Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable.
Within each category, products are listed by class; within each class, they’re in alphabetical order, followed by their price, a review synopsis, and a note indicating the issues in which the review, and any subsequent follow-up reports, appeared. “Vol.45 No.6” indicates our June 2022 issue, for example. “WWW” means the review is also posted online.
Stereophile’s Recommended Components list is concerned mainly with products available in the US through hi-fi retail outlets. Companies that sell only through dealers must have well-established dealer networks. Products sold online also qualify, but companies that sell only online must demonstrate the capacity for satisfactory customer support, preferably here in the US. A no-risk at-home audition is strongly preferred whether it’s provided by an online or bricks’n’mortar dealer. Occasionally, we’ll list a product of exceptional value when a restocking fee is required for returns.
We recommend you read our Recommended Components synopses to decide which reviews to read, then read each product’s review carefully before seriously contemplating a purchase, as many salient characteristics, peculiarities, and caveats described in reviews cannot be covered in a circa 200-word synopsis.
Almost all reviews of current products are available online at stereophile.com. Back issues of the magazine can be ordered from the website. The editors regret that we cannot supply copies of individual reviews.
THE NUTS AND BOLTS
This listing was compiled after consultation with Stereophile’s reviewing staff and editors—including, notably, Technical Editor John Atkinson. Our ratings take into account what we heard during the review period but also our continued experience with the product (if we’ve had any) since the review was published. Post-review experiences may cause a product to be downgraded or removed.
Class ratings are based on performance—including performance in the listening room and on the test bench. Products are downrated when and to the extent that their deficiencies interfere with the full realization of the music and the pleasure of the listener (although obvious limitations, such as limited bass extension in a minimonitor, are understood and so not viewed as defects).
Measurements matter, but we do not expect every component to aspire to the best measurements possible; to do so would incentivize conformity, boredom, and metric-gaming, all of which we oppose. We do not expect our measurements of a traditional tube amplifier, for example, to resemble those of a perfectionist solid state design. Anyway, the reviewer’s musical experience is the most important factor.
Class ratings are based on performance, but different reviewers value different aspects of performance so it’s best not to expect thematic or methodological consistency. You’ll find hightech amplifiers with vanishingly low noise and distortion listed alongside old-school tube amps; what they share is a demonstrated ability to provoke musical bliss in their respective reviewers. Recommendations, then, are most useful to those who share, or at least are aware of, a specific reviewer’s tastes and proclivities and of the reviewing context.
The best use of this list, and of the reviews from which it is derived, is to help you decide what to audition. In today’s market, with fewer dealers, especially for high-end gear, you may need to travel to hear a component; that makes a resource like this more valuable than ever. Never turn down an opportunity to audition a component, especially if you can review it in your own system, because even the highest-quality component may not work optimally in your system and room. This is especially true of loudspeakers, but it’s true of other components, too.
The prices indicated were current when the listing was compiled (July 2022). Some prices are likely to rise in these inflationary times.
There is a near-universal consensus that at some point in the upward climb of product prices, diminishing returns set in: Doubling the price may get you only a 10%—or 5%—improvement (whatever that might mean). Where we have found a product to perform much better than might be expected at its price, we have drawn attention to it with a $$$ next to its listing. Otherwise, class ratings do not, as a matter of policy, take price into account.
We believe that value in hi-fi is precisely that—a value—which is to say, it’s personal. We can’t make that decision for you. Still, it’s fair to assume that every reviewer implicitly factors value into their opinions about products in their own particular way.
Products discontinued by their manufacturer are removed from the list, as are those that have been revised in ways that could affect performance. Such revisions often lead to a follow-up review, but not always. When a product is removed from the list, we endeavor to report why it was removed. Look for a Deletions listing at the end of each category.
Many products are deleted from the list while they’re still in production. That does not mean we’ve suddenly decided they’re unworthy or that they suddenly started sounding worse. Most products remain listed for just three years, for two reasons. The first reason is that there’s only so much space in the magazine. The second: It’s impossible to compare a component to others when your memory of it is dim.
When we have extra space, we use it to keep select products. We indicate with a star (★) products we have kept on this list for more than three years. Products part of a reviewer’s “kit” may be kept on the list indefinitely because the reviewer has recent edperience with the product, but a product may remain on the list simply at the editor’s discretion. On this list, I’ve retained some inexpensive turntables and phono cartridges, because I want the list to cover those areas well. I’ve also retained loudspeakers, including in Class A (Full-Range) because those entries take up little space.
Reviewers are identified by their initials:John Atkinson, Jim Austin (JCA), Rogier van Bakel (RvB), Brian Damkroger, Robert Deutsch, Art Dudley, Michael Fremer, Tom Gibbs, Larry Greenhill, Alex Halberstadt, Jon Iverson, Fred Kaplan, Michael Lavorgna, Eric Lichte, John Marks, Sasha Matson, Ken Micallef, Julie Mullins (JMu), Thomas J. Norton, Wes Phillips, Herb Reichert, Bob Reina (BJR), Kalman Rubinson, Rob Schryer, and Jason Victor Serinus.
HOW TO USE THE LISTING
The classes each cover a wide range of performance. Carefully read our descriptions here, the original reviews, and (heaven forbid) reviews in other magazines to put together a short list of components to choose from. Evaluate your room, your source material and front-end(s), your speakers, and your tastes. With luck, you may come up with a selection to audition at your favorite dealer(s). “Recommended Components” will not tell you what to buy any more than Consumer Reports would presume to tell you whom to marry!
CLASS A
Best attainable sound for a component of its kind, almost without practical considerations; “the least musical compromise.” A Class A system is one for which you don’t have to make a leap of faith to believe that you’re hearing the real thing. When SACD and hi-rez files became available, we introduced a new Class, A+, for the best performance in those digital categories. Class A now represents the best that can be obtained from the conventional 16/44.1 CD medium. We also created Class A+ categories for turntables and phono preamps, to recognize the achievements of the Continuum Caliburn and Boulder 2008, respectively.
CLASS B
The next best thing to the very best sound reproduction; Class B components generally cost less than those in Class A, but most Class B components are still quite expensive.
CLASS C
Somewhat lower-fi sound, but far more musically natural than average home component high fidelity; products in this class are of high quality but still affordable.
CLASS D
Satisfying musical sound, but these components are either of significantly lower fidelity than the best available, or exhibit major compromises in performance—limited dynamic range, for example. Bear in mind that appearance in Class D still means that we recommend this product—it’s possible to put together a musically satisfying system exclusively from Class D components.
TURNTABLES
A+
J.SIKORA REFERENCE: $47,000 W/O TONEARM
This Polish company’s top-of-the-line turntable is a nonsuspended, high-mass design, weighing 253lb. The dynamically and statically balanced platter alone weighs 40lb! Drive is with four square belts spun by four Papst DC motors. MF found that the plinth was immune to knuckle raps and motor start-up noises and wrote that the Reference was very quiet. He decided that this J.Sikora ’table had been superbly tuned to extract deep, well-controlled bass free of overhang or excess. The measured speed accuracy was impressive, as was its isolation from the outside world. Using J.Sikora’s own KV12 VTA tonearm ($8995) as well as SAT and Kuzma tonearms, MF couldn’t find fault with any aspect of the Reference’s sonic performance or its machining and physical presentation. He summed up: “For those willing to make the expenditure, add the J.Sikora Reference to the list of great mass-loaded turntables at this price.”(Vol.45 No.7 WWW)
OMA K3: $363,000 INCLUDING POWER SUPPLY AND K3 TONEARM
MF described this idiosyncratically styled, massive, and very expensive turntable as looking “somewhat like the Guggenheim Museum topped by a heliport and a construction crane.” Even so, he was impressed by its performance, with the 11.1" “aluminum girder” Schröder tonearm fitted with Ortofon Anna D, Lyra Etna λ Lambda SL, and Lyra Atlas λ Lambda SL phono cartridges. He described the K3’s sound as “fast, clean, detailed, highly resolving, super-transparent, effortlessly dynamic, and capable of producing unparalleled transient precision and depth-charge-deep bass ‘wallop’ that’s fully extended yet totally free from overhang.” He concluded, “As with any truly great audio product, regardless of price, the OMA K3 turntable speaks with a singular voice.” Offers 33 ⅓, 45, and 78rpm speeds. Dedicated stand costs $40,000. (Vol.44 No.10 WWW)
SAT XD1: €150,000 WITHOUT TONEARM
This extraordinary and extraordinarily expensive Swedish turntable begins life as a Technics SP-10R direct-drive motor system, which is stripped down to a handful of essential components, reimagined, reengineered, and rebuilt to much higher mechanical standards. Marc Gomez focused on isolation from external disturbances, speed stability, rigidity, and vacuum hold-down. There are “pods” for two armboards. The platter’s top layer is made from a “proprietary advanced technical polymer infused with carbon-fiber micro powder and UHM carbon nanotubes.” The XD1’s price includes a custom, low-profile, Minus K–based “negative stiffness” isolation platform, and the control electronics are housed in an outboard chassis machined from a single block of aluminum that sits on 10Hz-and-up isolation feet. The result, with SAT’s CF1-9Ti tonearm, was better than with MF’s long-term reference turntable, the Continuum Caliburn: “With the SAT ’table, every drum and bass element was in its place for the first time—ever. They were smaller, deeper, far more powerful, and controlled; the attack, sustain, and decay occurred on time. This allowed previously overwhelmed, blurred, and buried instruments to emerge in a clarified mix that produced greater musical excitement and zero listening fatigue.” MF concluded that the SAT XD1 with the CF1-09Ti tonearm (€76,000 when purchased with the turntable) was the best-sounding, best-engineered, best-built turntable he’s had in his system to date. (Vol.43 No.12 WWW)
TECHDAS AIR FORCE ONE PREMIUM: $172,000 WITH TITANIUM UPPER PLATTER
The standard version of the TechDAS Air Force One turntable was awarded an A+ and sat atop these ratings for six years. Now MF has auditioned the Premium version of same, which betters the original AFO with a motorized air pump and automatic, continuous pressure-monitoring system for its air suspension mechanism. MF’s review sample also featured an optional titanium upper platter. (Without the latter, the AFO Premium sells for $145,000.) Auditioned with a Graham Engineering Elite tonearm, the AFO Premium impressed MF with “its ultraquiet backgrounds, the generosity of its presentation of instrumental sustain and decay, its neutral spectral balance, and [its] dynamic presentation . . .. It’s as much reliable test instrument as supreme carrier of unassuming musical pleasure.” (Vol.43 No.2 WWW)
TECHDAS AIR FORCE ZERO: $550,000 WITH TUNGSTEN PLATTER, $500,000 WITH TITANIUM PLATTER
TechDAS founder Hideaki Nishikawa’s ultimate analog statement, the Air Force Zero is limited to a production run of just 40 units. Weighing 725.5lb with its ultraheavy main subchassis assembly, it combines rebuilt, new-old-stock, hightorque Papst motors driving multiple massive platters with a customized air-bearing spindle and flywheel. LPs are held in place with a vacuum hold-down system. Using SAT and Graham tonearms and his reference phono cartridges from Lyra and X-quisite, MF found that the Zero “let through each cartridge’s timbral and dynamic character while imparting its own unique and immediately recognizable weight, sledge hammer ‘slam,’ ultragenerous sustain and decay, and the blackest backgrounds I’ve heard a turntable produce. … no other turntable, or none that I’ve yet reviewed, so effectively sinks unwanted and extraneous noise while passing the musical goods with effortless ease, often in the most subtle and nuanced ways.” (Vol.44 No.9 WWW)
A
ACOUSTIC SIGNATURE MONTANA NEO: $33,995 WITHOUT TONEARM
Nonsuspended, mass-loaded, triple-belt–driven turntable with a constrained-layer–damped, 55lb aluminum-alloy chassis sitting on height-adjustable, gel-damped feet. The outboard power supply features a vibration-canceling system that combines hardware and software to control the three 24-pole, two-coil AC motors. Offers 33 ⅓ and 45rpm speeds. With the Montana NEO fitted with Acoustic Signature’s TA-7000 NEO 9" tonearm—see Tonearms—and an Ortofon A95 phono cartridge, MF found that with a 1980 orchestral LP, the timbral, spatial, and dynamic presentation was “warm and inviting and intensely three-dimensional.” He added that the “well-damped but not overdamped, fully controlled, supremely well-focused, rock-solid stable presentation produced a memorable 3D picture.” This was similar, he noted, to his impression of the A95’s sonic character; changing to an AudioQuest Etna λ Lambda SL produced “a more generous, rich, full midrange and midbass, a presentation that added spatial context and richness to vocals and acoustic instruments.” MF summed up the Montana NEO/TA-7000 NEO combo as “a neutral and revealing carrier.” (Vol.45 No.1 WWW)
AMG VIELLA FORTE ENGRAVED: $27,000 WITHOUT ARM, $34,000 WITH 12JT TONEARM
This massive turntable features an outboard, crystal-controlled power supply and a black-anodized aluminum two piece platter that weighs almost 31lb and has a weighted rim (producing a flywheel effect), a gently convex, inlaid-PVC top surface, and a decoupled spindle. The plinth weighs 50.7lb! According to MF, who auditioned the Forte Engraved with AMG’s 12JT tonearm (see “Tonearms”) and an Ortofon Anna Diamond cartridge, what makes this turntable so appealing is its midrange presentation, “which, though ever so slightly thick, is highly resolved and includes complete freedom from overhang.” He added that “the very bottom, too, while not the most fully extended, is completely free of muddy hangover.” He concluded that the Viella Forte “is among the best values in ‘top tier’ turntables. 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.” “Engraved” because of the elegant scrollwork on the plinth’s surface; the nonengraved version costs $2000 less. (Vol.43 No.9 WWW)
CLEARAUDIO REFERENCE JUBILEE: $30,000 INCL. TONEARM
A belt-drive design that uses a POM main platter sitting on a stainless steel subplatter flywheel, the boomerang-shaped Jubilee features a patented Ceramic Magnetic Bearing and a Panzerholz plinth. An updated 9" Clearaudio Universal tonearm is included in the price and features a carbon fiber armtube. Also included in the price are Clearaudio’s 1.6lb Statement Clamp, 1.5lb Outer Limit peripheral clamp and locator rim, and Professional Power 24V DC power supply. KM found that the turntable ran about 0.3% fast. He wrote that the Reference Jubilee’s sound combined vivid detail retrieval, forceful dynamics, a delicate, refined top end, and a translucent midrange. Levels of resolution, clarity, transparency, and trueness-to-source left him vinyl-shocked and thinking, “So that’s what’s on this recording?” He added that the Reference Jubilee, Universal Tonearm, and Jubilee MC cartridge “combined staggering detail, energy, and forward-flow allied to a 3D stage that was large, deep, and transparent. The music it made was profound and life-affirming.” (Vol.45 No.7 WWW)
DÖHMANN AUDIO HELIX ONE MK2: $53,000
Compared with the original Helix, which MF reviewed in Vol.40 No.3, the Helix One Mk2 has been redesigned, and it now incorporates Döhmann’s Minus K negative-stiffness isolation base. The outboard power supply is now installed in the “PowerBase” that the massive turntable chassis rests on. The review sample was supplied with the Thrax-manufactured Schröder CB 9" arm ($5500). The Mk2’s speed measurements were “somewhat disappointing” compared to the original Helix One’s, but MF didn’t notice any issues in his auditioning. While the Helix One Mk2 didn’t sound as smooth as the TechDAS Air Force One, MF found that “This turntable exudes complete authority and control, and never leaves you feeling that there’s more to be extracted from the grooves . . . or that anything is being withheld dynamically, spatially, or in terms of detail resolution.” Price is for black anodized finish; it’s higher in plated nickel and titanium. (Vol.43 No.4 WWW)
GARRARD 301: $23,500 (PLUS FREIGHT) WITH ARM AND PLINTH
Since 2011, when he began using a 1957 Garrard 301 as his reference turntable, AD has been looking for a way to sneak that product among this magazine’s Recommended Components. The Cadence Group, which owns SME, Spendor, and other British brands, has provided a means to do just that: In 2018, they added Garrard to their holdings, and in 2019 they reintroduced the 301 to the market. 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. Less than ideally, Garrard will sell a 301 only with their own plinth and with an SME M2-12R tonearm; fortunately, according to AD, that arm is itself recommendable. But the sound’s the thing, and in that regard, AD feels that Edmund W. Mortimer’s timeless high-torque turntable design remains the surest way to retrieve all of the touch, force, color, and momentum locked in the groove. (Vol.42 No.12 WWW)
J.SIKORA INITIAL: $9495 WITHOUT TONEARM
The least expensive in this Polish manufacturer’s line, the belt-drive Initial comes with a standalone power supply/controller and either a blank arm mount or a mount predrilled for Kuzma, Jelco, Ortofon, Origin Live, or SME tonearms. Price as reviewed was $11,053 with a glass platter mat ($259), a two-piece record weight ($799), and a Jelco TL-850M tonearm (though Jelco announced in May 2020 that it was ceasing production). The plinth is aluminum, the platter Delrin, and the DC motor is sourced from Papst. With a Grado Aeon3 phono cartridge, the J.Sikora sounded conspicuously unmechanical, unnervingly dark, superquiet, noticeably dynamic, and unbelievably microdetailed, wrote HR. “But, he added, “it also—strangely—sounded like nothing I’d heard before.” After trying several different cartridges, HR decided that “J.Sikora’s Initial gave me what I consider to be a majority portion of what the Porsche-Maserati turntables do at a Cadillac-Oldsmobile price.” (Vol.43 No.6 WWW)
LINN KLIMAX LP12: $30,120 INCL. TONEARM, MC PHONO CARTRIDGE, AND PHONO STAGE
The fully loaded review sample was fitted with the Karousel bearing, a NASA-grade Keel subchassis ($3705), and the optional fluted plinth ($220). Also included were Linn’s Ekstatik moving coil cartridge ($7150), Ekos Super Evolution (SE) tonearm ($5645), the machined-chassis version of the Radikal motor controller/power supply, and the Urika phono
stage ($10,400 for both). HR found that the Klimax LP12 was dramatically better-sounding than his vintage Sondek. It offered “conspicuously quiet (deep black) backgrounds” and tempo, focus, and immediacy that were “near-laboratory quality.” His conclusion was that the Linn Klimax record player “looks like a piece of heirloom furniture, is built to a very high standard of fit’n’finish, and is eternally upgradeable. Its substantial dealer base makes it easily and expertly serviceable in a way few other turntable brands can match. These facts alone make the Klimax worth its price.” (Vol.45 No.6 WWW)
KUZMA STABI R W/ONE ARM WING: $10,314 AND UP
According to its designer, Franc Kuzma, the new Stabi R turntable is essentially a scaled-down version of his upmarket Stabi M: same 8kg belt-driven platter, same two-speed (33 ⅓ and 45rpm) DC power supply, and same high-torque DC drive motor. The heavyweight (66lb in its most basic version) Stabi R is also available with a wood frame that adds $910 to the price (and another 13lb) and can be used with up to four tonearms. (Additional armboards are an extra-cost option.) Used with a Kuzma 4Point 11 tonearm ($6675 as supplied), the Stabi R wowed KM—whose reference turntable is the less expensive Kuzma Stabi S—with “its ability to communicate force at lower volumes, a kind of tranquil power.” Is the Stabi R worth four times the price of the Stabi S? According to KM, “Yes. No other turntable has created its level of stability, presence, resolution, and sheer physicality—not in my system.” Available in black or silver. Also see the entry for the Linn LP12 system in Class B (Vol.42 No.7 WWW)
REED MUSE 1C: $15,000 WITH FRICTION DRIVE AND BLACK FINISH
This dramatic- and attractive-looking Lithuanian-made turntable features a thin leather/suede platter mat and a twomotor drive system. An aluminum subplatter, machined with a tapered hub, is driven by two opposing phase-locked–loop DC motors that turn at slightly different speeds; the two motor pulleys are fitted with rubber/elastomer drive wheels of slightly different diameters. (A belt-drive option is available.) “Tapping anywhere on the plinth produced the tiniest of ‘tinks,’ with no low-frequency component and no overhanging sound,” according to MF. Reed’s 5T tonearm (see “Tonearms”) and an Ortofon MC Century cartridge “extracted musical fun from every record I played, plus a sense of ease and relaxation.” (Vol.43 No.6 WWW)
REGA PLANAR 10: $6345 WITHOUT CARTRIDGE
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. 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. The diamond-cut ceramic platter rests on a machined-aluminum subplatter, with upper and lower ceramic braces between the platter bearing and the tonearm mount, the latter home to a Rega RB3000 arm. 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. 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.43 No.3 WWW)
SME SYNERGY: $21,900 WITH SERIES IV TONEARM
In December of 2019, SME announced that they would no longer offer tonearms as standalone items and would instead sell them only when bundled with SME turntables; in retrospect, that sheds light on the May 2018 introduction of the Synergy, SME’s first-ever integrated record player. The Synergy combines a newly designed and relatively highmass belt-drive turntable—one whose vibration-isolation scheme eschews the O-ring suspension used in previous SME models—with a magnesium-tube tonearm, an Ortofon Windfeld Ti MC cartridge, and a built-in Nagra phono preamplifier. The Synergy offers 33 ⅓, 45, and 78rpm, all microfineadjustable via the ’table’s outboard power supply. Setting up the Synergy is relatively easy, as one might expect from an expensive turnkey player, but the “the Synergy is not exactly ‘plug’n’play,’” according to MF, who also praised the “soundstage three-dimensionality” and “complete freedom from mechanical artifacts” of this “very competent and fine SME player.” (Vol.42 No.11 WWW)
THORENS TD 124 DD: $11,999 WITH TP 124 TONEARM
The original TD 124 turntable from Swiss manufacturer Thorens, with its innovative drive mechanism that utilized both a belt and an idler wheel, was introduced in 1957. It became a classic and examples in good condition are much sought after. The current Thorens company, owned by former Denon manager and ELAC CEO Gunter Kürten, is based in Germany. Rather than manufacture an authentic reproduction of the 1957 TD 124, the TD 124 DD, available in a limited run of 500 units, is intended to maintain as much of the original as possible while updating its function in key areas. The biggest change is the use of a 12-pole direct drive motor. The TP 124 tonearm is also new. It features an internally damped aluminum armtube with a heavy brass counterweight to balance the 30gm weight of the Ortofon SPU 124 cartridge used by KM in his auditioning. (A second, lighter counterweight is included, along with a headshell, for use with more typical cartridges.) KM liked what he heard: The TD 124 DD “excelled at rhythmic punch and dynamics, producing music with vigor and drive. The ’table’s low noisefloor made for stark dynamic contrasts as music burst from the subtlest ppp to the boldest fff.” His conclusion? “The designers’ most heretical move—replacing the original 124’s peculiar drive system, which resulted in a turntable with fluidity and, well, drive—with direct drive has achieved an even more propulsive sound, with a somewhat larger soundstage and better dynamics.” (Vol.44 No.8 WWW)
B
AVM ROTATION R 2.3: $4995 WITH TONEARM
Hi-fi enthusiasts who already own one or more components from German company AVM might do well to consider the Rotation R 2.3, a similarly styled belt-drive record player manufactured by Pro-Ject. In addition to its aesthetic consistency with AVM’s electronics—most apparent in its sleek aluminum “cover frame” and the blue-LED illumination of its recessed acrylic platter—the Rotation offers an inboard DC motor, permanently lubricated bronze platter bearing, and a gimbaled tonearm with an “impressively massive” bearing yoke and a sliding–single-bolt headshell for good cartridge adjustability. MF observed “excellent speed consistency” and a “well enough controlled” bottom end, and although he heard a slight softening of transients, Mikey noted that “the R 2.3 produced a pleasingly uncolored sound” overall. (Vol.42 No.12, WWW)
CLEARAUDIO CONCEPT ACTIVE WOOD: $4300 WITH BLACK TONEARM & CONCEPT MM CARTRIDGE; $5200 W/CARBON FIBER TONEARM & CONCEPT MC CARTRIDGE
Nonsuspended, belt-drive turntable from Germany that is available in two versions with different tonearms and cartridges. Both versions include an integral MM/MC phono preamplifier, which can be bypassed, and a headphone output. KM auditioned both versions. The pricier Active Wood with the Satisfy CF tonearm and the Concept MC cartridge sounded “clear, dynamic, rhythmic, and transparent; the combo excelled at playing black discs with detail and quiet backgrounds, with a large soundstage populated with well-sized images,” he wrote. He found that what the less-expensive version gave up in transparency, refinement, and focus, “it gained in richness, warmth, and relaxation.” Though he felt the Clearaudio’s internal phono pre was outclassed by the tubed Tavish phono stage, it still “sounded quite good overall: palpable, solid, and upfront.” KM’s overall conclusion: “Its first-rate build quality and sound, and its ease of setup and versatility, make the Clearaudio Active Wood a solid choice for both turntable purists and enthusiasts.” (Vol.44 No.6 WWW)
DR. FEICKERT BLACKBIRD, STANDARD: $7495 ★
The standard Feickert Blackbird is a belt-driven turntable in which a Delrin platter is propelled by two (!) high-torque AC motors, with provisions for mounting two tonearms. Its plinth is an aluminum-MDF-aluminum sandwich done up in a black Nextel finish. 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. After a couple of weeks, I was ready to propose marriage.” As Herb describes it, “bass through the Feickert-Jelco combo was tighter and more vigorous” than with his AMG G9 player (see elsewhere in “Recommended Components”), and compared to even his Linn LP12, the Blackbird impressed him by re-creating musical momentum in a way that was “noticeably more visceral.” (Vol.41 No.12 WWW)
HANIWA PLAYER W/HTAM01 ARM: $15,000
The Player, which is made for Haniwa by German manufacturer Transrotor, is a compact but massive belt-drive design with a heavy aluminum platter topped with a butyl rubber Oyaide mat. Its companion tonearm is billed by Haniwa as their HTAM01 model, but MF recognized it as the ViV Laboratory Rigid Float tonearm, which he wrote about in the August 2014 Stereophile. The Haniwa/ViV tonearm is an odd duck, designed so that a cartridge mounted therein exhibits underhang instead of overhang, and with zero offset angle. MF praised the player’s ease of setup and high quality of construction and finish, but noted that, contrary to the claims made for it by Haniwa, it is not optimized for use with lowinternal-impedance cartridges and their companion current amplification phono preamps, and he dismissed the HTAM01 for design solutions that are “misguided and demonstrably ineffective.” (Vol.42 No.10 WWW)
LINN SONDEK LP12: $3000, TURNTABLE ONLY ★
Since 1972, Linn has devised and offered for their belt-drive, suspended-subchassis flagship all manner of upgrades; commendably, all have been retrofittable. Some standouts: The Lingo power-supply mod of 1990 minimizes the LP12’s propensity toward a slightly fat midbass and subjectively “adds an octave of low-bass extension,” according to JA. The Keel one-piece subchassis, tonearm board, and Linn-specific tonearm-mounting collar of 2006 makes “an unambiguous improvement in the LP12’s performance,” according to AD. And the Linn Radikal mod—a DC motor with an outboard switch-mode power supply—impressed Mr. D with “more force, more momentum, and a little more sheer grip on the notes.” 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. Experience leads us to expect high Class B performance—superbly low measured rumble, excellent speed stability, and very good musical involvement—from an entry-level LP12, while incarnations of the full-monty LP12 have delivered true Class A sound: See the LP12 Klimax entry in Class A. (Vol.7 No.2, Vol.13 No.3, Vol.14 No.1, Vol.16 No.12, Vol.17 No.5, Vol.19 No.2, Vol.26 No.11, Vol.28 No.2, Vol.30 No.10, Vol.34 No.6, Vol.39 No.6 WWW)
MARK LEVINSON NO5105: $6600; $7700 WITH ORTOFON QUINTET BLACK PHONO CARTRIDGE
Designed in collaboration with and sourced from a German manufacturer, this elegant-looking, high-mass (75lb), beltdrive turntable comes complete with a 10" tonearm that features a rigid, glossy, carbon-fiber tube. Michael Fremer found the No5105 easy to set up and use and, with a fast, detailed cartridge like the Ortofon Quintet Black, it produced sound that was rich, relaxed, generous, and typical of higher mass, damped-style turntables. (Vol.44 No.4 WWW)
MOFI ELECTRONICS ULTRADECK: $2499 WITH TONEARM ★
Decades after the first Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab record comes the first MoFi record player—the UltraDeck turntable with Ultra tonearm, both made in the US and created with design input from Spiral Groove’s Allen Perkins. The UltraDeck’s sturdy plinth comprises three aluminum plates bonded to the top of an MDF core, and its belt-driven platter—machined from Delrin and weighing 6.8lb—rides on an inverted bearing. Four height-adjustable feet, designed in collaboration with Harmonic Resolution Systems (HRS), support the plinth. The Ultra tonearm has a 10" aluminum armtube, Cardas wiring, and a gimbaled bearing. 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.” According to Herb, the MoFi combo “had stronger energy, achieved bigger dynamic swings, and was more detailed than comparatively priced ’tables from VPI and Rega.” (Vol.41 No.2 WWW)
MUSIC HALL STEALTH: $1649 WITH TONEARM AND CARTRIDGE
See Herb Reichert’s review elsewhere in this issue.
SME MODEL 6: $7995 W/SME M2-9 TONEARM
SME MODEL 6 CLASSIC: $9495 WITH SME M2-9-R TONEARM
SME’s least expensive turntable uses an outboard power supply and a chassis CNC-machined from what the company says is a “unique polymer high-density resin material,” claimed to have “superb resonance absorption.” It sits on four elastomer feet made from a vibration-absorbing compound, but as these aren’t height-adjustable, the user needs to make sure the turntable support is level. The belt-driven, 4lb platter appears to be machined from Delrin. The M2-9 tonearm—an MF favorite—can accommodate cartridges weighing 5–12gm, and azimuth, VTA, and SRA are all adjustable. As with all SME turntables, there’s no dustcover. While MF didn’t like the screw-down three-piece record clamp, he appreciated how the Model 6 performed with Ortofon Cadenza Black and 2M Black LVB phono cartridges. “The more I used it, the more I enjoyed its open, airy sound and its solid bottom end,” he concluded. The Classic version substitutes the M2-9-R for the straight-pipe M2-9 provided with the original Model 6, which has a curved stainless steel pipe terminating in SME’s familiar locking collet. (A headshell is provided, as well as an extra counterweight that can be threaded onto the arm’s rear shaft if needed.) (Vol.44 No.5, Vol.45 No.4 WWW)
THALES SLIM II TURNTABLE: $6750
From Swiss watchmaker–turned–audio craftsman Micha Huber comes the Thales TTT Slim II belt-drive turntable, which mates a DC motor—powered by a battery that charges itself when you’re not looking—and a 7.7lb aluminum platter with an attractively compact yet surprisingly heavy plinth. Combined with the Thales Simplicity II pivoting, tangential-tracking tonearm ($9450, or bundled with the TTT Slim II for $14,180), the Thales turntable lacked the last word in idler-drive-style impact, but it satisfied with its superb momentum and flow and its very good tactile qualities—not to mention its ease of setup and notably high build quality. (Vol.42 No.8 WWW)
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PRO-JECT DEBUT CARBON EVO: $499 WITH TONEARM & CARTRIDGE $$$
This bargain-priced, belt-drive turntable comes complete with a carbon-fiber tonearm, a Sumiko Rainier moving magnet cartridge ($150 when sold separately), and a shielded, directional phono cable. The 3.75lb steel platter is damped along its outer edge with a strip of thermoplastic elastomer. AH found that the review sample, like Rega turntables, ran slightly fast, but also felt it didn’t release notes “with quite the screen-door-hitting-them-on-the-ass urgency of the [Rega] Planar 3 (which costs nearly twice as much without a cartridge).” He also found that the Pro-Ject and its cartridge made surface noise more intrusive than many other record players he’d heard. However, AH summed up his time with this turntable by saying “If there’s a design parameter more crucial than a hi-fi component’s ability to hold our attention and enable us to feel things, I don’t know what it is. The Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO does this consistently, emphatically, at an attainable price.” (Vol.44 No.3 WWW)
PRO-JECT DEBUT PRO: $999 WITH TONEARM & CARTRIDGE
Based on Pro-Ject’s Debut Carbon EVO turntable, the beltdrive, nonsuspended Debut PRO improves on earlier Pro-Ject models with CNC-milled aluminum parts, an upgraded bearing and tonearm with a hybrid aluminum–carbon fiber armtube, and what KM described as “a few more subtle but still beneficial upgrades.” The price includes a Sumiko Oyster Rainier moving magnet cartridge. KM described the Debut PRO’s presentation as featuring fast transients, strong dynamics, and crisp highs. “The Debut PRO is a lively, fun, exhilarating turntable; it makes records—or rather music from records—jump, boogie, and sing. … I was consistently surprised at the Debut PRO’s ability to relay gobs of detail in a natural, compelling manner.” KM’s conclusion? “This ca $1000, handsome-but-unassuming record player proved to me what a manufacturer with decades of experience and expertise can do when designing an analog machine to a price point. The Debut PRO bowled me over with its dynamics, detail, soundstaging, spatial depth, and scale, especially with the more expensive [Sumiko] Wellfleet cartridge. The Debut PRO made the most of every style of music I put to it.” (Vol.45 No.1 WWW)
REGA PLANAR 3 WITH ELYS 2 CARTRIDGE IN BLACK, WHITE, OR RED: $1395 ★
Forty years after introducing the original Planar 3, Rega has dusted off that model name and applied it to a comprehensively redesigned package that includes a new tonearm (the Rega RB330), a new 24V motor, and a newly re-engineered if outwardly similar plinth that incorporates the “metalized phenolic” tonearm-to-platter-bearing top brace that characterizes Rega’s higher-end turntable models. 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. That said, Herb wrote, “For me, the best record-playing system is the one that most vigorously directs my attention toward the humans behind the music. . . . Rega’s new Planar 3 is exceptional at doing just that.” Price includes Elys 2 moving magnet cartridge. (Vol.34 No.12, Vol.35 No.11, Vol.40 No.2 WWW
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REGA PLANAR 1 WITH CARBON CARTRIDGE: $595 $$$ ★
The plug’n’play RP1 (for Rega Planar One) replaces Rega’s popular P1. Nearly identical to the earlier model in size and shape, the RP1 uses an Ortofon OM5e moving magnet cartridge but trades the P1’s MDF platter for one of phenolic resin and adds Rega’s new, solidly built RB101 tonearm. Additionally, the P1’s drab gray finish is exchanged for the RP1’s choice of White, Cool Gray, or Titanium. Compared to the P1, the RP1 delivered more drive, better focus, and was the more confident, purposeful, and authoritative player. “Rega’s RP1 looks good, is easy to set up, and plays records like it means it,” said SM. 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.” The RP1 Performance Pack Upgrade was easy to install and resulted in a bigger soundstage, deeper silences, and greater resolution of low-level detail, said SM. “A nobrainer,” agreed AD. (Vol.34 Nos.2, 4, & 5 WWW
DELETIONS
VPI HW-40 Anniversary Edition, discontinued. Technics SL- 1000R, Technics SP-10R Motor Unit, Technics SP10R with OMA Iron Plinth, not auditioned in a long time.
TONEARMS
A+
SAT CF1-09: €55,000
SAT CF1-12: €58,000
In 2018, after selling 70 of his original Swedish Analog Technologies Tonearms, designer Marc Gomez discontinued it and replaced it with two new tonearms. The more expensive, the CF1-09, is now the company’s flagship. The CF1-09’s tapered, hand-lapped, “naked”-carbon-fiber armtube has an effective length of 9" and incorporates a number of parts machined from solid stainless steel—including a new vertical bearing yoke that’s far more massive than that of the original SAT arm and makes the CF1-09 too heavy for turntables with spring-suspended subchassis—and its newly designed hardened bearings exhibit far tighter tolerances. Also available is the 12" CF1-12. Mikey tried the CF1-12 in place of the Schröder CB arm on the OMA SP10 Plinth System and praised the SAT’s “more explosive,” “warmer,” and“fuller” sound. (Vol.41 No.11, Vol.42 No.2 WWW)
SAT CF1-9TI: €88,000
SAT CF1-12TI: €92,000
These two cost-no-object tonearms appear outwardly identical to the Swedish manufacturer’s original CF1 arm. However, there is now a titanium tube running through the carbon-fiber armtube, and the CF1’s removable carbon-fiber headshell has been stiffened with a frame made from titanium. The 9" arm was auditioned, but the 12" arm should be just as good (but longer). Prices are when purchased separately; when the arms are purchased with the SAT XD-1 turntable (see “Turntables”), the prices are €50,000 (’9Ti) and €60,000 (’12Ti). (Vol.43 No.12 WWW
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ACOUSTICAL SYSTEMS AXIOM REFERENCE: $24,995
The gimbal bearing AXIOM is available in 10" or 12" versions and comes with various precision-machined-and-finished spacers of various heights. MF described the designer’s goal as being to produce an infinitely adjustable “universal” tonearm “capable of precisely adjusting every setup parameter you can think of and maybe a few you haven’t thought of and to place the settings where they are most effectively implemented.” Setup was straightforward, a precisely machined, smoothly operating VTA tower mechanism raising or lowering the arm 1mm with each full knob turn. Mounted on the AXIOM, the X-quisite cartridge delivered clean sibilants and the expected smooth, transparent, direct (if somewhat forward, but not bright) timbral balance. MF found that the AX-IOM arm delivered microdynamic shifts that helped produce the appropriate, rolling, flowing feel of the classic Cowboy Junkies album. “If it doesn’t quite have the slam and excitement of the far-more-costly SAT CF1-09,” concluded MF, “it makes up for that with its smooth, refined, erudite, almost academic presentation.” (Vol.45 No.9 WWW)
ACOUSTIC SIGNATURE TA-7000 NEO: $17,995
The TA-7000 uses a gimbaled ball/race bearing system and a damped carbon-fiber armtube. It is available with either an SME or Rega-type mount and in 9" and 12" versions. The model reviewed was the 9", which conforms to the standard Rega geometry. It pays to be cautious when adjusting arm height, advised MF, as the pillar goes, in a hair-turn of the grub screw, “from rock-solid secure to dropping like a pound and a half rock.” Repeatable azimuth adjustment is also tricky as there are no reference marks. Included with the arm are a rigid, precise alignment jig set to Löfgren A geometry and AudioQuest’s entry-level “Wildcat” DIN-to-RCA cable. With an Ortofon A95 phono cartridge, the lateral and vertical resonant frequencies both measured ideally, at approximately 10Hz. (Vol.45 No.1 WWW)
AMG 12JT: $9000
This tonearm features a unique, dual-pivot horizontal bearing system (for vertical movement) and a vertical bearing (for horizontal movement) that uses a hardened tool-steel axle with top and bottom micro ball bearings. The antiskating mechanism uses a pair of adjustable magnets that can be moved closer to or farther away from an opposing ring magnet, and azimuth is adjusted with a knurled knob. See MF’s review of the AMG Viella Forte Engraved turntable (“Turntables”). (Vol.43 No.9 WWW)
GRAHAM ENGINEERING PHANTOM III: $8300 (10" LENGTH) ★
A less expensive alternative to the Graham Phantom Elite, the new Phantom III improves on its predecessor, the Phantom II, with a titanium arm wand, a more massive bearing housing, and, inside that housing, wiring that’s claimed to produce less physical resistance as the arm moves. A new counterweight permits a wider range of cartridge weights, and Graham’s patented Magneglide stabilization system has been further improved. After using it with a TechDAS Air Force III turntable, which Graham distributes, MF wrote that “it was immediately clear that the Phantom III’s bass reproduction was far more robust and controlled than that of the Phantom II Supreme that I owned.” The Phantom III’s price drops to $5000 when bundled with the Air Force III. (Vol.41 No.1 WWW)
GRAHAM ENGINEERING PHANTOM ELITE: $13,750–$14,750 DEPENDING ON LENGTH ★
Outwardly similar to the standard Graham Phantom tonearm, the Phantom Elite is said to be made from more costly materials and incorporates new Litz wiring, a refined alignment gauge, and a thicker, more rigid version of the Phantom’s removable, damped titanium armtube. (The latter is available in three sizes, for effective lengths of 9", 10", and 12".) Retained from the original Phantom is Graham’s patented Magneglide system, in which magnets are used to stabilize the arm’s inverted-unipivot bearing. 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. Like Graham’s standard Phantom, the Phantom Elite is available with a circular or an SME-style arm mount; MF suggests that the latter makes it easier to adjust spindle-to-pivot distance. (Vol.38 No.11, Vol.44 No.9 WWW)
J.SIKORA KV12 VTA: $8995
The oil-damped, unipivot KV12 VTA is the first tonearm to use an armtube made of Kevlar—“KV” stands for Kevlar—and features precision, on-the-fly VTA adjustment. MF noted that while the KV12’s bass reproduction was clean and tight, it couldn’t match the “prodigious-yet-honest bass” of the much-more-expensive SAT arm. MF concluded that while the KV12 hasn’t got the Kuzma 4 Point’s bottom-end “womp” and authority, its timbral balance and everything else about it produced nothing but sonic pleasure. (Vol.45 No.7 WWW)
KUZMA 4POINT: $9240 AND UP ★
KUZMA 4POINT 9: $5696 AND UP ★
Designed by Franc Kuzma and available in 9", 11", and 14" versions, this tonearm takes its name from its four-point bearing system: Four carefully arranged points contact four cups, permitting the arm to move in both the vertical and lateral planes while avoiding the chatter of gimbaled bearings and the instability of unipivot designs. A removable headshell makes swapping cartridges painless, while adjustment of VTF, VTA, antiskating, and azimuth are relatively simple. With its outstanding immediacy, transparency, and overall coherence, the 4Point consistently exceeded Mikey’s expectations. 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. Compared with the Cobra, the Kuzma sounded more natural and energetic. “The Kuzma 4Point may be the finest tonearm out there, period,” said MF. The Kuzma matched the Graham Phantom II Supreme’s detail retrieval and neutrality but offered greater speed and coherence, said MF. As reported in the July 2019 Stereophile, KM’s review sample of the Kuzma Stabi R turntable came with a 4Point 11" ($6675 as supplied), which proved “eminently and easily adjustable.” Also offered with regular phono cables/no RCA box for $6375. (Vol.34 Nos.9 & 10, Vol.35 No.7, Vol.39 Nos.3 and 11, Vol.41 No.6, Vol.42 No.7, WWW)
LINN EKOS SE: $5645 ★
Outwardly identical to the original Ekos in all but color, the Ekos SE is machined from a titanium tube in an effort to smooth out resonant peaks, while its stainless steel main pillar and bearing cradle work to maintain perfect bearing adjustment in the face of temperature extremes and user abuse. The “beautifully finished” SE comes packaged with a selection of tools, a Linn T-Kable interconnect, and a new iteration of Linns cable clamp. With its strong, tight bass and solid aural images, the Ekos SE produced a “cleaner, more dramatic, and more enjoyable” listening experience, said AD. “Other, more exotic arms may give better results in some settings, but I cant think of a more consistent—and consistently recommendable—tonearm. Its a Martin D-28, a BMW 3-series, a bottle of Bombay Sapphire: It will please any sane, reasonable person,” he summed up. (Vol.30 No.10 WWW; also see HR’s Linn Klimax LP12 review in Vol.45 No.6 WWW)
REED 5T: $21,500
This pivoted tonearm has a unique design that uses a servocontrolled, battery-powered motor and a laser to enable it to track tangentially and also to address antiskating. Compared to pivoted tonearms, the 5T’s smaller moment of inertia allows for better tracking. Care must be taken when cueing cartridges with the Reed arm, as moving too fast will disable the servo mechanism. 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.” (Vol.43 No.6 WWW)
SCHICK 12" TONEARM: $1995 ★
SCHICK 10.5" TONEARM: $1995
Made in Germany and now distributed in the United States by Mofi Distribution, the Thomas Schick 12" tonearm is intended to combine the greater-than-average length and mass of certain vintage models with the high-quality bearings of modern arms. It offers superb fit and finish, with a clean, spare bearing cradle and a smoothly solid pickuphead socket. Though lacking the spring-loaded downforce and other refinements of the EMT 997—and, thus, some measure of the more expensive arm’s performance—the Schick is characterized by a big, clean, substantial sound, with an especially colorful bottom end: “a superb performer,” per AD, who also verified the correctness of the Schick’s geometry with Keith Howard’s ArmGeometer freeware. According to Art, “The Schick tonearm is an outstanding value and easily the most accessible transcription-length arm on the market.” Thomas Schick has now added to his line a proprietary headshell ($295) machined from resinsoaked “technical” graphite, with a mass (15.2gm) that makes it more suitable than most for use with cartridges of low to moderate compliance. AD bought the new headshell for himself and reported that, compared to his wooden Yamamoto headshell, the Schick offered “far tighter, cleaner bass.” He was also impressed with how “cartridges mounted in the Schick suffer less breakup during heavily modulated passages.” Now with balanced cable. Reporting on the 10.5" arm, HR wrote that after hearing Schick’s arms in a variety of systems, he suspected that the medium-length version “might strike a good balance between the liveliness of the 9" and the greater mass and tracing accuracy of the 12" version.” He found it to be a good partner for his Dr. Feickert Blackbird turntable. (12": Vol.33 Nos.3 & 6, Vol.34 No.10, Vol.37 No.11; 10.5": Vol.44 No.1,
