Products

Grandezza Reference Tone-arm

Manufactured to the highest standards in Switzerland, this tone-arm has several unique features setting it aside from many other, perhaps more famous, tone-arms. The gimbal bearings utilise jewel rubies resulting in one of the most free tone arms we have encountered. The anti-skate mechanism is based on magnets and is therefore non- mechanical in its operation. Without such additional friction, the free nature of the bearings is uninhibited in operation resulting in its superb tracking abilities. The arm and its mountings are manufactured from a mixture of cast bronze, ebony and stainless steel. Not only do these materials possess low resonances in themselves, they are assembled in such a way that unwanted vibrations from the cartridge are quickly removed down clear energy paths and dumped into the turntable chassis. The internal wiring is DaVinci own proprietary manufacture featuring ultra pure copper and a polymer compound insulation. The result is a tone-arm which allows the cartridge to track to its best abilities extracting the finest details and, because of its own low colourations, does not alter the nature of the recording. One of the best, and most neutral, tone-arms we have come across in many years.

Products on Demonstration

10 and 12 inch arms from £5995.00

All come with DaVinci mount. Stainless steel SME mounting plate available to order. Rhodium plated versions to order.

For mounting a 10 inch arm on an SME Model 10 or Model 20 a special bronze adapter is required at a cost of £250.00

Mounting plates for other turntables by quotation.

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

DaVinciAudio Laboratories website    Return to top of page

Nottingham Analogue is British company manufacturing a wide range of turntables, all built to last. The company offers lifetime guarantees on all its components. Their combination of carefully chosen, different materials, results in a unique method of damping excess energy. A natural tonal balance and good timing is the result. Their tonearms are constructed as a carbon/aluminium composite and all have undamped uni-pivot bearings. For those that prefer gimbal bearings, an adaptor to fit SME tonearms is available to order.We have found the Spacedeck and the Hyperspace to be the most popular although others from their range can be obtained to order.

Products on Demonstration

Spacedeck with 9" Ace Space Arm £1630 (pictured)

Ace Spacedeck with 9" Ace Space arm £1750

Heavy Duty Upgrade Platter kits from £375

Wave Mechanic power supply £500

SME tonearm adaptors to order.

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

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SME have been manufacturing exemplary tonearms for many years. More recently, they have manufactured three turntables acknowledged to be amongst the best in the world at their respective price points. Very sophisticated designs, not necessarily apparent on first appearance, which channel all the unwanted vibrational energy away from the cartridge. This results in a very low noise floor producing a very quiet background to the music, enabling low level detail to be more easily perceived. Incredibly neutral in tone, very accurate in imaging within a large soundstage, these turntables just do not get in the way of the music.

All of our demonstration turntables now have the new improved power supplies.

Products on Demonstration

Model 10 £2984

Model 20/2 £4748 (pictured)

Model 30/2 £12651

Tonearms

Series M2-9 £691

Series IV silver £1336

Series V black £1915

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

SME Ltd website    Return to top of page

This respected Swiss company has been making cartridges for many years and also supplies parts to other cartridge companies. Their sound is very natural, slightly warm tonal balance with a large soundstage. Cartridge loading requirements are 500 ohms or higher and they are comfortable into 47kOhms.

Products on Demonstration

ACE medium output 0.8mV £395

Glider medium output 0.8mV £650

LP with ebony body output 0.28mV £1800 (pictured)

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Benz-Micro website    Return to top of page

A well established Japanese manufacturer but designed by Swedes. Excellent transparency and all are capable of big soundstages. A neutral to warm tonal balance with good bass response. Cartridge loading optimally around 1000 Ohms but comfortable into higher or lower values.

We now have on demonstration the NEW sensational Skala cartridge (pictured) - probably the best Lyra sound we have heard.

"The Skala combined the tonal neutrality, musical flow and smoothness of the ZYK with the Helikon's tonal neutrality and transient precision." Michael Fremer, Stereophile March 2007

Products on Demonstration

Dorian output 0.55mV £495

Argo i output 0.45mV £795

Helikon output 0.5mV £995

Skala output 0.5mV £1849

Mono version of certain models available ; please call for prices.

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Lyra website    Return to top of page

This Japanese company makes cartridges which are amongst the most musical we know. They are very transparent allowing fine detail to be resolved with ease. A large soundstage, particularly front to back, and accurate focus of images. Tonally very accurate, with no exaggerated sense of scale so that instruments are reproduced at their “correct” size. Optimal loading 100 Ohms.

Products on Demonstration

Phoenix output 0.40mV £1350

Orpheus output 0.48mV £2750 (pictured)

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Transfiguration web site    Return to top of page

This is one of the best phono stages we have ever had the experience of listening to. A very large soundstage with the best layering of the depth we have ever heard. A very natural tonal balance and not too warm for a valve design. Transparency is of a very high level allowing the finest details and nuances of music to be heard. The precision of focus of the images is noteworthy. The build quality is exceptional with dual mono and fully balanced design through out. Three inputs and four outputs ­ 2 balanced and 2 single ended. Gain and cartridge loading can be done from the remote control whilst the music is playing. There is a built in cartridge demagnetiser which is also activated from the remote control. A must hear for those who want the best from their vinyl replay system.

Products on Demonstration

Rhea phono stage £3175 (pictured)

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Aesthetix website    Return to top of page

The P-5xe offers both true balanced and single ended inputs and outputs. Adjustable impedance via external switches and gain via internal switches. This phono pre-amplifier produces an exceptionally smooth, open sound with excellent focus of imaging.

Products on Demonstration

P-5x phono pre-amplifier £1695 (pictured)

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Ayre website    Return to top of page

VPS Phono Pre-amplifier

The long awaited, separate phono pre-amplifier from Nagra is finally here. And superb it is too. From the very first track of your favourite LP, it is immediately apparent just how musical it is. Based on the highly regarded design in their PLP pre-amplifier, this valve phono stage is extremely transparent, produces very large sound-stages, precise imaging and is tonally extremely correct. Smooth, liquid sound with no hint of grain and none of the usual bloom that can colour other valve based designs. Most importantly for a valve based deisgn, it is very quiet. The VPS will also enable discerning audiophiles the opportunity to have a little of the famous Nagra sound within other quality vinyl replay systems. The company is well known for its philosophy of ignoring any compromise on quality.

Powered by a separate, 12 volt DC supply, it has very low background noise levels which allow the finest details to be resolved.

External switching allows two differnt gain settings. Load impedance (for MC cartridges) and capacitance alterations (for MM cartridges) are easily done by plug-in minature boards to suit cartridge loading and tone-arm cable requirements. Internal switching allows the selection of two RIAA curves; one for 1950s produced LPs and one for 1970s onwards LPs.

Build quality is to the usual, very high Nagra standard and is in a similar size chassis to their pre-amplifiers and CD players. There are factory options to allow for two separate inputs for those who have two tone-arms with two different cartridges. Separate modules are available to allow for these additonal inputs boards to be retro-fitted by the dealer or the user.

Products on Demonstration

Nagra VPS phono pre-amplifier with single MC/MM input £3750 (pictured)

Additional MC phono input £995

Additional MM phono input £400

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

These prices reflect the value of the pound. These may change according to currency fluctuations.

Nagra website    Return to top of page

A new British company, who are thinking outside the box, offering a different design philosophy to those in the more commonly available alternatives. The designer, James Henriot is a musician and has a recording engineering background, has come up with an excellent sounding phono stage. It also extends the RIAA correction up to 35kHz where many modern moving coil cartridges can resolve information. This results in an increased soundstage, very accurate imaging and excellent resolution of detail.

We are now demontrating the superb new whestTWO entry level phono stage. This has 90% of the performance of the PS.20 to the point that this product has been withdrawn, re-designed and is relaunced as the PS.30R.

We now have the new PS.30R phono stage and superb it is too. The PS.30R has certain design elements from the circuit that James Henriot is putting into his new Reference phono stage. The PS.30R is a single, full size chassis, with six options on cartridge loading. An early audition is highly recommended.

The Reference phono stage will have a separate power supply, also housed in a full size chassis, and is anticipated for release soon.

Products on Demonstration

WhestTWO £650 including all cables (pictured top)

Whest PS.30R £1599 including all cables (pictured bottom)

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Whest Audio website    Return to top of page

Record Weight

This device may look like many others but the effect on the sound of the turntable is very different. This record weight will fit over the spindle of almost all turntables and is to be used in place of those supplied with clamps. It places the Harmonic Resolution System (HRS) proprietary polymer compound in intimate contact with the LP over the label area. This polymer compound absorbs the vibrational energy generated by the stylus reading the LP groove or the structure borne energy that is transmitted through the chassis and from the platter bearing. Removing these resonances, the sound from the LP is far more natural, less distorted especially at the higher frequencies, and much more transparent. Soundstages become deeper because the finest details that resolve the space of the recording venue are more apparent and image focus is more precise. Our customers say that once they play their vinyl systems with this record weight, they cannot listen to their LPs without using it.
Please note this is not a threaded clamp so it will not flatten a warped record. However, even when used with warped LPs the sonic benefit is still apparent.

We have trial samples available for home evaluation. Please phone for details.

Products on Demonstration

ADL Analogue Disc weight £132 (pictured)

Other products could be available. Please ring for details.

Harmonic Resolution Systems website    Return to top of page

Due to the demise of Vivante we are recommending that customers requiring new audiophile LPs contact Paul Hawkins at Diverse Vinyl on 01633 259661.

Diverse Vinyl website    Return to top of page

For an excellent source of second-hand classical LPs and realistic prices visit Spiral Classics. Sophia Singer's listing is very easy to navigate and her grading system is excellent and accurate. She is also very knowledgeable and helpful with enquiries. Buy with confidence.

Spiral Classics website    Return to top of page