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Spectral Morn
31-03-2009, 17:18
EINSTEIN A GO-GO ?


The company Einstein are based in Germany and make a range of valve based products but have their origins in solid state. The item in for review is the solid state phonostage which goes by the name of The Turntable's Choice....I love that name in the same way I also love the name Italian company Pathos give their phonostage...In The Groove. Why should companies just give letters and numerals to product models ? Both these companies make the names fun and descriptive of the function, and in the Einstein's case suggestive that your turntable will want to be connected to one. We shall see if thats the case or if its more a case of Einstein a no-no.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein002.jpg

Based in Bochum Germany this company have been designing high quality audio for 19 years and as they state in their own words “ it wasn't by providence, it sure was by lucky coincidence that all of EINSTEIN’s employees turned out to be enthusiastic music listeners who had devoted themselves early on in life to music and its playback technologies to come with profound backgrounds in various electronic circuits, concepts and design approaches. To remain satisfied with our own creative developments, we do not make a single component that has been strategically developed to a certain price point or with specific features that would cater to the mass market. At EINSTEIN, we develop products instead that elicit joy and stimulate forgetfulness from the daily grind – products we want to own ourselves. Good music, whether during a live performance or at home with a high-quality stereo, is part of a well-lived life. EINSTEIN Audio Elektronik focuses exclusively on the creation of audio component which personally enthrall us with their simplicity and elegance both in the sonic and aesthetic dimensions. We are pleased to know that other people share our convictions, enjoy our components as much as we do and thus enable us to live out our calling.”

This individual approach is evident in the design of the Turntable's choice as it is not often that one comes across cylindrical hi-fi products. Of course Musical Fidelity, 47 Labs, Lecson and Jr have utilized the cylinder as a basis for an audio product but there is in my opinion something awkward about this design when used on a conventional hi-fi table.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein010.jpg

However turning the unit over reveals a key hole slot and suddenly it is clear that this phonostage is designed to be hung on the wall. Used this way the orientation of the ins and outs make sense as does the cylindrical shape. Whether hanging on the wall is a good idea well thats a discussion for another day.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein005.jpg

The unit is fairly compact comprising of a main body in black finished of with chrome end caps. The input end has a pair of inputs. The top set for the loading plugs, the bottom for the input wires from your turntable. The bottom has the outputs for hooking up to your integrated or pre-amplifier. Power is derived from an outboard psu, and a power cable of reasonable length is permanently fixed to the phonostage at the signal out end.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein004.jpg

The Turntables Choice comes supplied with loading plugs for capacitance with the values, 40,120,150,200 and 300 ohms. There is nothing to stop you making your own loading plugs to what ever values you need (Link that maybe of help if you want to do this http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=1248). It is important to note that all swapping of loading plugs should be undertaken with the unit switched off; failure to do that may result in damage. I switched the unit off and lifted the cart of the vinyl plus changing pre-amplifier input and reducing volume to zero. The one really nice thing about this phonostage is there is no shades of grey, when the loading is right you will know it, it is black and white....as the add with the Merkat states “simples”.In my carts case it was 120.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein007.jpg

Gain is fixed and was more than enough in the context of my set up. The phonostage's full spec is listed at the end of the review. However in brief gain is 68db and the unit uses 24 transistors per channel to achieve the design goals. This phono stage is not an after market thought, but the result of being designed by “analog fans with large LP collections, the development of this phonostage was an assignment close to our hearts.
Because we prefer MC cartridges, we set out to develop the ultimate moving-coil preamplifier. ‘The Turntable’s Choice’ inspires with its dynamic agility, precisely tracking bass lines and a vocal range that is filled with emotive tone, body and a powerful projective force, all perfectly balanced by a harmoniously effulgent treble. Sound staging and image specificity are unbelievably holographic and fleshed out.” Einstein also make a MC cartridge based on the EMT TU-3 and it would be a sure bet that both the phono stage and cart work very well together, alas I did not have one on hand to try.

The Einstein phonostage was used in my downstairs main system which comprised the following kit,SME Model 20 Turntable, Graham Phantom B44 Arm, Ortofon MC 7500 Cartridge, Graham IC70 Tone Arm Cable, Bat VK 31 se pre-amplifier, Bat VK 75 power amplifier, Anthony Gallo Ref 3.1 speakers. Cabling was Atlas Marvos and Audience Au 24 both in RCA and XLR types and speaker cable. Isolation tables are Clearlight Audio, Base and String Suspension Concept designs. No mains filters or regenerators was used during the review. However both Audience, TCI Boa Constrictor and Analysis Plus power cables were used. I hooked the Einstein to the pre-amplifier with Atlas Marvos Rca to Rca cables and the main power cable was an Audience AU24. The unit sat on a String Concepts isolation table and ringmat cork feet under the phonostage's base.

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein015.jpg

http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/Einstein011.jpg

Music used during the review was Mr Scruff-Mrs Scruff, Thomas Dolby-Aliens Ate My Buick, New Order-Substance 1987,Yello-One Second and Propaganda-A Secret Wish.

http://www.vibrantsound.com/music/files/images/detailed/740747.jpghttp://www35.tok2.com/home/naughtyoranges/thomas%20dolby%20%20aliens%20ate%20my%20buick.jpgh ttp://www.chasermerch.com/images/new%20order%20substance%20logo.gifhttp://www.abella.de/cover/P0602498307588_1.jpghttp://cdn.7static.com/static/img/sleeveart/00/001/059/0000105995_350.jpg



The Einstein is no different to many other items I have written about recently in that it needs warming up. After two days I was very unhappy with the sound. It seemed to embody the stereotypical idea of Teutonic audio (more of a myth these days)...cold, controlled and lean. After a full week this had thankfully changed, take note if you are trying one of these in your system you need to have the loan of it for at least a few more days than a week. Only listen to it, after a few hours of warm up and frankly I don't think you should bother, you are wasting your time.

After the period of warm up noted above the sound was transformed and not subtly. Frankly if it had continued to sound as it did from fresh switch on I would have had to pass on this item, but now things were really interesting. The sound was now really open and detailed and just a shade to the warmer side of neutral. This did change a bit depending on the recording something this unit revealed if not ruthlessly but with quite an honest confession of poor or edgy quality, something I encountered with one of my previous reference slabs of vinyl.

On to the platter first was Thomas Dolby's wonderfully quirky album Aliens Ate My Buick. This is an amazing slice of electro-pop. Tracks ranging from sly comments on America society to long songs that could almost be Prog Rock. Its been a firm fave of mine since I first bought it back in 1988. The bass on this album is exceptionally good normally and the Einstein was not disappointing me. I mention the bass first because it was stunningly good. It was open and detailed with excellent slam, grip and clarity. Terry Jackson's playing on tracks like Pulp Culture and Air Head was as good as I have ever heard and far outstripped the bass reproduction on the CD copy. Each track was propelled with firm vigor that had just the right degree of tightness and reality of tone. That often used term PRAT was also excellent on this albums music, my foot tapping along in time, with the rhythm section. Time changes spun on a dime and each element of the music flowed really well. The potential issue with this albums recording quality was absent, in so much as it can be lean and bright. It wasn't at any stage like that. The sound was open and detailed but also had the right degree of warmth. Mr Dolby's voice was just right and rather than only listening to a few tracks I was naughty and listened to an entire side of this album.

Up next was a fave discovery of a few years ago the DJ Mr Scruff and his first recording bundled together and called Mrs Scruff. This album is a tour deforce and is well recorded and will really test a system to the very edge of what it can do. The tracks range from jazz influenced drum and bass to quite spartan delicate ambient dance music. The track Crisp was first and while the arrangement and music is quite spartan this is misleading. The vocal parts, bass, drum and synth elements all blend to create a large sound scape that has a sense of drive that a lot of heavily instrumental dance does not have. This track propels along at a nice pace and the Einstein captured this and allowed just that to happen, Prat was very good. The sound stage was large and expansive but not as big as I am used too with the CD version of this album. One aspect of the vinyl performance that bettered the CD version was in the bass (an area where many say CD is better than vinyl playback). Bass notes were very deep and controlled and shook the room. A friend uses the term trouser flapping to describe this effect, not only my trousers were flapping but the whole room was pulsing along with the bass lines. The overall sound though was lush and expansive with fantastic detail and delicacy as well....great stuff. Next on the platter was the track Night Time. I love this track and I was not disappointed except once again in the area of sound stage width and possibly in the depth. However the complexity of the mix and rhythms in this track were handled with aplomb. It might be the case that a lesser phonostage or system might have allowed the very heavy bass lines to swamp the rest of the music but not in this case. The more delicate aspects of this music and each element in total was revealed with great clarity, each having its own space but kept in line to form part of a coherent whole.

The Mr Scruff pressing is a little noisy and while the Einstein did not hide this it did not overly emphasize it either. Back ground hiss a problem with many phonostages, (especially valve ones) was all but absent, and was very good for a Solid state one. This lack of noise allowing the music to flow free and clear, and this absence of noise must be responsible for the clarity in all the music I heard while using the Einstein.

Yello, a strange duo from Switzerland have been making quirky electronic music for many years and One Second is a great album from them. The first tracks on side one are strong faves of mine so when I listened to La Habanera and Moon on Ice I was surprised to be a little less enthusiastic with how the Einstein was reproducing this music I know very well. The clarity was there as was the great bass but the atmosphere with these tracks which make you think you are in a smoky night club say in Cuba was well not missing but much reduced to what I am used to. All the Latin excess was handled well, but it just lacked the magic I am used too. A difference in presentation that was clearer on this album was also exposed on the next one and indeed the quality of pressing was also brought into question.

The first time I heard German Art Electronic group Propaganda I was hooked on their futuristic slightly Punky music. The washes of sound and driving rhythms and the vocals of Claudia Brucken and Suzanne Freytag transported one to the underground art clubs of Berlin and the like. The detail retrieval here and the layering of the sound was excellent, indeed I heard some things I had not heard before but the overall sound was wrong...it was too clean and lacked soul. In fact I would have to say that it was to toppy, cool and steely. This is not what I am used to with this album. I must admit that I could see it sounding this way but it has never sounded this way in my system before. On the showing here I would have to say that I prefer the SACD version of this album A Secret Wish. It may be that the great clarity and detail the Einstein has may just be to much for me or the context of my system. Or even that this ability it has, has revealed a poor pressing....I am not sure which is the case here.

New Orders album Substance 1987 was up next and was very good. The old classic Blue Monday's shook the room. However the sound stage sat just beyond the edge of the speakers and overall was not as expansive as it sounds through my Bat VK10 se. The Einstein had more snap in the bass but I missed the warmer larger presentation of the Bat phonostage.

Once again its a case of system matching and preference. The Bat VK10se is slightly more forgiving of poor recordings/bad pressings (though it does show them up, it just doesn't scream about them)and it has for me a slightly more musical sound with more expansive sound stage and greater depth of image. The Einstein counters with amazing clarity and bass the like I have not heard from vinyl before. Its mid-range is excellent but just lacks a bit of the qualities I like. Perhaps in a different system or a listener with different listening priorities the result would have been more to the Einstein than the Bat. I should point out though that the differences, while there for me, were probably not that huge and may just boil down to the way valves work differently to solid state.

The Einstein Turntable's Choice is very good, and may just be the right item for your system and preferences. I would say that you must hear it after a weeks warm up and give yourself a bit more time to listen fully. If I have a regret it is that perhaps with a few more days I might have been able to learn to love this unit rather than just respect it. However you may love it.

Michael Fremer's review in the July 2003 issue of Stereophile was very helpful, in perhaps offering explanation for why I had some issues. He feels that it is very fussy about the type of cables used for hook up to amplifier and between the arm and phonostage. Despite such issues he felt it fell into the upper 5 or so phonostages he had heard so far. At the time of me writing, it rates as a Class A product in that magazine. The Graham IC70 arm cable may possibly not be the best choice, but sadly its the only one I have. Maybe with more options to hand, the story would have a better ending.

So as the song by Landscape says, is it Einstein A Go-Go or Einstein A No-No ? Well its definitely not a No-No and may well be a Go-Go for you, but for me I think I must just say while I love what it does, and respect its many strengths it must be a case of you listen for yourself and you decide, if its right or not; as for me, its just not quite right for what I want or what my system needs.

On a final note perhaps the fully balanced version might just fit better in my system than the single ended...maybe some day I will get to hear that version.


Technical data of the Turntable's Choice phonostage from Einstein Audio
- Gain of 68dB (2500x)
- S/N ratio typically 76dB
- THD < 0.03%
- Star-grounding (the stereo version too uses discrete dual-mono floating power supplies)
- passive RIAA equalization
- Adjustable impedance loading
- Discrete architecture (24 monolithic transistors per channel)
- High-current output stage with low 50-ohm output impedance
- Output voltage > 5V, balanced 10V
- External power supply (the fully balanced version has twin power supplies)
- Resonance-free vibration-optimized chassis
- Dual-mono architecture, available fully balanced or single-ended


Additional thoughts....

There is a saying that goes like this...For the sake of a nail the shoe was lost. For the sake of the shoe the horse was lost. For the sake of the horse the Kingdom was lost.

Well 24 hours has passed since I wrote the review above and as the phonostage is going back tomorrow I wanted to listen less critically than when I was doing the review, just for fun (you can have fun and do a review..there not mutually exclusive but...). Anyway with in seconds of listening I new something had happened. WOW. The Einstein unit had taken a large jump forward in sound quality.

The soundstage has grown in size both side to side in height and in depth. Instrument separation and focus have also improved and the mid-range has become more fleshed out. The sound on all the albums I used have improved most notably the Yello album and even Propaganda( though its still edgy and forward...but much better). Overall I am now left with the very strong sense that two weeks and possibly more time is needed to hear fully what this remarkable product can do. Would a choice of arm cables help maybe yes...but as I sit and type this I can hardly contain my excitement and frustration at what I almost missed out on, and you guys reading this also would have missed as well. I now have to say for less money, that the Turntable's Choice in my set up, is now almost the equal of the Bat phonostage...who knows with another few days or even a week things might narrow further, or even dare I contemplate it, this small cylindrical German phono amplifier might even surpass my Bat VK10se. Heck it takes up less room and it doesn't get hot..you can even mount it on the wall.

Clarity,focus, openness, bass depth shape and slam, air, mid-range texture, I could go on but I would run out of superlatives...this is about the best vinyl playback I have ever heard in my set up and I am going to cry when I have to give this back tomorrow. The aspect which valves do so well in terms of naturalness and dimension is perhaps the only areas where the Bat is a shade better; but the Einstein is cheaper, and may well not have finished its journey of improvement.

Folks those of you who think warm up does not exist, is foo, etc; you are so wrong IMHO. For the sake of an extra 24 hours a slice of magic would have been missed. Goes to show you should never assume the journeys over...it may well have only begun.

It has been said that the balanced version is better...I can now only imagine what thats like, based on what I heard here tonight.





Regards D S D L


Edit No part of this review can be reproduced without written permission...content is copyrighted to ...NK

Mike
31-03-2009, 18:53
Nice work Neil!

Sounds like you had a jolly good time even if it wasn't quite to your taste.

Where DO you get all this lovely kit to play with from! (only jealous) ;)

Cheers,
Mike.

John
31-03-2009, 19:29
Nice review Neil and great to hear you listening to Vinyl again I love your honesty about the product and the pictures look great

Spectral Morn
31-03-2009, 20:51
Hi Guys thanks for the comments but something happened tonight....so I have had to add to the review.

Mike I just happen to have some good friends who were customers and who lend me kit, from time to time.

Go back and read the last bit again, of the above item....Post 1



Regards D S D L

Beechwoods
31-03-2009, 21:33
Excellent review and great pictures, Neil! Thank you!

Spectral Morn
31-03-2009, 21:42
Your welcome Nick

I take it you read the version with the additional comments...boy I nearly missed out on this. Makes we wonder again how many magazine reviews miss how good an item is because of a print deadline. I am glad this wasn't the case here so I could add further to the review.


Regards D S D L

Beechwoods
31-03-2009, 21:49
I did... you were lucky! I'm glad you had a really good listening experience with it. I personally wonder how much time mags have to run kit in before assessing it. Especially on big group tests...

Spectral Morn
31-03-2009, 21:53
Hi Nick

Quite a lot I suspect, which is a real pity. In the case of the Einstein even though its well run in the warm up was critical. I still don't know if thats it or if there is a bit more. I will listen again tomorrow before I take it back. Theres a Ringmat Mat to listen to as well...belongs to the same guy.


Regards D S D L

Tony G
01-04-2009, 11:03
An interesting read, thank you for taking the time to post (and pics too).
I did note your observations WRT warm-up in another review you did here.
Something I have noticed at times myself, although not so much in the context of reviewing.
I have also heard the same thing from others of wide experience who were not trying to either sell me something or excuse a less than stellar performance from a particular piece of kit.
One additional point of interest on this point is that it is almost always in respect of SS equipment (supposedly turn on and blast away) rather than valve gear, though that does need an hour or so at least.
Even when continuously powered on, some kit seems to improve after the first half hour or so of play, certainly some cartridges I have seem to need an album side to come on song.
That perhaps is more understandable as warming up and loosening of the suspension.

Spectral Morn
01-04-2009, 11:41
An interesting read, thank you for taking the time to post (and pics too).
I did note your observations WRT warm-up in another review you did here.
Something I have noticed at times myself, although not so much in the context of reviewing.
I have also heard the same thing from others of wide experience who were not trying to either sell me something or excuse a less than stellar performance from a particular piece of kit.
One additional point of interest on this point is that it is almost always in respect of SS equipment (supposedly turn on and blast away) rather than valve gear, though that does need an hour or so at least.
Even when continuously powered on, some kit seems to improve after the first half hour or so of play, certainly some cartridges I have seem to need an album side to come on song.
That perhaps is more understandable as warming up and loosening of the suspension.



Interesting points Tony.

I have yet to come across kit that does not need some warm up....I do wish this didn't exist, as frankly we could save money and the environment by using less electricity. I think its just coincidence that the kit I own or have reviewed recently needs weeks rather than hours of warm up.

You are quite right about cartridge warm up. I play records for at least an hour without listening before listening seriously. This removes this issue...I feel. The last listening session which forms the final section/addition of the review was a shock as the huge leap in sound quality was obvious within seconds. I have been listening critically for many years and I seem to have a very good memory for sound, thus I was able to hear the improvement right away. I also, always use the same tracks and always play the last track that I heard first, when starting a new listening session. If you are methodical it helps a lot and writing notes is important too IMHO.

Yes valve kit needs about 30 mins to an hour whereas Solid state gear seems to need much longer hours or even weeks (in some cases).

When undertaking a write up or review I always try to make sure that I cover all the basis...I never assume I have got it all right and when something such as what happened last night just makes things more rewarding. However the thing that bothers me most, is how many who have spent lots of money have never heard what their kit can do, because its never fully warmed up. That saddens me a lot.


Regards D S D L

symon
01-04-2009, 12:09
Warming up is interesting. At the moment, my system gets turned off at the mains every night to save electricity. And, to be honest, because it has a hum that I haven't got to thinking about how to fix. I wonder how much I am missing by doing this?
I guess I better get round to fixing that hum sooner than I thought I needed to!

Tony G
01-04-2009, 13:37
It would be very interesting to hear if you notice any differences should you try not turning everything off.
The hum is probably spoiling your enjoyment anyway and needs to be tracked down.

symon
01-04-2009, 14:52
Well, for now the hum only becomes an obvious issue when I'm trying to play things at a quieter volume. But, yes, I need to work out what is causing it.

Spectral Morn
01-04-2009, 15:00
Hi Guys


Just before I get down to writing another review (Ringmat Turntable Mat) I thought I would just state that today I could hear no further improvement in the phonostage's sound. I am not saying there is not more to come, just an additional 18 hours or so have not resulted in further sound improvements.

Alas I have to take the phonostage back this afternoon ............:(

The keyboard is waiting......


Regards D S D L

Spectral Morn
01-04-2009, 15:03
Well, for now the hum only becomes an obvious issue when I'm trying to play things at a quieter volume. But, yes, I need to work out what is causing it.


Where doesthis hum come from Symon ?

You really need to sort it out especially if its coming through your speakers. If its a mains transformer and the sound is external to but coming from a component then it too needs to be solved. I hate any noise in my listening room.


Regards D S D L

symon
01-04-2009, 15:20
Hi Neil,

it comes through the speakers. I suspect it is something to do with my Quad 405. But, as I said, I haven't done any further investigation yet into what might be causing the hum.

Sorry for hijacking your thread!

tom
13-01-2011, 18:00
Hi

Do you know who sells these phono stages in the UK

Spectral Morn
13-01-2011, 18:13
To be honest I don't know.

Contact Einstein and ask who their agent is in the UK, then if you could post a link here... cheers :cool:

Oh Yes welcome to the forum. Can you pop into the welcome section and say hello to the group and tell us about your system, taste in music etc.


Regards D S D L