CS Port LFT1 turntable added to the system

[Mike Lavigne]

last Friday my CS Port LFT1 turntable arrived.



recently i added the Saskia II idler tt to my system, and i've truly loved having both musical viewpoints of a top level direct drive tt like the NVS, and a top level idler like the Saskia. it allows for a more complete optimization of each pressing. honestly; when i purchased the Saskia in early August it was mostly because i could not get CS Port to sell me one of theirs. my aim had been to get (to my way of thinking) a top level belt drive turntable. adding an idler too was not my original plan.

then in September i saw an ad in Stereophile for CS Port wanting to acquire a distributor in the USA. what the heck??? something changed! so i took another swing and eventually my own LFT1 arrived. and along with the LFT1, i decided to acquire the C3EQM2 CS Port tube phono pre too.

https://www.csport.audio/products/products-lft1-en.html

https://www.csport.audio/products/products-c3eqm2-en.html

too soon for much listening feedback, but i'm loving it so far.

i've had lots of 'pretty things' in hifi; this one is right up there in terms of awesome design and quality of build. the 'zen' look and feel is carried out in an understated elegance. and using it is a joy. maybe part of that is my 8 years of experience with a linear tracker, as i've had zero issues with the arm.

welcome to my system CS Port.

 

[MRJAZZ]

last Friday my CS Port LFT1 turntable arrived.

View attachment 59068

recently i added the Saskia II idler tt to my system, and i've truly loved having both musical viewpoints of a top level direct drive tt like the NVS, and a top level idler like the Saskia. it allows for a more complete optimization of each pressing. honestly; when i purchased the Saskia in early August it was mostly because i could not get CS Port to sell me one of theirs. my aim had been to get (to my way of thinking) a top level belt drive turntable. adding an idler too was not my original plan.

then in September i saw an ad in Stereophile for CS Port wanting to acquire a distributor in the USA. what the heck??? something changed! so i took another swing and eventually my own LFT1 arrived. and along with the LFT1, i decided to acquire the C3EQM2 CS Port tube phono pre too.

https://www.csport.audio/products/products-lft1-en.html

https://www.csport.audio/products/products-c3eqm2-en.html

too soon for much listening feedback, but i'm loving it so far.

i've had lots of 'pretty things' in hifi; this one is right up there in terms of awesome design and quality of build. the 'zen' look and feel is carried out in an understated elegance. and using it is a joy. maybe part of that is my 8 years of experience with a linear tracker, as i've had zero issues with the arm.

welcome to my system CS Port.

VERY NICE.... CAN we get some more detailed pictures of the table.....Thanks....
PS....I would think with the VAN DEN HUL MASTER SIG, and the LT arm you are getting some spectacular “sound-staging “ characteristics.....

 

[marty]

Wow.. There's no flies on you Mike!! Looking forward to the cards being turned over to see what's in the hand....

 

[spiritofmusic]

Mike, it's a shame we don't speak Eskimo where there would be 50 ways to say "congrats", you've deserved many many pats on the back over the years. And once again.

"It allows for a complete optimisation of each pressing" - what do you mean by this?

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Mike, it's a shame we don't speak Eskimo where there would be 50 ways to say "congrats", you've deserved many many pats on the back over the years. And once again.

"It allows for a complete optimization of each pressing" - what do you mean by this?

thank you Marc.

there is no doubt that with the Saskia and NVS that each turntable has it's own strengths, and aspects of the music that are optimized. and so the CS Port too. sometimes the music is just a little different on each turntable, but other times it's better or not quite as good. this can play to your vision of what you seek from the music, where the magic is, and what your mood is. how the music affects and gets into us.

and the cartridge and arm can also play to the strengths of the tt. we've read 2000+ posts about that on Master Tang's thread. we read about it time after time.

i'm at the starting point of my own journey deep into that issue and i'm in no hurry. i'm sure i'll continue to answer this question for quite awhile. where to find the most musical truth.

8-9 years ago i owned 4 tt's and 7 arms at the same time. so i've dabbled into this area before. but i don't think i was settled system wise to be able to approach this question in the right way. i feel i'm in a different place now and am ready for it.

 

[Ron Resnick]

Very, very, very interesting, Mike, and surprising!

We all look forward to your comparative reports on the three turntables!

Do you intend to keep all three turntables, or are you hoping to figure out which are your two favorites?

Ain’t nothing wrong with having a linear tracker and a Tosca!

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Very, very, very interesting, Mike, and surprising!

We all look forward to your comparative reports on the three turntables!

Do you intend to keep all three turntables, or are you hoping to figure out which are your two favorites?

Ain’t nothing wrong with having a linear tracker and a Tosca!

zero plans to sell any of these. i'm where i want to be. i think i can answer any musical or format question now, with confidence.

but ask me in a year or two and we will see what a great belt drive and great idler will do for my references. my mind is open.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

VERY NICE.... CAN we get some more detailed pictures of the table.....Thanks....
PS....I would think with the VAN DEN HUL MASTER SIG, and the LT arm you are getting some spectacular “sound-staging “ characteristics.....

i'll get to some detailed pictures within a few days.

my vdH Master Signature needs some break-in before it graduates to the CS Port. i just mounted it on the Durand Telos Sapphire on the NVS and will play it for awhile until it's nice 'enough' for staying up late. i already know it can really boggie on big music there.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

Wow.. There's no flies on you Mike!! Looking forward to the cards being turned over to see what's in the hand....

me too.

thanks Marty.

 

[Ron Resnick]

zero plans to sell any of these. i'm where i want to be. i think i can answer any musical or format question now, with confidence.

but ask me in a year or two and we will see what a great belt drive and great idler will do for my references. my mind is open.

We will look forward to your reports on which turntable/tonearm/cartridge combinations you find most suited and ideal for which particular types of music, and why.

 

[dan31]

I will be interested in the CS phonostage. It’s has a very interesting design. Enjoy the new additions. You will have fun finding the best cartridge mate for each deck.

 

[NorthStar]

Mike are you going to do some music videos Tango's style?

 

[bonzo75]

Mike are you going to do some music videos Tango's style?

Mike's system is very much based on the room itself, plus the sweet spot, unlike Tang's. I don't think such systems do well in the videos

 

[bonzo75]

Mik, Mike, they all seem to have it

 

[NorthStar]

Mike's system is very much based on the room itself, plus the sweet spot, unlike Tang's. I don't think such systems do well in the videos

If he puts a quality mic in the sweet spot I think it'll do well for the millions of spectators who cannot visit him in his listening room.

 

[bazelio]

Congrats, Mike.

P.s.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

i'm neutral on videos; at this point have no plans to make them or watch/listen to them. but tomorrow i might change my mind. and i appreciate the effort made to post them, and the positive they can bring. not thrilled by the noise the subject seems to pollute the threads with, and all the second guessing on the process and minutia of video's. but there are worse things than video talk.

i have my own hifi communication culture i'm happy with already.

would my system be hard for a video to do justice to? i have no idea and won't likely think about it much.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

some more pictures including the record stabilizer.....

 

[Mike Lavigne]

and a couple more......

 

[spiritofmusic]

Do I read correctly you're also the US distributor now?