Audiophilepure

Headshells, of course, are another matter. While the Stealth’s included headshell is perfectly fine, it’s rather lightweight—ideal for the included 2M Blue—but lower compliance cartridges still may prefer something like an Ortofon LH-2000. That will necessitate using the Stealth’s included auxiliary counterweight to balance the tonearm. (Side note: the Stealth’s arm, clearly patterned after Technics right down to its basic dimensions, even accepts Technics 1200 series auxiliary screw-in counterweights, so if you ever lose the one that came with the table and your Music Hall dealer is unable to locate a replacement part, you could always go that way.)

Generally, headshell swapping wasn’t revelatory in my listening, with mostly slight differences between generic headshells and premium models from the likes of Audio-Technica, Ortofon, Yamamoto and some vintage goodies from Orsonic. Still, I don’t think that carefully-judged experimentation in this area is unwarranted, and while the performance differences may be minor relative to the package as a whole, it never hurts to have different headshells of varying weights and characteristics available for practical reasons like compliance matching or the ability to adjust azimuth, with the Stealth’s tonearm lacks. Is it rational to keep a couple thousand dollars worth of headshells around, like I do? Judge not lest ye be judged. 

The Franco Serblin Studio Ktema speakers showcased at the new Sound Factor showroom in Finland. In the showroom, bass resonances are managed using precisely calibrated Helmholtz resonators, while sidewall reflections are controlled with cylindrical slat diffusers. The front wall is constructed from plywood but does not incorporate dedicated acoustic treatment elements.