Audiophilepure

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1258-avid-hifi-acutus-dark-iron-turntable-nexus-tonearm-and-ionic-cartridge

With the turntable’s bold, blazing performance on the previous track still fresh in my mind, I couldn’t resist playing one of my favorite jazz albums: Big Band Spectacular! by the Syd Lawrence Orchestra (Chasing the Dragon VALDC002). I’ve been a Glenn Miller fan all my life, an affinity I contracted from my father, who was a huge fan of the jazz trombonist. (I fondly recall him cranking up the big-band classics on his Technics system, hollering “Pennsylvania 6-5000.”) The originals aren’t particularly well recorded, so a big part of the enjoyment of listening to this wonderful recording is hearing these fabulous big-band tunes in true audiophile quality. “In the Mood” sounded utterly fantastic. The band was imaged almost life-size, extending beyond my listening-room’s boundaries, its brass section projecting forth with visceral, searing dynamics. The drummer on this recording is an absolute master of his art, contributing accenting beats when called for and keeping time with the precision of an atomic clock. The Acutus conveyed all this brilliantly, delivering a gloriously rich and involving presentation.

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Then there’s the Fortissimo S, from European Audio Team. It’s a Bentley Continental GT: sleek and elegant in its own boxy way, but also larger than life. Hugely powerful, but undeniably elegant. Fat tires, squat to the road with unlimited torque, but so comfortable and silent that you don’t even know it’s running.

That said, visuals out of the way, from a sound-quality perspective, both the VPI and the EAT radiate neutrality and control, sounding more alike than they do different. The Fortissimo S edges out the VPI in its control of transients and isolation from vibration. A knuckle rap on my well-damped equipment rack elicits a clear thump from the VPI and absolute silence from the EAT. Those magnetic feet really do the trick.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2024/9/1/pure-fidelity-symphony-turntable

The opening of “Where Do The Children Play,” with its delicate but firm guitar underpinnings, was very beautiful and tactile, but with an emphasis on bass, drums and piano. But it’s the guitars of Cat Stevens and Alun Davies that steal the show. Much like the guitar of Philadelphia Jerry Ricks, the sounds of both guitars are very beautiful. And Ricker’s cut is glorious, with the few instruments placed perfectly in a natural soundstage. Even the usually quiet string arrangements and the great Jack Rothstein’s violin solo are heard clearly—Del Newman’s subtle but effective string arrangements are more in the foreground, so the quiet pizzicato that emphasizes the rhythm in the coda of “Sad Lisa” is heard better than on other ‘tables. Finally, Stevens’ gravelly, fragile, vulnerable baritone sounds perfectly centred in the soundstage, making for a wonderful musical whole. Ricker’s dynamics are delicate and very punchy. No problem for the Symphony.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1922-pro-ject-audio-systems-xa-b-turntable-and-pick-it-pro-balanced-cartridge

This is the fourth Pro-Ject turntable I’ve reviewed, and I confess that I didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. Although its clean, neutral demeanor embodies Pro-Ject’s house sound, it’s the XA B’s intriguing design that sets it apart from those other models. Even when it’s not spinning records, it’s a conversation piece, and it’s certain to elicit attention even from non-audiophiles. For $1499, anyone buying an XA B will have the pleasure of owning a turntable that can likely hold its own sonically against anything at its price point, and, as I found in my comparison, quite a bit higher. However, they’ll also have the pleasure of purchasing something that is almost certainly going to look better than much of the competition. Don’t get me wrong: Pro-Ject’s XA B is first and foremost a great performer, and that’s the main reason you should add it to your list of decks to audition if you’re shopping anywhere around and even above this price point. The cherry on top is that it looks stunning as well, proving that sometimes you can have your cake and eat it too. Enthusiastically recommended.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2024/9/1/pure-fidelity-symphony-turntable

The ambient information around the guitar, his gravelly baritone, the smooth guitar response, and the bass are better defined than I’ve heard previously. So many cues from the Symphony made my ears perk up. Nothing, even Ricks’ most subtle guitar playing, escapes. And that old audiophile axiom “Rhythm, Pace and Dynamics“ was highlighted in “Ain’t No Fool” and then focused specifically on accelerated rhythm in “Frisco Whistle Blues.” The guitar timbre is outstanding, and his strumming was made especially beautiful. The coda of “Down Delta” will convince you of Ricks’ virtuosity and the Symphony’s superior playback.

https://www.analogplanet.com/content/vpi-scout-21-turntable

Through the VPI Scout 21/VPI Shyla combo, I marveled at the fresh-scrubbed sonic details, and perhaps better instrument placement, than the Giles Martin mixes. I’ve never heard Beatles tracks so cleanly remastered with excellent back-to-front layering, and with a level of exacting placement and imaging within the mixes that brought new revelations, track after track. The Scout 21 let The Beatles’ eternal good vibrations shine through, from the deep-toned guitar goodness of “Day Tripper” (LP2, Side Three, Track 4) and the glowing introspection of “In My Life” (LP2, Side Four, Track 2) to the bleary-eyed, seemingly lost-at-sea daydreaming of “I’m Only Sleeping” (LP3, Side Six, Track 3). The Scout 21 made it all dead-eye clear and wide-eyes resplendent.