Audiophilepure

Another recent record that beautifully illustrates what the P6/Ania is capable of is the Berlin Philharmonic’s superb direct-to-disc recording of Bruckner’s Wagnerian Symphony No. 7. The last BPO performance conducted by the then 90-year-old Bernard Haitink, this magnificent recording is not of the sonic spectacular variety, but is instead one of those recordings that is so natural it comes about as close to the real thing as is possible from vinyl. An LP playback system must be accurate to properly render the deep silences, dynamic subtleties, harmonic layering, depth of field, and sweep of this music. 

Charisma Audio Musiko Tonearm, Soundeck, and Audio Machina Accessories

If you’re putting this tonearm on a Linn turntable, you will have to forego using the dust cover as the arm is a bit too long at the back and the lift lever sticks out a tad too much at the side. Most high-end audio turntables in this league don’t have dust covers, and I haven’t been using one with my Linn since I started modifying it, so this is not a problem for me. If you have concerns about fitment on a specific turntable, it wouldn’t hurt to check with Bernard.

The tonearm catch on the resting post does a reasonably good job of securing the tonearm at rest but it is not secured the way the snap-lock mechanism does on the Sumiko. In everyday use, it has a quality feel and is perfectly adequate. If I were to transport the table in a car, I would have to secure the arm to the post with some tape or a twist-tie, but obviously, this is not a deal-breaker.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/thorens-td-148a-turntable

The TD 148A is an appealing turntable with slick automation that is both easy to set up and user-friendly. Yes, it falls a little short of Thorens’ manual decks in terms of performance, particularly when it comes to soundstaging, but compromise is the name of the game here. So I’m not entirely sure it heralds the start of a new automated revolution but, as a convenient package, it succeeds admirably.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/vpi-prime-21-belt-driven-turntable

Gerry Rafferty’s ‘On A Night Like This’ from North And South [London Records LONLP55] had me grinning from ear to ear. Rafferty’s voice was strong and focused, but best of all was the backing percussion. This bounds around behind the main instruments like an excited puppy. Bongos on the right? Check. Kick-drum slightly left of centre? Absolutely. The Prime 21+ captured these elements with ease and highlighted them, albeit with subtlety, making it a delight to follow their appearance as the track unfolded. The bass line also had a pleasing presence, underpinning the song in a fluid and easy manner.

Finally, I swapped the Shyla cartridge for my regular Clearaudio MC Essence [HFN Aug ’17]. The Clearaudio pick-up’s excellent bass tightened up the lower registers very slightly, even though it didn’t disguise the deck’s signature upper-bass warmth. It also revealed a little more treble sparkle than the Shyla, at the expense of the latter’s rich midband quality and its more general sense of cohesion. Clearly, VPI has voiced its cartridge well – the Prime 21/tonearm/Shyla trio making for a compelling one-stop vinyl-playing solution for the enthusiast on the upgrade trail.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/mark-levinson-no5105-turntable

Decoded by the No.5105 into the hybrid Hagerman, the vinyl version delivered timbral richness, particularly to the massed strings and Mutter’s violin, and textural sophistication that might have some screaming “coloration!” Not I! To me it sounds more real and definitely more pleasurable than the streamed digital, especially the piano’s presentation, both timbrally and in terms of transient attack. It helps that the Emil Berliner Studios did the mastering and that the Optimal pressing is outstanding. I could not hear any difference in dynamic range between the two versions. It’s possible though that the file was dynamically compressed for streaming but allowed to express itself fully in the grooves.