WL Low has posted a review of the Kronos Sparta turntable ($21,500), Helena tonearm ($6500), and ZYX Premium Omega phono cartridge at av2day.com. His conclusions: “ndeed the Kronos Sparta is the best analog experience I’ve had till date, and I speculate that probably only the Kronos Pro Ltd can do better. For those who...
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Rick Becker has posted a review of the Kronos Sparta 0.5 turntable ($15,000) and upgrade to the full Sparta ($7500) at Enjoy the Music. His conclusions: “The Sparta is really two amazing turntables. I could happily live with the 0.5 for the rest of my life, but the full Sparta, there’s the lust.” You...
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Jason Kennedy has posted a review of the Rega Aphelion moving coil cartridge (£2998) at The Ear. His conclusions: “The Aphelion one of those very rare cartridges that is so well thought out that you get detail down to the quietest sounds as well as musicality that cannot be beaten. Many cartridges are either...
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Alan Sircom has posted a review of the Karan Acoustics PH1 phono stage (£7900) at Hi-Fi+. His conclusions: “In fact, the PH1 is good enough to render the Phono Reference pointless. Except… in those rare shoot-for-the-moon systems where money is no object, where every turntable has many arms, and were the idea of ‘compromise’...
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Mike Cox has posted a review of the Encore 7 Eggshell Prestige PS5 phono stage (£1999) at TNT Audio. His conclusions: “Compared to my regular Whest, it has a warmer tonality and is easily on the pace, playing the tune without sounding slow or lacking in rhythm. Whilst the PS5 lacks the gain and...
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Jack Roberts has posted a review of the TriangleART Symphony turntable ($6950) at Dagogo. His conclusions: “The hardest thing about this review was bearing in mind that it wasn’t fair to be continually comparing it with turntables that cost a minimum of twice as much. What I’m trying to say is that the TriangleART...
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Dato’ Danon Han has posted a review of the Kronos Pro Limited Production turntable at Mono and Stereo. His conclusions: “As for its price of admission, I would say that purchasing a Kronos Pro Ltd, is really a “No Brainer”, even if you have more money to spend. I own some of its competitors....
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Jack Roberts has posted a review of the Thales TTT-Slim turntable and Easy tonearm ($5800)at Dagogo. His conclusions: “After years of listening to turntables and owning three different linear tracking setups, and admitting my unrelenting, persisting love for a really good 12-inch pivot tonearm, I think either the tonearms from Thales or linear tracking...
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Dave Clark has posted a review of the Channel D Lino phono stage ($1199) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “We understand what people want from their LPs regardless the genre. It is the music. It is the engagement. It is being transported to someplace else. The Lino did that with anything we tossed its...
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Dave Clark has posted a review of the Triangle Art Concerto turntable ($3995) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “For those who need the bits as opposed to whole… the Concerto did bass amazingly well with a clean and airy high end. Slam and oomph galore. Nice. And the Concerto was articulate and dynamic, it...
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Ian Ringstead has posted a review of the Hana S range of moving coil phono cartridges (£447) at Hi-Fi Pig. His conclusions: “Both cartridges work well in both budget and higher-end turntable/ arm combinations and are well worth seeking out.” You can read the full review here.
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Malcolm J. Gomes has posted a review of the Luminous Audio Technology Arion phono preamplifier ($6395) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “If you already have a great turntable, tone arm and cartridge, but suspect that your phone stage is holding the sound quality back, you would be well advised to give the Arion a...
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Alan Sircom has posted a review of the Electrocompaniet ECG-1 turntable and tonearm (together £2760) at Hi-Fi+. His conclusions: “In a way, I’d love to see the ECG-1 available as a complete turnkey kit (with that SoundSmith cartridge) and just as a turntable with a range of cut-outs for different arms. The Jelco is...
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Peter Davey has posted a review of the Phoenix Engineering RoadRunner turntable motor controller ($235) and Eagle power supply ($525) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “You simply can’t go wrong with these devices—perfect addition to any AC motor based table. And, at this price, you’d be crazy not to make the shift! ” You...
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Jon Eben Field has posted a review of the Bob’s Devices Cinemag Sky 30 step-up transformer ($1250) at Wall of Sound. His conclusions: “In listening to the Cinemag Sky 30, I was distinctly aware that this device is not an emotional instrument. It is, rather, a transparent, analytical, and musical device that reveals a...
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Jonathan Valin has posted Part 1 of his review of the Acoustic Signature Invictus turntable and TA-9000 tonearm (together, $123,000) at The Absolute Sound. His conclusions: “I will have a good deal more to say about this standard-setting turntable and tonearm in future installments of this blog, and when I review the entire system...
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Andre Jennings has posted a review of the Ortofon MC A95 moving-coil phono cartridge ($6499) at The Absolute Sound. His conclusions: “While the A90 was Ortofon’s highest-performance cartridge nearly five years ago, the A95 is much better sounding in every respect. Although it doesn’t outperform it, the A95 nips at the heels of the...
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Marshall Nack has posted a review of the Merrill Audio Jens phono stage ($15,449) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “The advance word on the Merrill Audio Jens Phono Stage highlighted resolution. Yes, it is a real groove plunger, digging in as deep as the best units I’ve spent time with. But I am more...
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Robert H. Levi has posted a review of the Grado Labs Statement Reference Series 2 mono cartridge ($1500) at Positive Feedback. His conclusions: “The Grado Labs Statement Reference Series 2 Mono Cartridge is an instant classic and a mainstay for anyone who loves authentic mono LPs and calls themselves an audiophile.” You can read...
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Todd Bromgard has posted a review of the Ortofon Quintet Blue phono cartridge ($524) at TNT Audio. His conclusions: “The Quintet Blue has few faults, particularly at its price point. It plays relatively neutral, without obvious colorations or frequency dips, and strikes a good balance between musical and analytical. While it’s not the last...
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Wojciech Pacula has posted a review of the Acoustic Signature Thunder turntable and TA-1000 tonearm () at Enjoy the Music. His conclusions: “Bottom line is that I must admit that the Thunder turntable with three motors is an amazing bit of analog kit. It combines the best qualities of idler turntables and mass-loaders. It...
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Jason Kennedy has posted a review of the Modwright Instruments PH-150 phono stage (£6250) at Hi-FI+. His conclusions: “The Modwright PH 150 is not your typical valve phono stage. It’s a bit more precise than that, but it does deliver many of the traits that make the technology appealing in the 21st century. The...
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Roy Gregory has posted a review of the Grand Prix Audio Monaco 1.5 turntable ($23,800) at The Audio Beat. His conclusions: “This turntable has been my desert-island disc spinner for the last decade, and reacquaintance with the current model has only reinforced that view. At $23,800 that’s a bitter, not to mention expensive, pill...
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Wojciech Pacula has posted a review of the RCM Audio Sensor 2 phono stage (~2250) at High Fidelity. His conclusions: “The Senor2 is one of the best phono stages that I have ever heard. Of course, I am aware of the fact that its price is not high (as far as high-end is concerned),...
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Wojciech Pacula has posted a review of the Amare Musica Aspiriaa phono stage (€5900) at High Fidelity. His conclusions: “ASPIRIAA offers a dense, rich sound with no signs of brightness or harshness and it does that having no tube on board. The tonal balance is simply right and the device is able to present...
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