Spectral Morn
03-04-2010, 21:34
Part One of a number of AOS Show Report Specials.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010141.jpg
One thing I was both looking forward to but also dreading was visiting the Sound Hi Fi stand at the London Show. “Why ?” you might well ask. The answer is simple, I would probably get to hear a fully Sound HiFi modified Technics 1210 turntable. Your next question would probably be “So why is that a problem ?” Well its a problem on a number of levels, let me explain;this turntable easily embodies a number of very hot points of argument on forums and in the general audiophile community. Are direct drive turntables better than belt drives? and can the Technics 1210 after all a “DJ deck”be any good anyway ?
I feel I have an open mind and I don't damn a thing until I have at least tried it but I was, if I am honest, a bit prejudiced towards the Technics and thus out of step (not that there is an AOS party line) with the thoughts and experiences of my fellow AOS admin and general membership who use a Technics 1210. Lets be honest here, some pretty startling claims have been made for it, most of which I struggled to accept.Many of these claims also made me feel uncomfortable in my choice of turntables and I have at times felt this quite keenly, being a user of fairly expensive upmarket belt drive turntables, namely an Oracle Delphi and SME Model 20. The idea that a cheap upstart direct drive turntable could be as good or better was frankly a shocking thought. Years of hearing direct drive was bad, had sunk in, thus forming one of my accepted pillars of wisdom. To face this head on would be uncomfortable at best and if my listening experience proved that everything stated for the Technics was correct...well this for sure, would have the result of upsetting all those previously accepted turntable pillars of wisdom. Could I face the possibility of having them all come crashing down?
I was now going to have a listen and finally have my prejudice challenged head on, after all I could hardly come all this way and not do that. However an additional concern kept nagging at me and that was if after listening I just didn't get it, where would that leave me? Lets see shall we.....
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010153.jpg
The Sound HiFi stall was located in the Market Place area of the Blue Conference Centre and both Dave Cawley owner of Sound HiFi and the direct drive (distributor, designer and manufacturer) behind the mechanical and electronic upgrades to the Technics turntable was in attendance as was Alex Nikitin. Alex is a highly regarded electronic designer, with his own brand of electronics, ANT Audio (distributed by Sound HiFi) but also somewhat of an expert on cassette decks. One of his tweaked Technics tape decks was being used on the stall during both of my I visits to it. Both Dave and Alex are also members of the Art of Sound forum and are valuable community contributors.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010140.jpg
When I arrived there was quite a bit of activity around the stall ( I later learn t these were fellow AOS members)and after a lull developed I introduced myself to Dave and Alex. I had a good look at the items on display which included a fully Sound HiFied Technics and various items of ANT Audio electronics. It became clear that Dave and Alex had set up a headphone comparison demo using ANT Audio Amber headphone amplifiers and Denon Ah-D7000 headphones. Two amplifiers were being used one talking a feed from the Technics 1210 the other from the afore mentioned Technics cassette deck. The ANT Audio Kora phono stage was being used to amplify the signal from an Audio Technica moving coil cartridge and MAD silver cables were transferring signals among the various electronics.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010143.jpg
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010227.jpg
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010224.jpg
Alex invited me to have a listen which I did and to my pleasure and surprise Coal Train by Hugh Masekela was being used, in the form of 12 inch 45rpm vinyl copy of his album Hope and a high quality cassette tape recording taken from the same album. Any of you who know me well, will remember I use this track off the Dali Demo CD a lot for review purposes; so I know it inside and out.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/hopecover.jpg
The sound was open detailed and very stable. Pitch and note definition was excellent as was imaging and sound staging. Dave said a bit later, that he thought that the soundstage was perhaps too wide screen. It was very wide indeed but had good depth and instrument focus. Its hard to say what was doing what here, as I am not familiar with any of the items that made up the demo systems. Indeed I would need these items for a longer period, for a more formal review to get to the bottom of that but based on a two minute listen I was very impressed. The most obvious thing was the stability of the sound and even through headphones this was immediately clear. Listening to the same track through the Technics tape deck was very interesting. It lacked many of the qualities of the turntable but still managed a very credible performance. It was not as open or detailed, indeed a bit rolled off on the top and lacking the rock solid speed stability of the 1210 but it is the best I have heard tape through headphones as long as I can remember. This is quite an achievement for an old analogue technology, that many feel was and is crap...fit only for Dictaphone use. While there Alex tried to get a few people to have a listen and they refused...their loss.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010341.jpg
I had read about the wonders Alex can create in classic cassette decks, by both improving selected internal components and recalibration and I had wondered just how much can be achieved well by this showing I would have to say quite a bit.
Also on display was the new bearing assembly for the Technics 1210 and a standard one, for comparison. There was a massive difference in weight, fit and quality between the two with the Mike New bearing available exclusively in the UK from Sound HiFi; being vastly superior to the stock item.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010225.jpg
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010226.jpg
My visit to the Sound HiFi stand was one of those special moments on a number of levels. Firstly It was very nice meeting Dave and Alex and I really enjoyed my sadly brief chat with both of them. It was evident even from that brief conversation that both guys are very knowledgeable and passionate in what they are doing. Secondly to hear Alex's electronics, Mad cables and both Technics sources was also very special.
As a demo set up things were very well matched to my ears but if I am honest, only by separating the various bits out in a more controlled way, can I state what elements were contributing to what. However even among unfamiliarity, the foundational element of the Technics 1210's contribution was very obvious to me; as I could hear many things its supporters have claimed for it. However the only thing which marred the sound occasionally was a degree of microphony which was bleeding through from occasional thumps to the table top.
I have had my curiosity further fed about trying a full blown Sound HiFi Technics 1210. Indeed Dave and I both wondered how it would sound with a Graham Phantom B44.1 arm fitted rather than a SME or Jeleco arm (as was fitted to the one on demo). I am even by this brief exposure to this 1210 convinced that there is much in what is stated for it (both on AOS and elsewhere) as a design and what can be further squeezed out of it via Time Step power supply and the other modifications/updates. So on that basis I do want to explore this further in the future. My pillars are very badly cracked by this listening experience but only time will tell if they end up being smashed....as they say watch this space.
For more info visit http://www.soundhifi.com/sl1200/index.htm
Regards D S D L
Text and photos copyright Adventures in High Fidelity Audio 2010.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010141.jpg
One thing I was both looking forward to but also dreading was visiting the Sound Hi Fi stand at the London Show. “Why ?” you might well ask. The answer is simple, I would probably get to hear a fully Sound HiFi modified Technics 1210 turntable. Your next question would probably be “So why is that a problem ?” Well its a problem on a number of levels, let me explain;this turntable easily embodies a number of very hot points of argument on forums and in the general audiophile community. Are direct drive turntables better than belt drives? and can the Technics 1210 after all a “DJ deck”be any good anyway ?
I feel I have an open mind and I don't damn a thing until I have at least tried it but I was, if I am honest, a bit prejudiced towards the Technics and thus out of step (not that there is an AOS party line) with the thoughts and experiences of my fellow AOS admin and general membership who use a Technics 1210. Lets be honest here, some pretty startling claims have been made for it, most of which I struggled to accept.Many of these claims also made me feel uncomfortable in my choice of turntables and I have at times felt this quite keenly, being a user of fairly expensive upmarket belt drive turntables, namely an Oracle Delphi and SME Model 20. The idea that a cheap upstart direct drive turntable could be as good or better was frankly a shocking thought. Years of hearing direct drive was bad, had sunk in, thus forming one of my accepted pillars of wisdom. To face this head on would be uncomfortable at best and if my listening experience proved that everything stated for the Technics was correct...well this for sure, would have the result of upsetting all those previously accepted turntable pillars of wisdom. Could I face the possibility of having them all come crashing down?
I was now going to have a listen and finally have my prejudice challenged head on, after all I could hardly come all this way and not do that. However an additional concern kept nagging at me and that was if after listening I just didn't get it, where would that leave me? Lets see shall we.....
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010153.jpg
The Sound HiFi stall was located in the Market Place area of the Blue Conference Centre and both Dave Cawley owner of Sound HiFi and the direct drive (distributor, designer and manufacturer) behind the mechanical and electronic upgrades to the Technics turntable was in attendance as was Alex Nikitin. Alex is a highly regarded electronic designer, with his own brand of electronics, ANT Audio (distributed by Sound HiFi) but also somewhat of an expert on cassette decks. One of his tweaked Technics tape decks was being used on the stall during both of my I visits to it. Both Dave and Alex are also members of the Art of Sound forum and are valuable community contributors.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010140.jpg
When I arrived there was quite a bit of activity around the stall ( I later learn t these were fellow AOS members)and after a lull developed I introduced myself to Dave and Alex. I had a good look at the items on display which included a fully Sound HiFied Technics and various items of ANT Audio electronics. It became clear that Dave and Alex had set up a headphone comparison demo using ANT Audio Amber headphone amplifiers and Denon Ah-D7000 headphones. Two amplifiers were being used one talking a feed from the Technics 1210 the other from the afore mentioned Technics cassette deck. The ANT Audio Kora phono stage was being used to amplify the signal from an Audio Technica moving coil cartridge and MAD silver cables were transferring signals among the various electronics.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010143.jpg
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010227.jpg
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010224.jpg
Alex invited me to have a listen which I did and to my pleasure and surprise Coal Train by Hugh Masekela was being used, in the form of 12 inch 45rpm vinyl copy of his album Hope and a high quality cassette tape recording taken from the same album. Any of you who know me well, will remember I use this track off the Dali Demo CD a lot for review purposes; so I know it inside and out.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/hopecover.jpg
The sound was open detailed and very stable. Pitch and note definition was excellent as was imaging and sound staging. Dave said a bit later, that he thought that the soundstage was perhaps too wide screen. It was very wide indeed but had good depth and instrument focus. Its hard to say what was doing what here, as I am not familiar with any of the items that made up the demo systems. Indeed I would need these items for a longer period, for a more formal review to get to the bottom of that but based on a two minute listen I was very impressed. The most obvious thing was the stability of the sound and even through headphones this was immediately clear. Listening to the same track through the Technics tape deck was very interesting. It lacked many of the qualities of the turntable but still managed a very credible performance. It was not as open or detailed, indeed a bit rolled off on the top and lacking the rock solid speed stability of the 1210 but it is the best I have heard tape through headphones as long as I can remember. This is quite an achievement for an old analogue technology, that many feel was and is crap...fit only for Dictaphone use. While there Alex tried to get a few people to have a listen and they refused...their loss.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010341.jpg
I had read about the wonders Alex can create in classic cassette decks, by both improving selected internal components and recalibration and I had wondered just how much can be achieved well by this showing I would have to say quite a bit.
Also on display was the new bearing assembly for the Technics 1210 and a standard one, for comparison. There was a massive difference in weight, fit and quality between the two with the Mike New bearing available exclusively in the UK from Sound HiFi; being vastly superior to the stock item.
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010225.jpg
http://i549.photobucket.com/albums/ii364/davros124/LondonHI-FIShowMarch27th28th2010226.jpg
My visit to the Sound HiFi stand was one of those special moments on a number of levels. Firstly It was very nice meeting Dave and Alex and I really enjoyed my sadly brief chat with both of them. It was evident even from that brief conversation that both guys are very knowledgeable and passionate in what they are doing. Secondly to hear Alex's electronics, Mad cables and both Technics sources was also very special.
As a demo set up things were very well matched to my ears but if I am honest, only by separating the various bits out in a more controlled way, can I state what elements were contributing to what. However even among unfamiliarity, the foundational element of the Technics 1210's contribution was very obvious to me; as I could hear many things its supporters have claimed for it. However the only thing which marred the sound occasionally was a degree of microphony which was bleeding through from occasional thumps to the table top.
I have had my curiosity further fed about trying a full blown Sound HiFi Technics 1210. Indeed Dave and I both wondered how it would sound with a Graham Phantom B44.1 arm fitted rather than a SME or Jeleco arm (as was fitted to the one on demo). I am even by this brief exposure to this 1210 convinced that there is much in what is stated for it (both on AOS and elsewhere) as a design and what can be further squeezed out of it via Time Step power supply and the other modifications/updates. So on that basis I do want to explore this further in the future. My pillars are very badly cracked by this listening experience but only time will tell if they end up being smashed....as they say watch this space.
For more info visit http://www.soundhifi.com/sl1200/index.htm
Regards D S D L
Text and photos copyright Adventures in High Fidelity Audio 2010.