Zero Distortion: Allnic, Aesthetix, Magic Q7 mk2, Alieno, loads of carts, Vyger, Kodo Beat

[spiritofmusic]

Ked, if I've read yr thoughts over the years, it looks like there are three tts that always sound good to you, and can be had for manageable money in the s/h mkt.
£20-25k would get you Schopper 124 for idler, Kodo Beat for DD, Brinkmann Balance for belt.
Throw in three SMEs that DDK can source you, you have the Allaerts, now just add that Kiseki and a mono cart, and w the Allnic phono you'll have a line up to compete w the likes of Gian and Tang for less money than a new Kronos.

 

[microstrip]

The Dartzeel preamplifier was the original version or Mk2? It seems it is great match for the Alieno OTL.

 

[bonzo75]

The Dartzeel preamplifier was the original version or Mk2? It seems it is great match for the Alieno OTL.

Original. Will mention.

 

[bonzo75]

Ked, if I've read yr thoughts over the years, it looks like there are three tts that always sound good to you, and can be had for manageable money in the s/h mkt.
£20-25k would get you Schopper 124 for idler, Kodo Beat for DD, Brinkmann Balance for belt.
Throw in three SMEs that DDK can source you, you have the Allaerts, now just add that Kiseki and a mono cart, and w the Allnic phono you'll have a line up to compete w the likes of Gian and Tang for less money than a new Kronos.

My thoughts over the years would have changed a lot in analog... They should... What else is the point of meeting guys with so much expertise and each one having his own way and bias?

But yes, schopper to brinkmann balance is a good price spectrum, I still have to listen to the Torqeo and voyd three motor.

You can get more surely with what Gian and tang and Mike are paying. But I would rather put that money in recordings.

I haven't heard a kodo outside this system and need to listen to the stock one

 

[morricab]

My thoughts over the years would have changed a lot in analog... They should... What else is the point of meeting guys with so much expertise and each one having his own way and bias?

But yes, schopper to brinkmann balance is a good price spectrum, I still have to listen to the Torqeo and voyd three motor.

You can get more surely with what Gian and tang and Mike are paying. But I would rather put that money in recordings.

I haven't heard a kodo outside this system and need to listen to the stock one

I had the three motor Voyd with split phase power supply. It was not the reference model, which was essentially the same but different platter matterial (delrin vs. lexan) and a much bigger power supply. I also had the famous Helius Cyalene arm, which was the basis for the reference Audio Note arms.

It was a great TT with tons of drive and very fluid but it was also a bit "dirty" sounding because the three motors were mounted directly on the plinth. In the end I found my Yamaha GT-2000 (with external PSU and vacuum platter) to have just as much drive but much more transparent and spacious sounding. The Yamaha bests it in nearly all ways even with the stock arm.

My colleagues Transrotor Orion has three motor belt drive but the motors are magentically decoupled from the platter bearing. This is a nice design...

 

[spiritofmusic]

Ked, how is a Vyger that has had the vacuum disabled, platter, belt and drive wheel changed, and integral LT arm swapped out, still a Vyger?

 

[bonzo75]

I had the three motor Voyd with split phase power supply. It was not the reference model, which was essentially the same but different platter matterial (delrin vs. lexan) and a much bigger power supply. I also had the famous Helius Cyalene arm, which was the basis for the reference Audio Note arms.

It was a great TT with tons of drive and very fluid but it was also a bit "dirty" sounding because the three motors were mounted directly on the plinth. In the end I found my Yamaha GT-2000 (with external PSU and vacuum platter) to have just as much drive but much more transparent and spacious sounding. The Yamaha bests it in nearly all ways even with the stock arm.

My colleagues Transrotor Orion has three motor belt drive but the motors are magentically decoupled from the platter bearing. This is a nice design...

Interesting... this I will be interested in comparing

 

[bonzo75]

Ked, how is a Vyger that has had the vacuum disabled, platter, belt and drive wheel changed, and integral LT arm swapped out, still a Vyger?

Which is why I said it is not a stock Vyger, so we can't conclude anything.

 

[bonzo75]

One clarification... No cartridge was changed on day 1 or day 2. They were changed in between (vdh for zyx was the main swap). Allnic Puritas was swapped for Benz LPS but latter went out of contention quickly.

Each table had three carts with the same arm. Allnic was the phono common to the two tables. For kodo carts, you could compare Allnic with aesthetix. For Vyger carts, you could compare Allnic with Dartzeel. On day 1, Allnic Puritas was on both tables. On day 2, we tried moving vdh to the LT at the end but gave up so it has not been covered

See if this helps understand. You can connect carts from the kodo to either Allnic or IO, and carts from Vyger to Allnic or Dartzeel.

 

[bonzo75]

Also updated that the Allnic had the WE 422a, same recti as Christian

 

[Ron Resnick]

Ked, can you say a bit more about this guy's room, and his use of room treatments?
Coming from a large open plan industrial space that was highly challenging without room treatments, I'm fascinated by what I see in the main photo.
I have been tempted to go the Accustica Applicata route, but for personal reasons won't investigate further.

I think natural brick walls can be good acoustically. Keith took me to a dealer friend of his, and the dealer's audio salon is in a rectangular room of good dimensions with brick side walls. I thought the room "sounded" good. (There was no way to compare versus drywall or wood, obviously.)

 

[dan31]

I’m not sure why you would use a step up for the IO. The whole idea of all those tubes is up to 80 dB of gain. Just adjust the gain for your preamp amp combo and then play with loading. I will acknowledge some people just like the sound of step ups.

 

[microstrip]

I think natural brick walls can be good acoustically. Keith took me to a dealer friend of his, and the dealer's audio salon is in a rectangular room of good dimensions with brick side walls. I thought the room "sounded" good. (There was no way to compare versus drywall or wood, obviously.)

Lyric Hifi listening rooms are a famous example!

 

[Ron Resnick]

I’m not sure why you would use a step up j to the IO. The whole idea of all those tubes is up to 80 dB of gain. Just adjust the gain for your preamp amp combo and then play with loading. I will acknowledge some people just like the sound of step ups.

+1!

 

[bonzo75]

I think natural brick walls can be good acoustically. Keith took me to a dealer friend of his, and the dealer's audio salon is in a rectangular room of good dimensions with brick side walls. I thought the room "sounded" good. (There was no way to compare versus drywall or wood, obviously.)

Hi please don't tell Marc Keith took you to hear the new Zus as that would derail the thread

 

[audioquattr]

Very nice and informative report, well done Ked!
I liked all the carts and phono-stages compares on the same tone-arms and turntables. Not often possible.
John has a beautiful room and very much stuff and experience.

 

[jeff1225]

Nice write up Bonzo and great pictures as well. Can you please refrain from using the term "vinyls" going forward so I don't throw my computer on the floor. Accepted terms: record(s) or LP(s)

Thank you.

 

[morricab]

Which is why I said it is not a stock Vyger, so we can't conclude anything.

Why would you ever want to disable vacuum and change the platter? Not using the LT arm and a better belt I could kind of understand.

 

[morricab]

Interesting... this I will be interested in comparing

I lived with both for a year or so before deciding on which had to go but it was not a difficult decision. By the end I was only using the Yamaha.

 

[morricab]

I think natural brick walls can be good acoustically. Keith took me to a dealer friend of his, and the dealer's audio salon is in a rectangular room of good dimensions with brick side walls. I thought the room "sounded" good. (There was no way to compare versus drywall or wood, obviously.)

I have had excellent results in brick and concrete block rooms.