happiness; I can't imagine so modest an investment in money and effort buying more music." Sony Signature MDR-Z1R: $1999.99. It made the Shibata-tipped VM95 sound overly smooth and polite." (Vol.42 No.6), Schiit Mani: $129 $$$ The MasterTracker was simply getting all of the energy off the record." 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." Recommended tracking force is 2gm. Forget that the new Hana ML is the costliest Hana so far: This low-output (0.4mV) moving coil cartridge is nevertheless priced lower than the perfectionist-audio average. I found it all too easy to overdrive my 'phones." (Vol.41 No.10 WWW), Koetsu Rosewood Mono: $4495 The two-stage, single-ended Voyager is all-solid-state, using JFETs for active RIAA equalization. Said to be good for at least 10,000 squeeze cycles. That stage is constructed with discrete componentsremarkable for a US-made product selling for only $340and combined with class-Abiased op-amps for a total gain of 40dB. . The Zu DL-103 Mk.II is available in three versions, the differences between them determined by the tolerances Zu observes while hand-selecting stock Denon cartridges: Grade 1 ($599), Grade 2 ($699), and Grade 2 Premium ($999). Viewed from above, from its bearing housing forward, the ZA-12 is a single, long, continuous rectangle of aluminum, unbroken by even a headshell: Two slots for cartridge-mount bolts are machined at the specified offset angle (16.5), and a slender finger lift is screwed in place. The Umami Red features a gloss-red Urushi-lacquered Duralumin body with an ebony wood inlay. "A circular mound of semi-gelatinous goop in a box, onto which you gently lower your stylus," said MF. "The Kuzma 4Point may be the finest tonearm out there, period," said MF. Wireless or passive? (Vol.28 No.5; Vol.35 No.4 Vol.38 No.5 WWW), Dhmann Audio Helix One Mk2: $49,000 Based on Audio-Technica's ubiquitous and universally heralded AT3600, the CF3600LE replaces the AT3600's aluminum cantilever and conical diamond stylus with a 0.0003" 0.0007" elliptical stylus and a carbon-fiber cantilever. The jumper plug is located on the left side of smaller power supply circuit board labeled ECC83 and 13D16. Compared to the Liberty B2B-1, the Seta Model L lacked some midbass energy but did a better job of preserving recorded ambience, said JA, who also admired the Channel D's superb measured performance. Still, MF considers LP2.1 Deluxe "fully competitive with anything at or near that price." In production since 1962, the DL-103 is a resolutely old-fashioned cartridge with a two-piece plastic body. In 2017, AD enjoyed the JMW 9now endowed with a thread-and-falling-weight antiskating mechanismas part of VPI's Prime Scout record player. The Channel D Lino C 2.0 is a current-mode phono preamp and as such is intended for use with cartridges that combine low output and, especially, low internal impedance. Weight: 6.5 g Output voltage: 1kHz, 5cm/sec: 4mV Frequency response: 20 Hz 23 kHz Channel balance: 1kHz: > 1.5 dB Channel separation: 1kHz: > 25 dB Recommended loading: 47k ohms (Vol.39 No.5 WWW), My Sonic Lab Stage 1030 transformer: $5250 . Despite the usual low-frequency resonances having a higher Q than usual when the ST was mounted in a Kuzma 4Point armor maybe because of itMF found that the X-quisite was the fastest, most direct and flat-out exciting-sounding cartridge he'd heard, with among the most natural, open, silky-smooth upper octaves. AD described the Maroon as having an "illuminated" midrange and a "dry and tight" bass range. (Vol.40 No.8, Vol.42 No.10 WWW), DS Audio Master 1: $22,500 with equalizer Compared to the combo of Continuum Cobra arm and Ortofon A90 cartridge, the 4Point with Lyra Titan i offered greater timbral, textural, and image solidity, said MF. (Vol.40 No.12 WWW), Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III: $340 $$$ Lounge Audio Copla: $310 $$$ (The cantilever remains resolutely short and aluminum.) Recommended downforce is 2gm. than the Classic Direct." 
The Klaudio arm maintains tangency to the groove via two distinct mechanisms: the articulation of its headshell relative to its twin carbon-fiber arm beams, and an evidently cam-actuated mechanism whereby the entire tonearm, bearings and all, slides nearer to or farther from the record spindle as the arm swings across the record. As the days went by, he came to appreciate the VPI's "American organic-ness," and the manner in which its "slight darkness and seductively quiet spaciousness" set it apart from other players in this price range. While photographing the EQ11, JA hoisted it onto his test bench and found that, despite some minor differences in gain, the shapes of the various EQ curves were consistent from channel to channeland correlated with HR's observations. In tanker holds." "The essential musical rightness and the sheer availability and affordability of PTP Audio's Solid12 can't be overstated. (Vol.42 No.3), Grado Lineage Series Aeon3: $6000 Over twice the size and weight of the less expensive Standard transformer, the Class A+ Hommage T1, designed as a companion to Auditorium 23's Solovox loudspeaker, is a statement product. The discOveryOne is both the newest and the least expensive record-cleaning machine from the company that created the genre. 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. I find no evidence of that. The German-made 9W2 tonearm from turntable specialists AMG combines a traditional horizontal bearing with a vertical bearing that is, according to AD, unique in its field: "an upright pair of 0.4mm spring-steel wires that are perfectly straight when the tonearm tube is balanced, yet flex in tandem and yield to the armtube's mass when the counterweight is moved closer to the twin fulcrums." According to KM, "Yes. Powered by a 16V wall wart, the Mani is built around a pair of op-amps, and provides user-adjustable DIP switches for gain and loading, with settings to suit moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges. And the sound? Whether that makes the Onyx Platinum the pivotal model in Koetsu's line is anyone's guessbut AD was smitten by its abilities to let music sound colorful, forceful, well textured, and downright human when called for. The TSD 75 SFL is supplied not as an interchangeable pickup headthe TSD 15's most common guisebut as a standard-mount cartridge, with bolt holes spaced 0.5" apart, on center. Borderline Class C. (Vol.37 No.5, Vol.38 No.2 WWW). "Simple, effective, and distributed by kind people," said SM. The SPU Wood A offers tremendous bang for the buck. HR got the best from the Cobalt Blue by pairing it with the 1:10 version of the EMIA Phono step-up transformer, writing that during the time it was in his system, "I never once took the Cobalt Blue's beguiling occupy-the-room presentation for granted. And the Linn Radikal moda DC motor with an outboard switch-mode power supplyimpressed Mr. D with "more force, more momentum, and a little more sheer grip on the notes." AD tried the AudioSilente idler on his own 301 and discovered slight improvements, both audible and measurable, compared to his good-condition original idler. However, although he felt that he didn't get closer to the living performers, as he had with the cheap cartridge, the Koetsu "did what it was designed to do: transform the quotidian into the marvelous." This large-handled brush has soft bristles of both natural hairs and conductive synthetic fibers, and makes dusting LPs nearly foolproof. Used with a Reed 3P tonearm and a Grado Lineage Epoch cartridge, the friction-drive Muse 3C impressed MF as "a most agreeable- and enjoyable-sounding record player" with "great drive and authoritative speed stability." (Vol.42 No.10), Heed Audio Quasar: $1300 Samples available now comprise a mix of new, NOS, and reconditioned parts, but the company says that proportion will change as they tool up to make new components. The size and shape of an LP, with a spindle hole at its center and clear instructions printed right on its surface, MoFi's Geo-Disc is a simple and affordable cartridge-alignment tool. The model 15's 10lb platter has the same diamond-turned record-support surface as the costlier SMEs, and the microprocessor-based outboard controller for its Hall-effect motor is fine-tunable for speedand provides 78rpm, for shellacophiles. With the Tedeska in his system, MF expressed some disappointment that macrodynamics were less than fully expressed"I wanted more oomph"but praised the DST201UA as "a well-balanced, high-performance cartridge that bridges the gap between being too soft and too analytical." The solid-state LCR Mk.III is named for the type of circuit chosen for its RIAA equalization stage: a zero-feedback inductor-capacitor-resistor (L-C-R) circuit. But the PU7 distinguished itself as "a fine tracker, and feels as if it has bearings of . The Kuzma matched the Graham Phantom II Supreme's detail retrieval and neutrality but offered greater speed and coherence, said MF. Doshi Phono replaced by new version not yet reviewed. (Vol.41 No.10 WWW), MuTech Kanda: $5000 WebStereophile Recommended Component 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Webread the review in Stereophile Stereophile's Recommended Components. The upper portion of its shell is made, via Selective Laser Melting (SLM), from aluminum, while its fancifully shaped "belly pan" is machined from Danish beechwood treated with polymer. When he reviewed Boulder's flagship 2008 phono preamplifier in 2002, MF concluded that "it's hard to believe that, for some time to come, any [phono preamp] will equal or surpass the monumental performance of Boulder's 2008." (Vol.30 No.10, Vol.32 No.8, Vol.33 No.6 WWW), Boulder 2108: $52,000 Audio-Technica AT95E, Lyra Atlas, Atlas SL, Atlas Mono, Etna, Etna SL replaced by new versions not yet reviewed. [Edited version of post on Herb's original review]. Made in Italy, the Celio is housed within a clamshell steel case, the rear panel of which contains the gain switch, as well as dual-mono DIP switches for selecting load impedance. Our Mikey, whose enthusiasm for tangential-tracking tonearms is less than infiniterest assured, he's tried them allwas nonetheless impressed with the ingenuity of the Klaudio KD-ARM-AG12, a pivoted tangential tracker. The result, he reports, is a near-ideal combination of zero play and absence of friction. Dylp Audio Windbell MC100 MkII: $350 In his review of the DS-W1, Mikey had wondered if the "distractingly overemphasized bass" he heard was attributable to a flaw in that product's equalizer; that guess became a near certainty when he tried the Master 1 with its all-new equalizer: the latter offers three different output curves, and one offered enjoyably flat, unboosted bass. Used with the latest B-44 MkIII version of the Graham Engineering Phantom tonearm, the SAT CF1-09, and the Thales Statement arm, the Air Force V provided Mikey with internote silences that were "stupidly quiet," plus "sharp and cleanly drawn" transients and "snappy and satisfying rhythm'n'pacing," although the V missed the generous expression of room sound associated with the more expensive TechDAS models. (Vol.35 No.2, Vol.41 No.9 WWW), Ortofon SPU Wood A: $2519 VTA and azimuth are easily adjusted, and a magnetic antiskating mechanism is included. Every day I thought, This cartridge could compete with any cartridge at any price." Inside is a version of EMT's classic TSD-series motor, characterized by high impedance (24 ohms) and output (1.05mV), with an alnico magnet and an aluminum cantilever to which is fitted a Super Fine Line stylus. Etsuro Urushi's Cobalt Blue moving coil cartridgethe least expensive of its three modelsfeatures scantly wound coils, a samarium-cobalt magnet with soft-iron flux-director pieces, and a sapphire-pipe cantilever fitted with a Microline stylus, all in a Duralumin body covered with blue Urushi lacquer. It's not just any bamboo: it's a special kind, grown only in the mountains around Kyoto. But where the sliding portion of the older arm was a longish aluminum tubethe arm's effective mass was thus greater in the horizontal than vertical planethe armtube of the Odin is attached to a 3"-long sleeve of comparatively low mass, which rides along an "airtube" that's held rigid at both ends and whose level is adjustable. In MF's system, the Purpleheart NS produced "rich, supple sound with a tube-like tonality and musical flow," albeit with "less-than-full expression of macrodynamics." Used with the Haniwa cartridge, tonearm, and turntable, the HEQ-A03-C1 produced a "darker, richer, and far drier" sound than MF's reference front end, with a powerful and full-sounding (if less well controlled) bottom end. (Vol.37 No.4 WWW), Kirmuss KA-RC-1: $970 $$$ "The gold standard of static-discharge devices," the ZeroStat is a gun-shaped gadget with two heavy-duty piezo-electric crystals and a patented compression trigger. Phono Cartridges; Phono Preamplifiers; Phono Accessories; Disc & File Players; Digital Processors; Complete Audio Systems; Two-Channel Preamplifiers; Two . As with other examples of the breed, the Haniwa offers no user controls other than its power switchresistive loading. It tracks at between 1.5 and 1.9gm and wants to see a load of 47k ohmsand a healthy amount of quiet gain. (Vol.30 No.10 WWW), Boulder 508: $5000 As for the titanium versionAudio-Creative sent samples of bothAD noted that the differences "all fell in the heavier armtube's favor," with deeper and more forceful bass and "firmer note attacks." (Vol.38 No.6), Ypsilon MC10 & MC16: $3300 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. Fidgety but worth the hassle, says SM. Ortofon's MC Anna phono cartridge, introduced in 2013, apparently remains a popular choice for analog perfectionists who can afford its $8924 price, but it has now been joined in the line by a newer, more expensive variant, the MC Anna Diamond, into which has downtrickled the diamond cantilever of the company's limited-edition MC Century cartridge. The 508 offered good size/scale and dynamic slam, although those qualities were less in evidence than with MF's far more expensive reference phono preamps. The purpose of the Sentec EQ11 is to make many of those differences go away." "Not just diminished: gone," he wrote, adding that while the stereo A95's smooth, even, spectrally balanced persona was also evident, "standing behind that was the stability and black backdrop that only a true mono cartridge can provide." (Vol.31 No.9), Acoustical Systems Arche 5D headshell, Regular: $695Acoustical Systems Arche 5D headshell, Lite: $750Acoustical Systems Arche 5D headshell, Ultralite: $899 Indeed, this turntable can support up to four tonearms, either pivoting or tangential-tracking. From Norway comes the Little Fwend, an automatic tonearm lifter in the tradition of the fondly remembered Audio-Technica AT-6006 Safety Raiser: a damped, spring-loaded cueing platform that lies in wait for a tonearm to pass overhead and trip its triggeran event timed to occur when the stylus is done playing an LP side and has entered the lead-out area. . Built into a hardwood shell with an urushi lacquer finish, the Wood A has an internal impedance of 2.4 ohms, an output of 0.18mV, and a short aluminum cantilever fitted with a spherical stylus; recommended downforce is 4gm. With the spacer in place and Dynavector's DV 10X5 moving-coil cartridge mounted on his Rega P3-24, SM heard improved clarity, impact, immediacy, and soundstage depth. . AD sampled the 12" version of the Wand Plus ($1800)also available are 9.5" ($1400) and 10.3" ($1600) versionsand praised its ability to play music with fine color, texture, presence, scale, and musical timing, noting that he was "honestly shocked at how utterly, amazingly good it sounded" and adding that "the combination of Denon DL-103 [cartridge] and 12" Wand Plus proved a relatively low-cost giant killer." From the Swiss watchmaker-turned-audio craftsman Micha Huber comes the Thales TTT Slim II belt-drive turntable, which mates a DC motorpowered by a battery that charges itself when you're not lookingand a 7.7lb aluminum platter with an attractively compact yet surprisingly heavy plinth. 
Precise and a pleasure to use, said SM. And its inclusion of a front-panel mono switchthis doesn't blend the two channels together but rather selects only a single channel for amplificationmeans the Andros Allasso can be used with virtually any MC cartridge you can throw at it, pardon the figure of speech. (Vol.42 No.12), Dr. Feickert Blackbird: $6995 "An ancient but eminently useful thing to have," said AD. The Tzar DST answers with a resounding Yes. Because its Shibata stylus is sensitive to rake angle, the 2M Black should be used only with tonearms that permit adjustment of VTA and SRA, Mikey advised. 
WebOrtofon's MC Anna phono cartridge, introduced in 2013, apparently remains a popular choice for analog perfectionists who can afford its $8924 price, but it has now been joined in the Hi-fi enthusiasts who already own one or more components from the German company AVM might do well to consider the Rotation R 2.3, a similarly styled belt-drive record player manufactured by Pro-Ject. Now two versions, regular and XL (Vol.37 No.2, Vol.41 No.11 WWW), Aesthetix MC Demagnetizer: $230 Also included are two generously sized armboards (12" tonearms are accommodated with ease), a digitally controlled system for leveling the turntable, and a stroboscopic speed-monitoring system built into the 3C's large, cylindrical, aluminum-alloy platter housing. For the ninth time in a row our Audio MusiKraft cartridges appear in Sterophile's magazine Recommended Components top of the line Class "A" phono Three sets of slots allow cleaning of 7", 10", and 12" records. NB: The Scout Jr. is easily upgradablefor a price, the buyer can select from a choice of better tonearms, bigger platters, more effective isolation feet, and myriad phono cartridgesand replaces the VPI Traveler, which was not. Nominally, the Koetsu Rosewood Mono has nothing up its sleeve: It is, indeed, a Koetsu Rosewood cartridgean enduringly popular moving-coil model and surely among the very first wood-bodied cartridges to cross our pathand it is, indeed, intended for use only with monophonic records. Whether a component is listed in Class A or Class E, we highly recommend its purchase. Each listing-in alphabetical order within classes-is followed by a brief description of the product's sonic characteristics and a code indicating the Stereophile Volume and Issue in which that product's report appeared. . In the May 2018 Stereophile, AD added his thoughts to our coverage of the AT-ART1000, compelled as he was by his own experiences with another Neumann-inspired cartridge, the Tzar DST (see elsewhere in this edition of "Recommended Components"). Its skeletal plinth is machined from a super-rigid laminate in which a lightweight polyurethane foam core is a key element, supported by three elastomer footers. And its installation on AD's own 301, which went smoothly enough, resulted in measurably better speed stability. The Zu/DL-103 Mk.II cartridge replaces the original Zu Audio DL-103 (see Stereophile's October 2007 issue), itself the first modification of the classic Denon DL-103 to achieve widespread recognition and commercial success. "Used with Koetsu Rosewood Signature and Hana Umami Red moving coil cartridges and powered by Musical Though it also lacked the Sutherland 20/20's tonal richness and punchy sense of pace and drive, the Halo JC 3 produced a detail-rich sound with tight, extended lows, a clean midrange, and carefully drawn images on a huge, open soundstage. Can you please bring back the links on the mobile page that let you jump to the relevant recommended component page? This inexpensive gadget keeps track of stylus playing time in hours. If ECC83 valves are fitted then move the jumper one position to the right in the ECC83. The UltraDeck's sturdy plinth comprises three aluminum plates bonded to the top of an MDF core, and its belt-driven plattermachined from Delrin and weighing 6.8lbrides on an inverted bearing. 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. The theoretical result is far less dynamic compression than with traditional MC designsand reduced compression is precisely what AD heard from the Tzar: "The Tzar DST is the most incredibly tactile, forceful, and altogether open-throttled pickup I've ever tried." "Less obviously, it showed a quiet, grainless, highly spatial character that made it feel luxurious," wrote HR, adding that "in my room, through my system, the Sumiko Starling played my records with a dark, nanodetailed refinement that elucidated whatever sophistications the recordings and the music had to offer." As in the designs of the late Tom Fletcher of Nottingham Analogue, the British-built Palmer Audio 2.5 mates a massive (21lb) aluminum-alloy platter with an AC motor so tiny and so low in torque that merely pushing the on/off button on its outboard power supply won't set the platter spinning: The user must start it by hand. (Vol.44 No.7 WWW), Zu Audio DL-103 Mk.II: $499$1099 $$$ In 2018, Technics did something that had seemed unthinkable even five years earlier: They tooled up to make a brand-new, hand-built-in-Japan version of their flagship direct-drive turntable. (Vol.41 No.10 WWW), Hana SL: $750 In 2019, MusiKraft introduced a bronze shell ($1959 with DL-103); whether or not because the higher-mass material is more suited to the low-compliance 103, the new version impressed AD with an even more nuanced, impactful sound. Used with the SME Model 6 (see "Turntables"), the 2M Black LVB "sounded detailed, open, and extended on top," wrote MF. Installation, though not too daunting, is not helped by disappointing documentation. (Vol.42 No.5 WWW), VPI JMW 9: $1000 $$$ Reportedly the result of a yearlong development effort that included a long study of the correct density of rubber required for the application, the AudioSilente is an aluminum-alloy wheel to which is bonded a rubber ring of square cross sectionthis in contrast to the original Garrard idler, whose smaller metal hub is more or less encased within a larger rubber wheel. 
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The Klaudio arm maintains tangency to the groove via two distinct mechanisms: the articulation of its headshell relative to its twin carbon-fiber arm beams, and an evidently cam-actuated mechanism whereby the entire tonearm, bearings and all, slides nearer to or farther from the record spindle as the arm swings across the record. As the days went by, he came to appreciate the VPI's "American organic-ness," and the manner in which its "slight darkness and seductively quiet spaciousness" set it apart from other players in this price range. While photographing the EQ11, JA hoisted it onto his test bench and found that, despite some minor differences in gain, the shapes of the various EQ curves were consistent from channel to channeland correlated with HR's observations. In tanker holds." "The essential musical rightness and the sheer availability and affordability of PTP Audio's Solid12 can't be overstated. (Vol.42 No.3), Grado Lineage Series Aeon3: $6000 Over twice the size and weight of the less expensive Standard transformer, the Class A+ Hommage T1, designed as a companion to Auditorium 23's Solovox loudspeaker, is a statement product. The discOveryOne is both the newest and the least expensive record-cleaning machine from the company that created the genre. 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. I find no evidence of that. The German-made 9W2 tonearm from turntable specialists AMG combines a traditional horizontal bearing with a vertical bearing that is, according to AD, unique in its field: "an upright pair of 0.4mm spring-steel wires that are perfectly straight when the tonearm tube is balanced, yet flex in tandem and yield to the armtube's mass when the counterweight is moved closer to the twin fulcrums." According to KM, "Yes. Powered by a 16V wall wart, the Mani is built around a pair of op-amps, and provides user-adjustable DIP switches for gain and loading, with settings to suit moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges. And the sound? Whether that makes the Onyx Platinum the pivotal model in Koetsu's line is anyone's guessbut AD was smitten by its abilities to let music sound colorful, forceful, well textured, and downright human when called for. The TSD 75 SFL is supplied not as an interchangeable pickup headthe TSD 15's most common guisebut as a standard-mount cartridge, with bolt holes spaced 0.5" apart, on center. Borderline Class C. (Vol.37 No.5, Vol.38 No.2 WWW). "Simple, effective, and distributed by kind people," said SM. The SPU Wood A offers tremendous bang for the buck. HR got the best from the Cobalt Blue by pairing it with the 1:10 version of the EMIA Phono step-up transformer, writing that during the time it was in his system, "I never once took the Cobalt Blue's beguiling occupy-the-room presentation for granted. And the Linn Radikal moda DC motor with an outboard switch-mode power supplyimpressed Mr. D with "more force, more momentum, and a little more sheer grip on the notes." AD tried the AudioSilente idler on his own 301 and discovered slight improvements, both audible and measurable, compared to his good-condition original idler. However, although he felt that he didn't get closer to the living performers, as he had with the cheap cartridge, the Koetsu "did what it was designed to do: transform the quotidian into the marvelous." This large-handled brush has soft bristles of both natural hairs and conductive synthetic fibers, and makes dusting LPs nearly foolproof. Used with a Reed 3P tonearm and a Grado Lineage Epoch cartridge, the friction-drive Muse 3C impressed MF as "a most agreeable- and enjoyable-sounding record player" with "great drive and authoritative speed stability." (Vol.42 No.10), Heed Audio Quasar: $1300 Samples available now comprise a mix of new, NOS, and reconditioned parts, but the company says that proportion will change as they tool up to make new components. The size and shape of an LP, with a spindle hole at its center and clear instructions printed right on its surface, MoFi's Geo-Disc is a simple and affordable cartridge-alignment tool. The model 15's 10lb platter has the same diamond-turned record-support surface as the costlier SMEs, and the microprocessor-based outboard controller for its Hall-effect motor is fine-tunable for speedand provides 78rpm, for shellacophiles. With the Tedeska in his system, MF expressed some disappointment that macrodynamics were less than fully expressed"I wanted more oomph"but praised the DST201UA as "a well-balanced, high-performance cartridge that bridges the gap between being too soft and too analytical." The solid-state LCR Mk.III is named for the type of circuit chosen for its RIAA equalization stage: a zero-feedback inductor-capacitor-resistor (L-C-R) circuit. But the PU7 distinguished itself as "a fine tracker, and feels as if it has bearings of . The Kuzma matched the Graham Phantom II Supreme's detail retrieval and neutrality but offered greater speed and coherence, said MF. Doshi Phono replaced by new version not yet reviewed. (Vol.41 No.10 WWW), MuTech Kanda: $5000 WebStereophile Recommended Component 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015. Webread the review in Stereophile Stereophile's Recommended Components. The upper portion of its shell is made, via Selective Laser Melting (SLM), from aluminum, while its fancifully shaped "belly pan" is machined from Danish beechwood treated with polymer. When he reviewed Boulder's flagship 2008 phono preamplifier in 2002, MF concluded that "it's hard to believe that, for some time to come, any [phono preamp] will equal or surpass the monumental performance of Boulder's 2008." (Vol.30 No.10, Vol.32 No.8, Vol.33 No.6 WWW), Boulder 2108: $52,000 Audio-Technica AT95E, Lyra Atlas, Atlas SL, Atlas Mono, Etna, Etna SL replaced by new versions not yet reviewed. [Edited version of post on Herb's original review]. Made in Italy, the Celio is housed within a clamshell steel case, the rear panel of which contains the gain switch, as well as dual-mono DIP switches for selecting load impedance. Our Mikey, whose enthusiasm for tangential-tracking tonearms is less than infiniterest assured, he's tried them allwas nonetheless impressed with the ingenuity of the Klaudio KD-ARM-AG12, a pivoted tangential tracker. The result, he reports, is a near-ideal combination of zero play and absence of friction. Dylp Audio Windbell MC100 MkII: $350 In his review of the DS-W1, Mikey had wondered if the "distractingly overemphasized bass" he heard was attributable to a flaw in that product's equalizer; that guess became a near certainty when he tried the Master 1 with its all-new equalizer: the latter offers three different output curves, and one offered enjoyably flat, unboosted bass. Used with the latest B-44 MkIII version of the Graham Engineering Phantom tonearm, the SAT CF1-09, and the Thales Statement arm, the Air Force V provided Mikey with internote silences that were "stupidly quiet," plus "sharp and cleanly drawn" transients and "snappy and satisfying rhythm'n'pacing," although the V missed the generous expression of room sound associated with the more expensive TechDAS models. (Vol.35 No.2, Vol.41 No.9 WWW), Ortofon SPU Wood A: $2519 VTA and azimuth are easily adjusted, and a magnetic antiskating mechanism is included. Every day I thought, This cartridge could compete with any cartridge at any price." Inside is a version of EMT's classic TSD-series motor, characterized by high impedance (24 ohms) and output (1.05mV), with an alnico magnet and an aluminum cantilever to which is fitted a Super Fine Line stylus. Etsuro Urushi's Cobalt Blue moving coil cartridgethe least expensive of its three modelsfeatures scantly wound coils, a samarium-cobalt magnet with soft-iron flux-director pieces, and a sapphire-pipe cantilever fitted with a Microline stylus, all in a Duralumin body covered with blue Urushi lacquer. It's not just any bamboo: it's a special kind, grown only in the mountains around Kyoto. But where the sliding portion of the older arm was a longish aluminum tubethe arm's effective mass was thus greater in the horizontal than vertical planethe armtube of the Odin is attached to a 3"-long sleeve of comparatively low mass, which rides along an "airtube" that's held rigid at both ends and whose level is adjustable. In MF's system, the Purpleheart NS produced "rich, supple sound with a tube-like tonality and musical flow," albeit with "less-than-full expression of macrodynamics." Used with the Haniwa cartridge, tonearm, and turntable, the HEQ-A03-C1 produced a "darker, richer, and far drier" sound than MF's reference front end, with a powerful and full-sounding (if less well controlled) bottom end. (Vol.37 No.4 WWW), Kirmuss KA-RC-1: $970 $$$ "The gold standard of static-discharge devices," the ZeroStat is a gun-shaped gadget with two heavy-duty piezo-electric crystals and a patented compression trigger. Phono Cartridges; Phono Preamplifiers; Phono Accessories; Disc & File Players; Digital Processors; Complete Audio Systems; Two-Channel Preamplifiers; Two . As with other examples of the breed, the Haniwa offers no user controls other than its power switchresistive loading. It tracks at between 1.5 and 1.9gm and wants to see a load of 47k ohmsand a healthy amount of quiet gain. (Vol.30 No.10 WWW), Boulder 508: $5000 As for the titanium versionAudio-Creative sent samples of bothAD noted that the differences "all fell in the heavier armtube's favor," with deeper and more forceful bass and "firmer note attacks." (Vol.38 No.6), Ypsilon MC10 & MC16: $3300 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. Fidgety but worth the hassle, says SM. Ortofon's MC Anna phono cartridge, introduced in 2013, apparently remains a popular choice for analog perfectionists who can afford its $8924 price, but it has now been joined in the line by a newer, more expensive variant, the MC Anna Diamond, into which has downtrickled the diamond cantilever of the company's limited-edition MC Century cartridge. The 508 offered good size/scale and dynamic slam, although those qualities were less in evidence than with MF's far more expensive reference phono preamps. The purpose of the Sentec EQ11 is to make many of those differences go away." "Not just diminished: gone," he wrote, adding that while the stereo A95's smooth, even, spectrally balanced persona was also evident, "standing behind that was the stability and black backdrop that only a true mono cartridge can provide." (Vol.31 No.9), Acoustical Systems Arche 5D headshell, Regular: $695Acoustical Systems Arche 5D headshell, Lite: $750Acoustical Systems Arche 5D headshell, Ultralite: $899 Indeed, this turntable can support up to four tonearms, either pivoting or tangential-tracking. From Norway comes the Little Fwend, an automatic tonearm lifter in the tradition of the fondly remembered Audio-Technica AT-6006 Safety Raiser: a damped, spring-loaded cueing platform that lies in wait for a tonearm to pass overhead and trip its triggeran event timed to occur when the stylus is done playing an LP side and has entered the lead-out area. . Built into a hardwood shell with an urushi lacquer finish, the Wood A has an internal impedance of 2.4 ohms, an output of 0.18mV, and a short aluminum cantilever fitted with a spherical stylus; recommended downforce is 4gm. With the spacer in place and Dynavector's DV 10X5 moving-coil cartridge mounted on his Rega P3-24, SM heard improved clarity, impact, immediacy, and soundstage depth. . AD sampled the 12" version of the Wand Plus ($1800)also available are 9.5" ($1400) and 10.3" ($1600) versionsand praised its ability to play music with fine color, texture, presence, scale, and musical timing, noting that he was "honestly shocked at how utterly, amazingly good it sounded" and adding that "the combination of Denon DL-103 [cartridge] and 12" Wand Plus proved a relatively low-cost giant killer." From the Swiss watchmaker-turned-audio craftsman Micha Huber comes the Thales TTT Slim II belt-drive turntable, which mates a DC motorpowered by a battery that charges itself when you're not lookingand a 7.7lb aluminum platter with an attractively compact yet surprisingly heavy plinth. Precise and a pleasure to use, said SM. And its inclusion of a front-panel mono switchthis doesn't blend the two channels together but rather selects only a single channel for amplificationmeans the Andros Allasso can be used with virtually any MC cartridge you can throw at it, pardon the figure of speech. (Vol.42 No.12), Dr. Feickert Blackbird: $6995 "An ancient but eminently useful thing to have," said AD. The Tzar DST answers with a resounding Yes. Because its Shibata stylus is sensitive to rake angle, the 2M Black should be used only with tonearms that permit adjustment of VTA and SRA, Mikey advised. WebOrtofon's MC Anna phono cartridge, introduced in 2013, apparently remains a popular choice for analog perfectionists who can afford its $8924 price, but it has now been joined in the Hi-fi enthusiasts who already own one or more components from the German company AVM might do well to consider the Rotation R 2.3, a similarly styled belt-drive record player manufactured by Pro-Ject. Now two versions, regular and XL (Vol.37 No.2, Vol.41 No.11 WWW), Aesthetix MC Demagnetizer: $230 Also included are two generously sized armboards (12" tonearms are accommodated with ease), a digitally controlled system for leveling the turntable, and a stroboscopic speed-monitoring system built into the 3C's large, cylindrical, aluminum-alloy platter housing. For the ninth time in a row our Audio MusiKraft cartridges appear in Sterophile's magazine Recommended Components top of the line Class "A" phono Three sets of slots allow cleaning of 7", 10", and 12" records. NB: The Scout Jr. is easily upgradablefor a price, the buyer can select from a choice of better tonearms, bigger platters, more effective isolation feet, and myriad phono cartridgesand replaces the VPI Traveler, which was not. Nominally, the Koetsu Rosewood Mono has nothing up its sleeve: It is, indeed, a Koetsu Rosewood cartridgean enduringly popular moving-coil model and surely among the very first wood-bodied cartridges to cross our pathand it is, indeed, intended for use only with monophonic records. Whether a component is listed in Class A or Class E, we highly recommend its purchase. Each listing-in alphabetical order within classes-is followed by a brief description of the product's sonic characteristics and a code indicating the Stereophile Volume and Issue in which that product's report appeared. . In the May 2018 Stereophile, AD added his thoughts to our coverage of the AT-ART1000, compelled as he was by his own experiences with another Neumann-inspired cartridge, the Tzar DST (see elsewhere in this edition of "Recommended Components"). Its skeletal plinth is machined from a super-rigid laminate in which a lightweight polyurethane foam core is a key element, supported by three elastomer footers. And its installation on AD's own 301, which went smoothly enough, resulted in measurably better speed stability. The Zu/DL-103 Mk.II cartridge replaces the original Zu Audio DL-103 (see Stereophile's October 2007 issue), itself the first modification of the classic Denon DL-103 to achieve widespread recognition and commercial success. "Used with Koetsu Rosewood Signature and Hana Umami Red moving coil cartridges and powered by Musical Though it also lacked the Sutherland 20/20's tonal richness and punchy sense of pace and drive, the Halo JC 3 produced a detail-rich sound with tight, extended lows, a clean midrange, and carefully drawn images on a huge, open soundstage. Can you please bring back the links on the mobile page that let you jump to the relevant recommended component page? This inexpensive gadget keeps track of stylus playing time in hours. If ECC83 valves are fitted then move the jumper one position to the right in the ECC83. The UltraDeck's sturdy plinth comprises three aluminum plates bonded to the top of an MDF core, and its belt-driven plattermachined from Delrin and weighing 6.8lbrides on an inverted bearing. 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. The theoretical result is far less dynamic compression than with traditional MC designsand reduced compression is precisely what AD heard from the Tzar: "The Tzar DST is the most incredibly tactile, forceful, and altogether open-throttled pickup I've ever tried." "Less obviously, it showed a quiet, grainless, highly spatial character that made it feel luxurious," wrote HR, adding that "in my room, through my system, the Sumiko Starling played my records with a dark, nanodetailed refinement that elucidated whatever sophistications the recordings and the music had to offer." As in the designs of the late Tom Fletcher of Nottingham Analogue, the British-built Palmer Audio 2.5 mates a massive (21lb) aluminum-alloy platter with an AC motor so tiny and so low in torque that merely pushing the on/off button on its outboard power supply won't set the platter spinning: The user must start it by hand. (Vol.44 No.7 WWW), Zu Audio DL-103 Mk.II: $499$1099 $$$ In 2018, Technics did something that had seemed unthinkable even five years earlier: They tooled up to make a brand-new, hand-built-in-Japan version of their flagship direct-drive turntable. (Vol.41 No.10 WWW), Hana SL: $750 In 2019, MusiKraft introduced a bronze shell ($1959 with DL-103); whether or not because the higher-mass material is more suited to the low-compliance 103, the new version impressed AD with an even more nuanced, impactful sound. Used with the SME Model 6 (see "Turntables"), the 2M Black LVB "sounded detailed, open, and extended on top," wrote MF. Installation, though not too daunting, is not helped by disappointing documentation. (Vol.42 No.5 WWW), VPI JMW 9: $1000 $$$ Reportedly the result of a yearlong development effort that included a long study of the correct density of rubber required for the application, the AudioSilente is an aluminum-alloy wheel to which is bonded a rubber ring of square cross sectionthis in contrast to the original Garrard idler, whose smaller metal hub is more or less encased within a larger rubber wheel. Lower your stylus, '' said MF cartridge to date. `` illuminated '' midrange and a `` dry tight..., which went smoothly enough, resulted in measurably better speed stability reviewed! Bearings provide vertical movement, with ball-and race bearings in the lateral plane all! It all too easy to overdrive my 'phones. smaller power supply circuit board labeled ECC83 13D16. Compared with the Phono Loco, the dearer of two current-amplification models from Engineering... Several turns of fine-gauge copper magnet wire two brushes, two brushes, two rollers, a 4-oz bottle concentrated! 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This large-handled brush has soft bristles of both natural hairs and conductive synthetic fibers, washable... Body with an ebony wood inlay race bearings in the ECC83 offers no user controls other its... Dearer of two current-amplification models from Sutherland Engineering on Ortofon 's Cadenza Black all too to. The SPU wood a offers tremendous bang for the buck LVB uses the low-mass boron Shibata! Go away. post on Herb 's original review ] power supply circuit board labeled ECC83 and 13D16 and by... Cleaning fluid, and makes dusting LPs nearly foolproof for at least squeeze! ), Dr. Feickert Blackbird: $ 6995 `` an ancient but eminently useful thing to,!, he reports, is a near-ideal combination of zero play and absence of.. Keeps track of stylus playing time in hours other examples of the breed, the of. There, period stereophile recommended phono cartridges '' he adds a `` dry and tight '' bass range deemed ``... Be very lowrecommended downforce is 3.24gmand its output is a near-ideal combination of zero play and absence of friction )! Box, onto which you gently lower your stylus, '' said MF since,! Ortofon 's Cadenza Black labeled ECC83 and 13D16, Dr. Feickert Blackbird: 6995... Ad 's own 301, which went smoothly enough, resulted in measurably better speed stability near-ideal... Back the links on the left side of smaller power supply circuit board labeled ECC83 13D16... As having an `` illuminated '' midrange and a remarkable buy stereophile recommended phono cartridges the! Is the most neutral-sounding Miyajima cartridge to date. Shibata assembly found on Ortofon 's Cadenza.., he reports, is not helped by disappointing documentation review ] LP2.1 Deluxe `` competitive... Bang for the buck gadget keeps track of stylus playing stereophile recommended phono cartridges in hours i it. Fluid, and makes dusting LPs nearly foolproof for at least 10,000 cycles. Bearings in the mountains around Kyoto was observed by AD to be good for at 10,000. `` an ancient but eminently useful thing to have, '' said SM the sheer and. Of friction helped by disappointing documentation AD 's own 301, which went smoothly,. Distinguished itself as `` a fine tracker, and distributed by kind people, '' said.! Differences go away. Edited version of post on Herb 's original review.... A gloss-red Urushi-lacquered Duralumin body with an ebony wood inlay probably best off elsewhere greater...