Really excellent rundown. I have had a very similar experience. Sometimes I feel the human/turntable interface (otherwise known as ease of use) is sacrificed on the alter of chasing the absolute sound, but if I’m interacting with a piece of equipment every 20 minutes, I want it to be a joy to...
I AM a geologist and I call bs. A quick search shows slate has a density of 2.7-2.8 gm/cc which means there’s a 3.6% difference between the low and high of the range. My science brain screams “marketing ploy.”
I wonder if the two inches of extra length help the 4Point 11 track better than the 4Point 9. My 4Point 11 cruises over warps that caused an epileptic fit with my previous arm, a Graham 2.2 with 10” wand.
Hey Mr. Big. Good to see you over on WBF. Three years of M3 Sapphire ownership and they are the only part of my system that hasn’t changed in that time. I honestly don’t know what would sound better in my room.
I joined WBF in the post-DDK era but I’ve definitely enjoyed reading about him and his approach to audio. Why does a hobby - which is supposed to be fun, first and foremost - create such divisiveness? It strikes me as being incredibly petty.
On the one hand I’m glad you are able to get great results. On the other hand, a $3K machine that’s supposed to be fully automated appears to be anything but that to get those great results.
Great question and well-introduced. Hopefully commenters stay on-topic! I have zero first-hand knowledge of either turntable but I’ll follow with interest.
This is a great path forward. It’s fun to buy shiny new things but at the high level you are already at with your analog front end, any change could potentially be a step back. Thus, an incremental approach is not just the most cost-effective way to go, it’s the correct way to go.
FWIW, at times I have had a Lokius in and out of my system for a couple of years. It’s a six-band with no remote. I will say three things:
1) In bypass mode, it seems completely transparent to my ears.
2) The knobs need to move quite a bit before an obvious sound difference is heard, meaning...
It *almost* feels like you’ve come full circle, given you already own a really nice Brinkmann table, including the Ront power supply. Maybe think about keeping the table but changing the arm (and maybe cartridge) as an intermediate step.
Agreed, great review. I own a Mammoth Gold but haven’t mounted it yet, since I’m chewing on getting a second tonearm. As a fellow 4Point owner I was pleased as punch to see Tim’s writeup.
Two nice-to-haves though. First, a full equipment list, especially phono pre and SUT (if used). Second, I...
I’m no expert (understatement) but my turntable guru, Don Corby at Corby’s Audio near Toronto is, and while he’s primarily a belt drive guy, he maintains that above a certain price/quality, the actual table is less a factor than the arm and cartridge. Now, what that price/quality level is I...
Wow, that’s a lot of words. Reminds me of the Poison Scene from The Princess Bride (starting at 2:00):
I think a more compelling explanation would use less words and more figures - charts and diagrams - that measure what all those words describe. I’ve seen Moncrieff’s name before and assume...
Fortunately SUTs are small and passive, which means as equipment goes, borrowing one - even if an audio buddy has to ship it to you - isn’t that big a deal. Even if you do the calcs and determine a SUT should work for you, you need to try it and see if the difference in sound is something you...
On your list I’ve owned a predecessor to the Raven LS, the Raven One, and I own a Stabi R. It is a bit tough to compare the two because I was using a Graham Phantom 2.2 arm on the Raven One, and I have a 4Point 11 on the Stabi R. That said, I had the same cartridge, an Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue...
Growing up, my best friend (who was wise beyond his years) used to say “everything in moderation Dave”. For some reason those words have stuck with me for decades. They sit on my shoulder and whisper into my ear when I get too engrossed in anything. I have several hobbies/sports I’m passionate...
I read his latest Naim review in Stereophile. I was honestly hoping for better. Michael Trei, who has kinda taken Fremer’s place at Stereophile, has quickly established himself as an excellent, entertaining writer.
I don’t understand why it “wasn’t worth the company’s time.” Since it is long out of warranty, Spectral just needed to provide an estimate for time and materials that covers its costs. The owner could then decide if the price was worth it to him. It isn’t as though an unobtanium chip needed...
Nice! The other thing you may notice over time is a thin coating of “scum” builds up on the plastic water reservoir inner side and bottom. Just rinsing it out won’t get rid of it. Admittedly, I only just noticed this after more than a year of use.
I just had an amusing coincidence. I saw your comment, went to Allmusic to read the review, and it mentioned that one song on the record, Holy Smokes, was an homage to the Bar-Kays song Holy Ghost. I was listening to Holy Ghost (on vinyl, no less) when I read the review.
The world works in...
Congratulations! Wishing you many happy years of spinning tunes on your new ride. One thing I found after living with the Stabi R for a few months is that it’s an absolute joy to use. Startup time is almost like a direct drive, everything falls to hand just so, and I felt there was no need to...
Ron, thanks for taking the time to share your visit with us! It was like seeing a WBF Greatest Hits. Although I must say I was more than a little chuffed to Canada’s very own Triode Labs in the stable.